Who Needs Women?
During Greek times, a woman had no say in anything. Women were not the least bit important to Greek society. Why bother even having them around? Women were supposed to simply obey the dominating male class. They were to take care of the children, cook, and clean. Women never received the credit that they deserved. In the play Antigone, Antigone, being the stubborn, hard-headed female, is not afraid to fight. She stands up to her uncle Creon, who is also the King of Thebes, and is a passionately caring sister. Throughout history the role of women in society has been unnoticed and shunned by men since the beginning of time. Antigone’s actions in this play show how sexism was assertively promoted throughout Greek society, deteriorating a woman’s confidence and creating submissive followers of the male gender.
According to Greek society, “Creation is a marvel and/ Man its masterpiece” (205). Any mention of women? The Greeks expected females to simply obey anything they had been told to do. Men in society were the ones women were suppose to follow. Ismene, Antigone’s obedient sibling, contrasts her sister because of the submissiveness she displays: “Remind ourselves that we are women/ and as such are not made to fight with men” (193). Antigone completely opposes that statement when she says “I’m mad, and madly let me risk/ The worst that I can suffer and the best: / A death that martyrdom can render blest” (195). Antigone is fearless. She will not let any sexism stop her from doing what she believes is right.
Antigone has promised to bury her beloved brother, Polyneices, the same Polyneices that Creon despises. All Polyneices asks from Antigone is a proper burial when he dies, which being the wonderful sister that she is, Antigone is determined to fulfill. Creon, on the other hand, who has no idea about this request, wants Polyneices’ dead body to be left untouched and put out to decay. Creon asks Antigone if she knew this law of burial was forbidden, especially to females. Antigone simply replies by telling him in a sarcastic manner that she clearly knew what the law stated and then finishes by saying, “I need no trumpeter from you to tell me that I must die,/ we all die anyway/ And if this hurries me to death before my time,/ why, such a death is gain” (210). Antigone is not afraid to tell Creon that she does not care what he has to say because she is willing to take her consequences as long as she has fulfilled the request of her deceased brother. She will not let an insensible fool, like Creon, dictate the way she chooses to live her life.
Creon becomes vulnerable as Antigone continues to speak to him about her innocent and self-less duty fulfilled to her brother. All he can do is insult her by saying, “Curse you! Find the outlet for your love down there./ No woman while I live shall govern me” (214). Creon is attempting to show Antigone who is boss, but Antigone is not buying it. Who shows the maturity between the two, Creon or Antigone? Clearly Antigone, as she proves her points and stands up for herself with confidence and fearlessness. Creon decides to take action and tries to protect his pathetic honor by saying, “Let us then defend authority/ and not be ousted by a girl./ If yield we must, then let it be to men,/ And never have it said we were worsted by a woman” (221). Creon is afraid Antigone will end up on top and lose his respect and dignity. Antigone comes off as the girl any woman in society would secretly want to be standing up to the King of Thebes with such intensity.
Haemon, Antigone’s fiancé, and the son of Creon, decides to defend Antigone. He believes all the consequences Antigone will be facing are unnecessary and irrelevant to her loving cause done for her brother. Creon comes out enraged at this and says, “So this creature is no criminal, eh?” (223) Creon has the nerve to call Antigone a creature. If Antigone is a so-called creature then what does that make Creon? An honorable king, who should reign throughout Thebes for many years? No, Creon is an ignorant man that expects everybody to be in agreement with the nonsense he speaks.
Antigone, no matter what has been said to prevent the inevitable from happening, is going to her death chamber. She kindly asks for forgiveness from her deceased family incase they have felt she has done wrong. She says, “See what I suffer from these men/ For reverencing the rights of man” (233). Women should not be facing such cruel penalties for actions done out of kindness. This is no excuse for a man to take advantage of a woman’s right and send her to her death, not allowing her opinion to be voiced.
Towards the end of Antigone, Creon realizes no matter how hard one may try, fate still occurs. It hits a person by surprise until all that is left is to face the truth. As the Leader speaks, “Your prayers are done./ Man cannot flatter Fate,/ And punishments must come” (251). No matter what happens, fate will always take its toll. A woman and a man are equal. There should be no special rights for each gender. We all face the fates, so what is the need for inequality? It is incredibly sad to see the way women were treated and used during Greek times. Antigone became the ideal feminist and role-model for women. Her actions may have been extreme, yet she was the only woman to have the courage to go against the pro-male Greek society.
