Gender Roles In Sophocles Antigone

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The debate on gender roles is a persistent part of society, however it is the most significant to analyze what was expected of a woman in 441 BC in addition to present day. The specified eras are especially important because Sophocles’ Antigone was performed for audiences 441 BC, whose interpretation of the story may have varied greatly from that of modern audiences. Athena is a fundamental pillar of Greek mythology additionally, she possess several traits that people in the era which Antigone was written often associate with a male heroin. The idea that people in ancient Greece were able to accept and even idolize Athena her deviation from what is usually expected of women is the most important detail to keep in the back of one’s mind when analyzing the events that took place in Antigone. …show more content…
More often than not, the antagonist in a …show more content…
That being said, Sophocles leaves the decision who is the person at fault to his audiences and readers. The story was presented in a time when women were reduced to a man’s counterpart and believed to always be the damsel in distress. Due to social constraints of the era Antigone’s character had no chance of being praised for her bravery and strong moral stance while Creon’s persistency and dominance was applauded theatre to theatre for years into society started to re-construct gender roles. Fast forward several decades and the antagonist in Antigone can be debated openly because a woman’s worth has grown significantly and modern viewers have the open mind necessary to see Antigone, her resiliency, and bravery as an illusion to something stronger such as the Greek goddess

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