Gender And Gender Roles In Antigone

Women in Ancient Greece were shown to be treated unfairly and less superior to men in homes, as wives, and in society as shown in Sophocles's play Antigone. They were looked down upon and thought of as less intelligent, as if they weren't really needed except for reproducing, doing housework, and taking care of children. Also, women were considered dangerous due to their emotions as they could hurt themselves or someone else. Antigone presents a variety of these ideas of how Women's roles played out in Ancient Greece.

Misogyny pervades the picture Aeschylus, Aristophanes, and Sophocles paint of Athenian society. In their literature, however, female characters catalyze plot by challenging this picture. Such characters--from Sophocles’ Antigone to Aristophanes’ Lysistrata--face grim consequences for acting independently. Clytemnestra and Cassandra from Aeschylus’s Agamemnon exemplify this archetype of autonomy and destruction. When they confront injustice, male characters perceive them as vindictive and hysterical. This paper will compare the standards of justice Aeschylus’s society imposes on men and women. I will argue that Clytemnestra and Cassandra are protectors of divine justice who reject subservience and thereby transcend the sexism of their society.

In Sophocles’ Antigone, gender roles are a major conflicting theme throughout the entire play. The setting of the play was written during the Greek mythological days, around 442 B.C. During these days, men were dominant and held all of the power, so women were automatically treated as less. Antigone and Creon portray the conflicting sides between male and female, and Ismene and Haemon portray opposing sides to Antigone and Creon’s actions. Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon each show differences in behavior due to their sex versus the actions each character chooses to take. Antigone tells Ismene about her plans to bury their brother, Polynices, which is going against Creon’s orders. Antigone and Ismene, have contrasting perspectives on

boldness, bravery and , unyielding morals are all extremely important to her role in the play.

Antigone, however, decides she would rather please the gods than man and buries her brother against King Creon’s orders. She is fully aware of the consequences should she get caught, yet she openly disobeys, even against her sister’s warnings. She gives Creon no additional respect either as a male in a patriarchal society or as a king and ultimate authority figure. In fact, she calls him a fool! Antigone boldly states to Creon himself, “If my present actions strike you as foolish, let’s just say I’ve been accused of folly by a fool,” (Sophocles p.657). The strong will and defiance she exhibits are very characteristic of modern feminism.

Antigone’s determination did not allow her be afraid to face Creon, instead she was courageous when he asked her “I am here to say no to you and die.” (A. 50). Also, Antigone’s determination is what is allowing her to believe that she has done the correct action even if others do not think so or think of her as a foolish woman as she states “think me a fool if you like; but it may well be that a fool convicts me of folly.” (A.49). Although Antigone did not obey Creon’s decree, she was very positive that she would not be called guilty as a traitor since she firmly stated that “no one will ever convict me for a traitor.” (A. 47). Throughout all of this, she remained courageous and determined so in the end she successfully reaches her goal in burying her brother’s body.

Just as one stone removed can break a bridge, one flaw can bring a man to ruins. The flaw of one man cannot bring down an entire kingdom, but rather one outlook of the king can lead to the demise of the whole. In Sophocles' epic tragedy, Antigone, a strong gender bias is present throughout the tragedy, and is partially responsible for the downfall of the king.

In Antigone, Sophocles discusses many topics that are as relevant today as they were at the time when the play was written. He comments on topics such as morality, law, and gender. At a time when gender roles were much less fluid than they are even today, characters in Antigone dare to challenge what is expected of them. In the play, more than making a statement on what the role of women should be, Sophocles criticizes the role of men.

to his son, “To all one’s enemies. Do not be fooled, my son, By lust

In the Greek drama, Antigone, the three traits that Antigone displays are bravery, emotions, and strong will. For instance, while being angered by Ismene, Antigone stresses, “I am not afraid of the danger; if it means death” (Sophocles 1072). Even though Antigone is a woman, she is not afraid to do what she believes is right. The Lion represents Antigone’s strong will and determination because not only are they physically powerful, but they are also fearless. In contrast, Antigone, feeling isolated responds while getting put into an underground cavern, “… Her tears are never done. / I feel the loneliness of her death in mine” Sophocles 1094). Antigone, having to be buried alive emotionally compares her lonely death to

The different portrayals of female characters Antigone and Lysistrata illustrate the fundamental nature of the proper Athenian woman. Sophocles' Antigone allows the reader to see that outrage over social injustices does not give women the excuse to rebel against authority, while Aristophanes' Lysistrata reveals that challenging authority in the polis becomes acceptable only when it's faced with destruction through war. Sophocles and Aristophanes use different means to illustrate the same idea; the ideal Athenian woman's ultimate loyalty lies with her polis. This Greek concept of the proper woman seems so vital when considering Athenian society because both a tragedy and comedy revolve around this concept. The differing roles accorded to

It’s extraordinarily apparent that throughout the course of both oral and written history, women have been on the short end of the stick. During the Early Modern Europe, roughly between the late fifteenth and late eighteenth century, European countries were on a witch craze. Women, although some men too, were often accused of consorting with the devil and performing magic, and then sentenced to death if they were unable to prove their innocence, burning being the most popular form of punishment. Although the estimate is not entirely definite, an approximate 40,000-50,000 deaths occurred during that time frame. Women have also faced other types of discrimination, from how they could act in society, to more modern and prevalent issues such inequality

Although ancient Greece was a male-dominant society, Sophocles’ Antigone portrays women as being strong and capable of making wise decisions. Antigone, the tragic heroine, rejects the traditional role of women. As such, Sophocles punishes Ismene for embodying traditional attitude. Moreover, Creon is punished for misogyny. Sophocles, accordingly, uses characterization to promote feminist ideas.

For centuries men have been finding ways to gain control over everything and everyone. One group that has been oppressed by men throughout history are women. Men have placed rules and regulations upon women making them seen as unequal and inferior. Was it fear? Was it the hunger for power? Was is the highness of superiority? Whatever the reasons were, men had to be seen as the highest being next to whom they worshiped. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, the audience is exposed to the roles of men and women in an ancient Greece society known as Thebes. Although ancient Greece was a male-dominant society where women had as much freedom as a slave, Sophocles’ main character in the play, Antigone, is an example of a brave, strong-minded woman who goes against the limitations that were unfairly set upon women during that time to do what she believes is right. In this play, gender roles assists in the process of portraying the story since it affects some of the decisions of the characters and helps lead the story into the climax.

Antigone is portrayed as a courageous woman whose audacious qualities defy the authority of a patriarchal society, whereas Ismene conceals herself in the shadows of stronger men. Antigone accepts the dire consequences that follow with her decision, despite knowing what fate lies ahead of her. Throughout the tragedy Antigone stands by her decision, simply replying to Creon “I do deny nothing.” (208). Antigone is willing to bend the law to do what is morally correct and listen her heart. Her assertive behavior to stand up to the authority and coney her opinion is an uncommon trait for a woman to possess during her time which sparks Ismene’s concern. She constantly encourages Antigone to stop resisting against the law and to follow Creon’s wishes, telling her “We are only women, we cannot fight men! ” (191). This indicates Ismene’s obedient behavior towards the law and how she doesn't wish to create a disturbance. She is constantly worried about the dealing with the consequences of betraying the law. Ismene further explains how women are supposed to behave in an orderly fashion rather than question the law. She is portrayed as a submissive girl, whose acquiescence towards the law, preserves her life Ismene’s quiet behavior is distinctively different than Antigone's outgoing personality.