Masculinity And Femininity Sophocles Play Antigone

This essay will focus on the messages about masculinity and femininity from Sophocles’ play Antigone. For class we watched the Greek film version of the play from 1961 which is in Greek but it has English Subtitles. The essay will use both male and female characters from Antigone to show examples of masculinity and femininity. There are characters that are either positive or negative, characters that serve as role models, or characters who show what not to be like. First I will write about the positive female role models and then the negative female role models. Then I will write about the positive male role models and then the negative ones. The characters that I will be writing about are: Antigone, the main protagonist of the play; Eurydice, the wife of King Creon; Ismene, Antigone’s younger sister; Haemon, Antigone’s fiancà © and Creon’s son; and finally Creon, the King of Thebes. The play provides and nice mix of male and females characters, each with their own example and lesson for masculinity or femininity. The play Antigone was written by a Greek man by the name of Sophocles. This is why it is interesting that he included such prominent and strong woman in this play. In fact, the play is named after a woman, the title character Antigone. Woman do not take a back seat in this play, they play a prominent role. Woman in Ancient Greece were subservient to men and their lives were controlled by men. In Antigone, a woman steps up and shows that she is willing to stand upShow MoreRelatedWomen in Ancient Greece1638 Words   |  7 Pagesof protection by a male guardian such as a brother, husband, or father (Women in Ancient Greece). Sophocles play Antigone encapsulates the conflict in Greek society between genuine and farcical democracy. Greeces patriarchal society excludes women from formal decision-making processes so that, in the case of Creon, leaders enact their own arbitrary rules. Creon refuses to listen to what Antigone has to say about her belief that her brother deserves a proper burial. His lack of compassion is exacerbatedRead MoreThe Conflict Between Women And Women1264 Words   |  6 Pageswasn’t always the case and women could be seen deviating away from this norm. In Antigone, Antigone herself provides to be a heroin in nature and epitomizes feminism for ancient Greek culture at this time period. In Sophocles work in Antigone, he expresses the fundamental differences that exi sted in the culture between the men and women social roles that are perceived to be in place. On several occasions Antigone has shown to challenge the Greek stereotype of this â€Å"feminine† behavior. When herRead MoreLanguage And Masculinity : An Article By The Newsweek1519 Words   |  7 Pagestheir actions. In Victor Sieldler essay â€Å"Language and Masculinity† Sieldler talks about how man’s rationality controls everything he does, from the way a man speaks and acts to the way a man views others. A man’s religion, community, and family can affect this rationality. In an article by the Newsweek, it explains how language has created a gender gap, and how the gender gap has deemed what is masculine and what is feminine. In Sophocles ‘Antigone†, Creon is an example of how men use power has a way