Power Of Women In Antigone Vs Creon

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In contemporary civilization, women have acquired freedoms equivalent to those of men. However, these privileges were not present regularly. In the US, women secured their independence through years of protest. Comparibally, greek mythology has its own share of women struggling against the repression generated by the men in their lives; Both are felicitous illustrations of women's endeavor to free themselves from the repressing power of man. Antigone is an exemplary piece of work depicting this desire for privilege of power. To commence, as a character with a rough heritage, Antigone has less power in society than that of other women. A feminine protagonist, who was the daughter/sister of Oedipus, the former Theban King, Antigone was the …show more content…
Creon, the current king of Thebes, forbid any act of providing Polyneices, a traitor in the eyes of Creon, with an appropriate burial. Antigone exhibited minimal toleration for Creon’s unjust law, therefore went on with attempting to bury Polyneices. However, she does not commit to the plan out of rebellion, but does so because of her sense of love and obligation towards her deceased brother Polyneices. Antigone going against Creon’s order out of her affection for Polyneices is depicted on page 3 lines 56-58 “Yes. I’ll do my duty to my brother—and yours as well, if you’re not prepared to. I won’t be caught betraying him.” This act of overlooking Creon’s law shows Antigone’s ambition to deny Creon’s power over her justified actions. She supports her operation by announcing that Creon’s order defies the guidelines placed by the gods. By burying Polyneices, Antigone gains strength by unknowingly earning the respect from the people of Thebes. This is shown on page 25 lines 774-783 when Haemon informs his father, …show more content…
This support empowers Antigone by justifying her act. Up to this point Antigone’s actions are backed by the laws of the gods and the opinions of the people themselves. This is a great depiction of Antigone’s rise in power due that this strength comes from the magnitude of individuals agreeing with her actions. Antigone’s rise in power and social status, despite being a female, is a successful one.
Moreover, Sophocles uses Antigone’s subtle desire for power through just actions to enhance the meaning of the work significantly.This is true in terms of the story greatly representing the social status of women in mythology. This is due to the fact that the person opposing Creon isn’t just some ordinary character. In fact it was a women, making every action taken by her more critical and also causing Creon’s reaction to the crime to alter as well. This is shown through Creon saying that he refuses to lose to a women no matter if he is wrong or not. This can be found on page 25 lines 758-763 “ That’s why they must support those in control, and never let some woman beat us down. If we must fall from power, let that come at some man’s hand—at least, we won’t be called inferior to any woman.” Here Creon states that if he is ever to face defeat, it will be to a man and never to a woman. Creon’s pride is shown here because women had a lower social status, he refused
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