Gender Role Attachment In Sophocles Antigone

In the play Antigone, men view women as a threat to their masculinity and do whatever they have to in order to silence them. However, the women find ways to speak out anyway. Gender has profound affects on the meaning of Antigone's actions. Creon feels the need to defeat Antigone more so because she is a woman. Antigone's rebellion is especially threatening because it upsets gender roles and hierarchy. By refusing to be passive, she overturns one of the fundamental rules of her culture.

Gender and its roles are exposed in the story of Antigone as the central themes. Roles and rules are set and followed by several people in this era, this is appreciated in this text. Ideas of contradiction to these rules were not explored. In Greek mythology, several women held positions of power, but none of these women were human, making the idea of a powerful woman godlike and unattainable, as if to keep woman in their place, which of course, was always under the rule of the superior gender, the male. To challenge a patriarchy with feminism was dangerous, for both sexes were equally protective of it, leaving the challenger desolate in the battle against it. To rely on women to help other women rebel against this social norm was not probable, in the contrary, women held each other accountable for complying to these rules and punished those who didn’t. Women were their gender’s prevalent critics and suppressors, not only because they feared the repercussions, but since they didn’t have the means to rebel against it.

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

Ismene (Antigone’s sister) points out to Antigone, “Remember we are women, we’re not born to contend with men,” (Sophocles p.646). This strict patriarchy is symbolized by King Creon, who makes a decree that is opposition with the gods and forbids the proper burial of Polynices (Antigone’s brother).

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.

Ismene showed how most women were acting while Antigone showed exactly what women shouldn’t be doing according to society. When Creon heard someone was going against his law he was surprised to hear that it was a women who was doing this. This can be seen when Creon has a conversation with the Sentry, “Creon: This girl-how did you take her and from where? Sentry: She was burying the man.

The only person in the city who is ready to defy Creon’s law is his niece, the sister to Polynices, Antigone. She is overcome with grief by Creon’s order, and sets out to bury her brother. She believed that Creon, “a mere mortal,” did not have the power to “…override the gods, the great unwritten, unshakable traditions…” surrounding the rights of a dead man (Line 503-505). Her loyalty was to her family, not to the new king of Thebes. When Antigone goes to her sister Ismene to plead for her help in burying their brother, even she is too afraid of Creon’s authority to assist her only family. “I must obey the one’s in power,” she says. “...defy the city? I have no strength for that.” (Line 79-80, 93). She is lead to go against what she feels is morally right because she is fearful of the consequences. Even though Antigone is aware of these deadly consequences, she is willing to face them and stand up for what she believes is right. Discovering that Antigone has gone against him, Creon immediately sentences

In the past and in current day society, specific rights, roles, and behaviors for men and women have always been debated. From gender associated names and colors to wage differences and holding leadership positions, people continue to fight against gender stereotyped social norms and injustices to push ideas of equality into the spotlight. Although not all people are willing to sacrifice themselves to fight for a cause, the ones that do, tend to have an extensive effect on the people and culture around them. In the ancient Greek play, Antigone, written by Sophocles, both images of women, strong willed and passive, are represented in the play through the beliefs and actions of two sisters. Antigone, a young woman with a passionate heart, resists Creon, an authoritative king, and strives to go against this powerful, male force.

Human nature dictates that conformity is a safer choice than expressing individuality. When placed in a situation where one must either remain silent or speak their mind and face severe consequences, there is much less risk in taking the first option. Sophocles, an Athenian tragedian from the fifth century BC, confronted this theme throughout one of his most popular works: Antigone. In the play, the title character must decide if she should honor her brother and die, rather than saying nothing and leaving his dead body unburied outside the city walls. In the present day, most Americans don’t experience such extreme circumstances, but this battle between conformity and individuality directly reflects the

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.

Sophocles’ "Antigone" starts with Antigone and her sister, Isemen, in a heated discussion about the cruel edict that will soon be imposed by their uncle King Creon: no one shall bury the body of their brother Polyneices. Although Isemen tries to dissuade Antigone in her belief of what is right or wrong, Antigone carries on her plan to bury her brother’s body even after the King’s order had been publicly declared, and she is caught soon after. King Creon’s tragedy begins when Antigone was brought up to King Creon upon his order to find the traitor. Being so caught up on the fact that he needs to ensure faith in his authority; Creon ignores the family ties he has with Antigone and solely focuses in denouncing her as a perpetrator for going against his word. Even when Antigone confronts him for not following god’s law, Creon’s arrogance drove him to make rash decisions that ultimately led to his downfall, which is depicted in the play. However, Creon’s arrogance was spawned by the political situations leading upto and during his kingship that, overwhelmed by his situation as an inexperienced leader of a recent warfare nation, he overlooks and even disregards his role in family ties. Sophocles manifests how the situation affects leadership as well as values of family through Creon 's decisions and behavior as a leader of Thebes in “Antigone”.

In contrary Ismene is docile and someone who follow the laws at all costs. She said, “we are women” stating a woman’s position in society and obligated to obey by the law. She doesn’t agree with her sister Antigone, since is prohibiting for women to have a voice during those times. Ismene believe that women should never violate the laws of man who were guide by the gods. Antigone will carry out the forbidden burial alone, nevertheless she seeks futilely the complicity of her sister Ismene. Ismene without endorsing the established power by King Creon, discreetly folds to it, became a passive collaborator of the system implemented by him.

Topic 9: Analysis of the Stereotypical Masculinity of Antigone and Ismene Compared to the Males in Antigone

Patriarchy is a quality of society that persisted through many civilizations in history. Patriarchy is defined as the giving of power to men over women. It is seen in China, India, and most importantly Greek Society. This viewpoint was fueled in Paleolithic and Early Neolithic times by simple anatomy aiding men in doing the labor intensive work. However women have gained more power as we transfer into present day. In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon and Ismene show signs of patriarchy through there actions. At the time of writing the play, Sophocles was surrounded by patriarchy in Ancient Greek Society. Ismene merely believes that she and Antigone can’t bury Polyneices because they are women and have no strength or power. Creon shows hatred toward Antigone because of Sophocles having been influenced by ancient Greek Society, he quickly blames Ismene because he knows she may threaten him as Antigone did, and he says that they are weaker than men as they are carried away by guards.