Sophocles’ Gender Rules
In Antigone, early on it becomes evident that Antigone has a bold and unapologetic character. This characterization is automatically different from the presumed thought of well-known women of the time. Most Greek dramas feature wives who have very few lines and cater to their husbands every need. There are few women depicted in Greek drama able to stand on their own as Antigone did. The sense of feminine inferiority was alive and well in Ancient Greece, as in much of the ancient world. Although the specifics varied from region to region, in general, women had very few human rights. Women were limited in freedom, which deprived them of choice and mobility. Women were restricted from engaging in any activity that would …show more content…
She is weak and always obedient in behavior. Ismene feels that, in fact, women are submissive to men and they are under the rule of men without a say in the ruling. She states her stance on challenging the superior early on the in play by stating, “you ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men, and that we are ruled, by those who are stronger” (Sophocles 70-71) … Ismene is timid and afraid to trouble the water out of fear of what her edict may say. She mimics the distinctive female patterns expressed by Griffith (123). She embodies the very image that Creon has put forth concerning women. However, Miller describes Antigone’s action as function of her “raving passion” for Antigone (166). Females in Greek tragedies are often featured frequently expressing feelings of fear and grief, praying to the gods for direction or other spiritual rituals, and being referred to for domestic and sexual reasons (Griffith 123). Another characteristic of Ismene that leads to her downfall is her silence. This is a silence that would be considered modest or ideal for women, but viewed as cowardly in men (Griffith 123). This view is directly connected to Ismene’s fear of speaking up when addressed by Creon and Creon’s boisterous nature throughout many of his lines. In contrast to Antigone, her deepest loyalty does not lie with her family, it lies with her superior. Although Ismene does eventually realize the repercussions of her actions, she does not realize that her very character indirectly causes the death of her sister and leaves her miserable. She emphasizes that she cannot bear to live without her sister, but she was not willing to stand by her side in defense of an action that would not cause any bodily harm to anyone and would serve as a step toward improvement to the misogyny in
In Antigone, early on it becomes evident that Antigone has a bold and unapologetic character. This characterization is automatically different from the presumed thought of well-known women of the time. Most Greek dramas feature wives who have very few lines and cater to their husbands every need. There are few women depicted in Greek drama able to stand on their own as Antigone did. The sense of feminine inferiority was alive and well in Ancient Greece, as in much of the ancient world. Although the specifics varied from region to region, in general, women had very few human rights. Women were limited in freedom, which deprived them of choice and mobility. Women were restricted from engaging in any activity that would …show more content…
She is weak and always obedient in behavior. Ismene feels that, in fact, women are submissive to men and they are under the rule of men without a say in the ruling. She states her stance on challenging the superior early on the in play by stating, “you ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men, and that we are ruled, by those who are stronger” (Sophocles 70-71) … Ismene is timid and afraid to trouble the water out of fear of what her edict may say. She mimics the distinctive female patterns expressed by Griffith (123). She embodies the very image that Creon has put forth concerning women. However, Miller describes Antigone’s action as function of her “raving passion” for Antigone (166). Females in Greek tragedies are often featured frequently expressing feelings of fear and grief, praying to the gods for direction or other spiritual rituals, and being referred to for domestic and sexual reasons (Griffith 123). Another characteristic of Ismene that leads to her downfall is her silence. This is a silence that would be considered modest or ideal for women, but viewed as cowardly in men (Griffith 123). This view is directly connected to Ismene’s fear of speaking up when addressed by Creon and Creon’s boisterous nature throughout many of his lines. In contrast to Antigone, her deepest loyalty does not lie with her family, it lies with her superior. Although Ismene does eventually realize the repercussions of her actions, she does not realize that her very character indirectly causes the death of her sister and leaves her miserable. She emphasizes that she cannot bear to live without her sister, but she was not willing to stand by her side in defense of an action that would not cause any bodily harm to anyone and would serve as a step toward improvement to the misogyny in