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How Does Antigone Change Society

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If the world could be changed in one drastic way, how do you think you would change the world? Between 440 B.C. and the 21st century, ideas have changed and in result the world’s view of a woman’s role in society have changed as well. At the beginning of this time period, a play was written about a woman named Antigone. She wanted to change the way her society viewed women. When her two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, were killed in battle, only Eteocles was given a proper burial. Antigone believed that both men deserved a proper burial according to her beliefs in the god, Zeus. After the king, Creon, declared that Polyneices could not have a proper burial, and if anyone did, then they would be sentenced to death for their actions of defiance. …show more content…

Her place in a society, run primarily by men, is to listen and obey but only if there’s not another option. In the beginning of the play, Ismene is questioning Antigone’s foretold actions of the burial of Polyneices. Ismene responds to Antigone in the pure intent of following the decree of Creon, “We cannot fight with men, Antigone! / The law is strong, we must give in to the law / In this thing, and in worse.” (Prologue 49-51). In her actions, Ismene is showing that she yields to the law but she has some sort of moral compass because she hopes the dead will forgive her for her action in not taking part of the burial. This action shows that Ismene is just a follower of law and only a believer in a higher law. In a scholarly article posted by Ohio State University, a study was conducted on how a person reacts with a religious view and how a person that does not have religious views reacts. In conclusion of this study, it was said that people with strong religious views follow what they know to be true and someone that does not, only choose what will help them the most (Fritz). This can be seen through how Ismene and Antigone act. Ismene will follow what will help her, and Antigone will strongly follow her religious beliefs. At the end of the play, Ismene is trying to have part of the punishment put on Antigone because she feels guilty inside for not taking part in the burial of

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