The Feminist In Antigone
Sophocles? Antigone takes place in ancient Thebes at a time when men were warriors and women were delicate. The feminist movement has not yet come to pass, and yet one young woman, Antigone, stands out, defying the decree made by her uncle, her king. She is passionately motivated by love and loyalty to her family and refuses to compromise in any way when King Creon puts his royal word against divine law and human sentiment and declares that the body of Antigone?s brother, Polynices, be left unburied and forbids anyone to even mourn him. Disregarding Creon?s decree, Antigone buries the body of Polynices and gives him the last rights. She knows that if she is caught death is the punishment, but her self-sacrificing attitude shows incredible strength. Sophocles develops the character of Antigone throughout the tragedy, using her to represent family values and female strength. Antigone embodies strong feminine characteristics to stand up for a divine and universal principle demanded by the deities.
Sophocles is aware of the impact of gender on Antigone and makes the position of women an important theme in the play. Ismene uses her gender as an excuse for
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