Antigone written by Jean Anouilh, and directed by Steven Young deals with many gender related issues. Which is surprising in a way because Antigone as a character breaks all gender molds. Three of the gender related issues in this work include weak female characterization, female happiness being dependent on marriage, and challenging male authority. These are issues that have been discussed within our required reading and our classroom discussions, and these are issues that are still relevant in today’s society. Antigone’s character is written as a strong female, ready to take on death in order to play her role and bury her brother. She’s written as a strong character who doesn’t care what anyone says, she’s going to do what she has to do.
…show more content…
In the play Antigone’s older sister Ismene says to her “You have your own happiness in the palm of your hand. You have a fiancé, you’re young, you’re beautiful.” (Pg 14 line 1). This was her way of trying to convince Antigone not to bury her brother’s body and die. Ismene is telling her sister that it’s not worth standing up for what she believes, because she is about to accomplish a woman’s life goal and get married. Later on in the script Antigone’s Uncle Creon basically does the same thing. Right after telling Antigone the horrible truths of why her brothers died, he tells her “Get married as quickly as you can” (pg.36 line 14). Creon told Antigone some of the worst news she’s probably ever heard in her life, and in the same breath told her to run off and get married. In a way he’s sending her the message that no matter what life throws at her, getting married is a womanly accomplishment, and that’s the only way she’s going to be happy. When in reality Antigone would have probably never been happy because that wasn’t her role. When reading the play Machincal by Sophie Treadwell earlier this year, the same theme was incorporated. Telling women/ girls that their happiness is dependent upon marriage is how the Cinderella complex was created. The Cinderella complex is described as a woman’s fear of independence- an unconscious desire to be taken care of by others. The complex states that no matter how strong, hardworking, or independent a woman is her ultimate goal is to be married and taken care of by a man. This applies to Antigone because no matter how brave, strong, or independent the character was written, the other characters in the play still equated her ultimate happiness to
In the play Antigone’s older sister Ismene says to her “You have your own happiness in the palm of your hand. You have a fiancé, you’re young, you’re beautiful.” (Pg 14 line 1). This was her way of trying to convince Antigone not to bury her brother’s body and die. Ismene is telling her sister that it’s not worth standing up for what she believes, because she is about to accomplish a woman’s life goal and get married. Later on in the script Antigone’s Uncle Creon basically does the same thing. Right after telling Antigone the horrible truths of why her brothers died, he tells her “Get married as quickly as you can” (pg.36 line 14). Creon told Antigone some of the worst news she’s probably ever heard in her life, and in the same breath told her to run off and get married. In a way he’s sending her the message that no matter what life throws at her, getting married is a womanly accomplishment, and that’s the only way she’s going to be happy. When in reality Antigone would have probably never been happy because that wasn’t her role. When reading the play Machincal by Sophie Treadwell earlier this year, the same theme was incorporated. Telling women/ girls that their happiness is dependent upon marriage is how the Cinderella complex was created. The Cinderella complex is described as a woman’s fear of independence- an unconscious desire to be taken care of by others. The complex states that no matter how strong, hardworking, or independent a woman is her ultimate goal is to be married and taken care of by a man. This applies to Antigone because no matter how brave, strong, or independent the character was written, the other characters in the play still equated her ultimate happiness to