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Antigone Gender Roles

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Cultural and contextual aspects had a major role in the development of the play, Antigone. The Greek tragedy was written by Sophocles around 442 BCE, during the Golden age of ancient Greece. The play is set in Thebes during the bronze age, and illustrates the culture of Athens during the Golden Age. Sophocles wrote the play in Athens during the democratic period. Athenian democracy excluded women, which is a crucial aspect of his work. The play Antigone showcases two women with opposing views in ancient Greek society. I have learned from the interactive oral presentations that women in ancient Greece were seen as inferior to men, and were not considered citizens and therefore, Antigone’s behaviour in the play is quite significant because she stood up against authority, whereas, Ismene represents the societal expectations of a woman during this time, as she obeys willingly to men. The passivity of Ismene and other citizens explains …show more content…

10). Alternatively Antigone makes her decision based on what she believes is just. She aspires to gender equality, as she believes “Creon’s rights” (p.9) are equal to her own. Antigone is empowered by the natural laws, and understands the “glory” (p. 11) that will come as she fulfils her duties. Glory represents the good that could come from the defiance of gender roles and the honour in which she will bring to the women of Thebes. Glory can also represent the life without gender barriers between men and women, in which Antigone is attempting to provide. She understands the great difficulties and, also, the reward. Ancient Greek customs on gender roles influence Ismene to not bestow honour upon her family, but rather to allow men to dictate her destiny, because she is fearful of their strength. The conflict between sisters stems from these opposing views on women’s role in

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Just as in King’s time where African-Americans struggle with gaining any say or power just because of the color of their skin, Antigone and other women in their own time battle social customs that assume women are the weaker gender compared to men. These men hold all the political offices, and therefore create the laws. Despite being a member of a royal family, Antigone has no real power over

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267 Words | 2 Pages

The famous feminist, Gloria Steinem, once said,”Women are not going to be equal outside the home until men are equal in it.” This central idea of equality is relevant to the story Antigone by Sophocles. Considering the circumstances of the story, the minor character, Ismene, is conflicted with standing by the beliefs that men are overall rulers and powerful over women. Ismene’s emotions and mood fluctuates through the story in a horrible manner. To tragedy unto despair is a major theme in Sophocles most famous tragedy, Antigone.

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906 Words | 4 Pages

Most men, thousands of years ago, believed that this was a man’s world and would never be powered by women. Greek tragic drama often would contain chauvinists. Antigone, by Sophocles, the third out of the series, gives a clear view on how women were treated thousands of years ago. Creon, the uncle of Antigone, becomes the king of Thebes. At this point in the story, Antigone’s brothers fought to the death, and Creon only decided to bury one of them.

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704 Words | 3 Pages

What is worth mentioning in Sophocles’ play is that he not only showed the weak side of women but also the strong ones. For example, Ismene is the traditional role of women in ancient Greek—coward, fear of men power and feeble. For Ismene, "we must remember we were born women, not meant to strive with men" (Antigone). She even chose to die with Antigone while hearing her sentence, for she was afraid that she would be alone, she could not be able to fight against Creon, this men-dominant society. In contrast, her sister Antigone presents the “women power”.

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736 Words | 3 Pages

It is well known that for much of history, females have been largely oppressed and given few rights, unlike the male gender. Traditionally, a women’s role in society was to be a submissive housewife and to raise children. In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, a young woman goes against the law to give her dead brother a proper burial, defying the typical role expected of a female during this time period. Antigone can be seen as a role model for women because she knows her own mind, stands up to her uncle, and sacrifices herself for someone she loves. Women during this time period were expected to listen to the men in society and follow their rules.

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880 Words | 4 Pages

In the Greek tragic drama, Antigone, by Sophocles Ismene is a foil of her sister. There are many characteristics that exhibit this, such as, Ismene’s lack of courage, how she chooses to follow civil laws over the laws of the gods, and finally, how Ismene cannot stand up for herself. There are many instances in the play where these traits are are exhibited. One way that Ismene is a foil of Antigone is because she lacks courage.

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860 Words | 4 Pages

In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone, a woman’s individual conscience trumps state law when Antigone displays time and again that she values her divine motives higher than those of the state throughout the tragedy. Her continued defiance of the state’s authority marks the importance of her individuality through various scenes in Antigone. Knowing full well her role as a woman in a patriarchal society, Antigone goes beyond the powers of the common man to carry on morals of herself and family exceeding beyond immortality and death. Engulfed in the menacing misogyny King Creon set forth in the state, Antigone is determined to thrive and keep the sacred deeds of herself and family in tact despite the fate it bears. The character of Antigone exhibits

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1353 Words | 6 Pages

Antigone’s actions are motivated by her allegiance to her family, moral conscience, and religion amid Creon’s political injustice and tyranny. Antigone’s actions motivate her to demand Ismene to prove whether she is “a true sister or a traitor to your family” (26-27). Antigone maintains loyalty to her brother despite his actions which threatened Thebes. Her inability to bear the thought of her brother’s corpse being picked apart by animals and not being honored with proper funeral rites forces her to act. Antigone’s fierce allegiance to her family is laid bare as she is willing to sacrifice her life to honor her brother and defy the law in an act that she believes is morally just.

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483 Words | 2 Pages

Gender roles play a significant part through ought the play Antigone due to the fact that men are treated on a higher scale than women. Sophocles portrays women as people with no rights nor freedom. Antigone is on a destiny for burial rights of her brother Polyneicis. Gender roles are expressed throughout the play Antigone by disrespecting women and men having power and freedom.

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526 Words | 3 Pages

Ismene tells her sister that they are only women and not fit to challenge men (105). Ismene says this to convince her sister not to bury their brother as it not only against the law, but wrong for a woman to challenge the orders of any man, let alone the king. She warns Antigone that acting above one’s place would not be a wise decision (105). Ismene knows that if Antigone is caught burying their brother, her gender will surely affect the harshness of her

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1335 Words | 6 Pages

This also leads to a sort of uprising in Thebes as for the first time the masses were mourning Antigone’s death sentence supporting a woman which marked a turnaround in the society. As such acts were never accepted by the society at that time. In fact the woman was seen as the culprit by the entire society. Another element of ancient Greek society that is highlighted was to accept your destined fate. When Ismene says poor sister ,if this is how things are what can I do to prevent or change it.

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1064 Words | 5 Pages

(Book 13, 396-403) Greek literature sometimes showed signs of female empowerment, but most mortal female characters were nothing more than wives or maids. Antigone was one of the few exceptions. She was strong, smart, and didn’t care what people thought of her. She was fearless, unlike her sister Ismene, who felt limited in her options because she was a woman. She did not think a woman could ever bury her brother’s body,

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770 Words | 4 Pages

As Antigone tries to convince Ismene to help, she exclaims, “Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way.” She feels as though honoring her brother is worth dying for and that Creon can not “stand in her way.” When Creon hears of this startling news, he questions the ability of women to stand up to him in which he states, “Pride? In a slave?” At this point in time women are not seen as equals to men.

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1735 Words | 7 Pages

Sophocles play “Antigone” introduces a lot of debatable topics such as Human law vs Divine laws, pride, but most importantly the topic of woman’s movement for empowerment. Long before 442 B.C.E, women were belittled because of their gender however, after the birth of “Antigone” it demonstrated a strong outreach towards women and their roles in society ”Antigone, a woman who defines King Creon’s edict without any fear, doubts, or regrets. This courageous woman, the fruit of incest, has fascinated philosophers in the nineteenth century, inspired playwrights in the twentieth century, and intrigued feminist thinkers and activists for decades” (Söderbäck). Birth from a respected bloodline, Antigone doesn’t feel respected at all within her town, especially from her uncle Creon who became entitled as the King after Antigone’s blood

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379 Words | 2 Pages

College may be very different to be successful due to many distractions or behaviors. According to research, only about 56% of students earn a degree within six years which means that 44% is still in school or either has dropped out already (Desilver, 2014; Puckett, 2009). Many of us have passed high school without a problem but college is way more different and difficult. I’ve learned with some experience that in college you have to be more responsible, you have to be more organizing, and more efficient on the work you turn in. The three main ways I believe can help anyone be successful in college is, self-determination, time management, and organization.

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