Gender Roles In Antigone

When Creon made the argument for state and policy over family, he also placed a value of gender to home and state. For example, he doesn’t want Antigone to marry his son because she rebelled against his rules, but more importantly because she is a woman that disobeyed him. He will do anything in his power to disallow women from ruling Thebes, even if that means sentencing her to death. This is proven to be true when he says,

Taken in the act I found her, all alone in the state, Rebellious. And I will not make myself false to the state. She dies. (748-751)

In this regard, he would rather see Antigone die then for him to look like a liar to the people of Thebes. He mentions how he she rebelled against him, which shows how he did not like having

(771-775)

In this regard, Creon says that men need to be tough and protect themselves from women by continuing to rule with law and order, and no matter what the men should never bow to a woman. He emphasizes how if a man were to be defeated, he should be defeated by the hands of a man and not a woman because of the chances that a woman could rule. These lines particularly show how Creon does not women to have any power in the state whatsoever. He believes that men are superior to women and he wants Haemon to understand the gender roles that he finds to be important. Whereas Creon feels that women should have no ruling in the state or power, Antigone thinks otherwise. She has a strong personality and she is proud of breaking the law and standing up to King Creon even if that meant she would be sentenced to die. She puts an emphasis on how being a woman and breaking the rules is something so significant and powerful. Even before Antigone is sent to the cave to die she still is persistent that she did nothing wrong she says, O city that I love, O men that dwell, That city’s wealthiest lords, O Dirkè, fairest