Changing Roles of Women in Antigone

Categories: Antigone

Essay, Pages 8 (1911 words)

Views

199

The world is continuously changing and the contributions of both genders in development are important for any society. The roles of women have transformed nowadays to even accommodate them in the politics of many countries. For instance, Hilary Clinton was the Democratic nominee for the United States presidential elections. In a world dominated by men for many years, women have continued to rise in the quest for equal rights as men. Antigone is a play composed by Sophocles demonstrating the struggle of women in a society overwhelmed by men.

Don't use plagiarized sources. Get your custom essay on

“ Changing Roles of Women in Antigone ”

Get custom paper

NEW! smart matching with writer

The women in the play display novelty and change which uncover a feeling of impact on the fundamental themes depicted in the play (Söderbäck 1). They are significant contributors in aiding to the flow of the plot in addition to the catastrophes occurring towards the end. The women place their family first, however, the way they respond to the various situations differentiates their love for their families. Antigone, the protagonist, sacrifices her life in support of her dead brother even when others chose to side against her stand.

She chooses to do good despite the challenges encountered in her life. Antigone is a bold character representing feminist women who are committed to standing against various forms of injustices in the world.

The role of the women in the play helps in understanding their commitment to change and the struggles associated with it. The turmoil in their lives demonstrates life during the ancient Greek when the society was gender-biased, with the women as the inferior gender compared to men (Söderbäck 4).

Women had to stick to principles stipulated by the men paying little respect to the repercussions it had on them. Corporal punishment was applied to those who disobeyed as a warning to other people. This gave rise to women who innovated their approaches, such as Antigone, in rising against the mistreatments directed towards them by society (Söderbäck 70). Women's battle for equivalent rights to men dominates the play. Sophocles takes us through the decisions of the women and the consequences of their actions in a world dominated by men.

The women in the play express their profound emotion and support for their family. Antigone has faith in the dedication she shows her family and endeavors to continue defying the negative traditions that define Thebe’s politics. She goes ahead to ignore her life partner, Haemon, for the sake of her beloved family. She did not recognize the way that she was disobeying her father-in-law's orders. All she needed was to satisfy the gods and the desires of her late sibling. She faces opposition for her choices because in the society she lived in, women held a low profile when it came to addressing politics and family matters (Söderbäck 27).

Then again, Ismene is worried about Antigone and the miles she goes in demonstrating her loyalty for her dead brother. Both play allegiance to their family yet their commitment towards protecting other family members is different. Antigone is the protagonist of the play who displays her bold female role in the whole plot. She keeps on supporting her brother, Polyneices, even after his fateful death (Söderbäck 70). Eurydice is so committed to her husband that she assumes a fearful role as a spouse and mother. Later on, she shifts her commitment towards her son. She assumes different family roles that aid in deciding the fate of the other family members.

Antigone is brave in communicating her opinions and steadfast in ignoring the male dominance in her surroundings. She resolves in giving Polyneices an appropriate burial after he died in a battle. She defies the limitations placed on the women of Thebes to bring back order among the women in her surroundings. Polyneices and Eteocles are the siblings of Antigone and Ismene who die after battling each other in the war zone. Creon, the king of Thebes, orders a ritual burial for Eteocles but demands Polyneices to be left in the battlefield and eaten by wild animals and birds (Söderbäck 52).

The argument between Antigone and Ismene concerning the burial of their brother shows the conflicting characters of the two. It makes the reader favor one side of what is the correct strategy concerning the issue. Ismene is depicted as timid yet wise because she comprehends the outcome of resisting Creon's orders. Thinking about the fate of the other women toward the end of the play, she is the voice of reason in the family. She understands the hazard presented by Antigone in progressing with the burial arrangements of Polyneices. Ismene is strong-minded because she comprehends that grieving the demise of her sibling ought not to lead her in settling on irrational choices (Söderbäck 70). Then again, Antigone is an extremist who is resolved in achieving her desires regardless of the hazard in question.

Antigone and Ismene originate from flawed backgrounds loaded up with humiliations and fate. The two sisters understood the ill-fate in their family and this became the motivation for Ismene choosing to encourage Antigone to keep away from trouble. Antigone guards her brother's rights as she comprehends that Creon is acting against the wills of the gods. Creon acts in contrast to Antigone’s desires despite their family relationship (Söderbäck 48). In like manner, Ismene understands this but is not resolved to face further tribulations in their family for opposing the king's orders. She is slanted to the subordinate role held by women in connection to the men when it came to settling on family choices (Söderbäck 51).

Sophocles likewise depicts women as daring and unfounded to oppressions directed towards them. Antigone rebels against the orders of the king Thebes without anticipating help from anybody. Her loyalty towards Polyneices and the gods is communicated when she revolutionaries and later perishes for her decisions. She died a martyr for offering herself on the side of the gods and taking a chance with her life. This act is similar to the contemporary society where most women are strong in their faith. Their choices are generally planned for defending the rights of those they pay loyalty to and love. By demanding a proper burial, she was also paying respect to her late mother’s wishes (Söderbäck 50). Antigone looks for the assistance of her sister in standing for the truth but Ismene encourages her to abandon her feelings and face the truth. Ismene draws out the realistic and individualistic nature of women in addressing the misfortunes encountered by women. She was against Creon's choice, however, could not stand up to him since she would end up harming herself over the long run (Söderbäck 51).

Polyneices acted against the desire of the ruler by carrying a foreign army to the war zone. This was a demonstration of disobedience to the people of Thebes which implies that he was not supposed to get a decent burial (Söderbäck 34). Ismene attempts to foil her sister's choice in light of her insightful and cautious character. She anticipates the burial as an incomprehensible endeavor that will just work in discharging the wrath of the egotistical king. Ismene is shown as bold or courageous individual relying upon the way of looking at it. She attempts to spare her life and that of her family when she differs to Antigone's desires. “We must remember we two are women so not to fight with men,” she confesses to Antigone. (Söderbäck 74).

Sophocles brings to consideration the situation between choosing whether the obedience of an individual lies on the gods and family or the authority set up. Eurydice, Creon's wife, is unsure of which side to stand for unlike Antigone and Ismene. She is displayed towards the end of the play as she grieves the passing of Haemon, her child with Creon. Her hesitation in persuading Creon to act in support of the wills of the gods in burying Polyneices presents fate to her family. It costs her the life, her child's and that of Antigone when every one of them commits suicide towards the end of the play. She is submissive to her husband and is skeptical in persuading her better half to grant Antigone her desires.

Ismene and Eurydice are both faint-hearted in their association with men. They are comfortable with the inferior role concurred to them by the general public in contrast to the men. From the word go, Ismene fears challenging men since it was anything but a typical wonder in the ancient Greek. “No woman will be master while I live,” declares Creon in cementing misogynistic obsession (Söderbäck 56). This is not normal for today because the general public is not gender-biased and women are allowed to make on their own choices without fearing the men. Additionally, Eurydice is not inclined to any side and stays silent on the issue. She is not courageous enough to defy her powerful husband when she understands the ill-treatment accorded to the body of Polyneices.

In contemporary society, women are outspoken and frequently challenge the awful choices made by their spouses and other men. In the start of the play, Ismene and Eurydice represent the female stereotype in that period yet slowly move towards freeing themselves from the severe commitments spread out by the men (Söderbäck 75). As the play advances, they comprehend the requirement for communicating their stands paying little attention to the resultant repercussions. This is the thinking utilized by Sophocles in building up the character of Antigone from the earliest starting point. Ismene and Eurydice find out about this late inside the play and they get no opportunity of sparing themselves or their family. The suicides show the poor living states of women as they attempted to dominate the men. Any rebellious lady was punished without thinking about their situation inside the general public. Eurydice clung to her better half's choices at first since she knew about the results of acting against her husband's orders. Towards the end, she understands her right in acting against the ills submitted by her husband after his child's suicide incident (Söderbäck 96).

Antigone is a play that demonstrates the persevering endeavors by women in standing for their rights and those of their families. Antigone is self-negated and deviates from the normal traditions in freeing the people around her from the injustices coordinated against them (Söderbäck 76). Generally, men force an inferiority mentality on the women. However, it takes a bold woman to break away from this situation. The play is a wake-up call to all women to continue in their quest for their freedom. Men and women are equal therefore each should work positively in supplementing one another. In contemporary society, ladies are viewed as equal to men with regards to gender roles when contrasted with the ancient Greek when the play was acted. The changing roles of women are present today yet fewer men these days see women as the inferior race as compared to themselves. Women are fit for the roles and choices of men in an equivalent way or perhaps superior to men today. Women keep on battling for their rights and obligations and there is a long way to go before the world disregards sexism. It is a progressing process that requires investment from the two sexes for women to stand equivalent in the eyes of their male counterparts.