Feminism Criticism
Sophocles play Antigone is a play featuring the idea that men are more dominant over women. In his play Sophocles writes about the struggles women endure during ancient Greek times to give a sense of sympathy toward the main character. Sophocles makes male characters in his play think that women are merely house wife’s who can’t do the things men can. The main character Antigone has to define the laws of men and stand up to them in order to prove herself.
Sophocles makes many of the male characters in his play think that women can’t do the things men can. Sophocles makes Creon surprised that Antigone did a crime by saying “But this is Antigone! Why have you brought her here?” (scene 2, line 20). The idea that precious, innocent Antigone would have done such a crime surprises Creon. Creon is even more shocked that a women broke his law not a man, where before he only thought that a man could have done this is explained in scene 1 “ and the man who dared do this?” (Scene 1, line 89). This clearly shows that Creon is in disbelief that not only a woman but Antigone broke his extensive law. This makes the reader feel badly of Creon and highly of Antigone.
Sophocles makes the main character Antigone face many problems to give her a stonger woman image. The character Antigone sounds fearless when she states “Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way” (Prologue, line 36). Sophocles has Antigone say this to prove that she isn’t scared to go against King Creon for what she thinks is right. This contradicts what and overage women like Ismene would have to say on the matter, this happens when Sophocles writes as Ismene “and do what he has forbidden! We are only women; we cannot fight with men, Antigone!” (Prologue, lines 48-49). By creating a weaker character like Ismene, Sophocles uses Ismene as a foil to make Antigone look like a strong, independent woman.
Sophocles also uses characters that think women are unintelligent to make the reader...