Antigone Gender Roles Essay

Women in Ancient Greece were not necessarily held in high regard; they had a designated place in society. Though the men had great respect for their wives, it was very clear that the men were not to be questioned, especially those high in authority. Sophocles’ original play Antigone features a character who explicitly challenges gender norms, a topic further explored by scholar Ruth Scodel in her article “Antigone,” from her book An Introduction to Greek Tragedy. Scodel dives into how heroism is set against the gender limitations of society in Ancient Greece, and how that influences the idea of right and wrong within the play. Scodel’s article begins by introducing the familiar plot of Oedipus and his children, and clarifies that the subplot

As she begins to introduce the presence of Athenian values held, she also begins to bring up the gender norms that existed, and how Antigone went against them. Ultimately, she argues that the main focus of Sophocles’ tragedy is the danger of relying on familiar patterns and stereotypes. Scodel views this play through the lens of the audience that it was written for: the ancient Athenians. Now, who was in the wrong? Was it Antigone for defying Creon’s authority, or was it Creon for going against the divine law of the gods? Antigone’s only real crime was disregarding domestic authority over divine authority, and fulfilling the role expected from female family members, which was to perform the burial for any deceased family members. This creates a bit of irony, as she is both going against and sticking to her role as a woman in Ancient Greek society. Scodel refers to when Ismene, Antigone’s sister, attempts to talk her out of carrying out the burial, saying “but we have to remember we were born women, not supposed to fight against men” (page 109). Scodel views this play through the lens of the audience that it was written for: the ancient

Therefore, the idea of Antigone challenging gender norms would have been much more abrasive to the people in the audience at the time than it would be now. Because of this, the Athenians would have judged Antigone’s actions differently. She is set up as a female protagonist, but is not necessarily likable. Whereas other famous male protagonists such as Achilles were found noble for being willing to risk their lives, Antigone has something going against her – something Scodel refers to as “a form of sosophryne,” or “the good sense” – something that “should restrain people from ignoring the limits of their power” (page 109). In this case, Antigone should be restrained by her gender. However, she is not, and how she acts is dependent on the audience member, making Sophocles’ play a major thought piece. Due to Sophocles’ polarizing portrayal of Antigone, it’s difficult to predict exactly how the audience will react to her actions. In reference to this, Scodel says that “it is simply not clear to what extent the Athenians would admire or blame a woman who went outside female boundaries in an extreme situation” (page