“There is no happiness where there is no wisdom; No wisdom but in submission to the gods, Big words are always punished, And proud men in old age learn to be wise.”

                                                                                                                             -Creon

Throughout history, the existence of misogyny has always resulted in the demonization of femininity and has led to women feeling the need to conform to inherently sexist ideals. Within Sophocles' Antigone, the incorporation of the patriarchy and misogyny as themes are made evident in the titular character. Antigone is portrayed as strong-willed, confident, and outspoken which are characteristics that subvert these misogynistic and patriarchal ideals. During the conflict fought over the right to rule Thebes, both of Antigone’s brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, died in combat making room for their uncle, Creon, to assert himself as King. Creon implements a decree stating that if anyone were to bury Polyneices, they would subsequently be condemned by the state. Well aware of this threat to her well-being, Antigone still does not hesitate to bury Polyneices as she values her morals above all else. When apprehended, Antigone does not deny her participation in the burial of Polyneices as she strongly believes her actions were honorable and dignified. When Creon demands Antigone’s execution, his son Haimon opposes this by advocating for Antigone’s freedom and suggesting mercy. However, Creon refuses and sentences Antigone to a truly claustrophobic end by enclosing her within a tomb to die. By the time Creon is warned by Tiresias, a blind prophet, that he has incurred the wrath of the gods, Antigone had already hung herself. Not only did Creon lose Antigone to his stubbornness and wrath, but his failings also brought on the destruction of his own family.  The Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles reveals that although women were treated unfairly during Ancient Greece as they were perceived to be inferior and weak, some still rose against the standards set by their male-dominated society to showcase their thoughts and ideas.       

Sophocles purposefully created two female characters, one being virtuous and the other, tenacious, the latter being characterized by her defiance against the decree. Ismene pleads with Antigone to not defy the laws of the city, she declares to her "And do what he has forbidden! We are only women,/ We cannot fight with men, Antigone!/ The law is strong, we must give in to the law." (Lines 46-49) Ismene’s inability to defy the standards set by Creon’s decree shows a lack of personal authority and the absence of self-driven motives. Her submissive and obedient nature is highlighted further by her attitude towards the situation surrounding Polyneices as she perceives the situation as futile due to her mindset that “We cannot fight with men.”; her inability to partake in the burial of her brother shows how she prioritizes conformity over personal morals. Take into consideration the phrase, “We are only women”. Ismene seems downright debilitated by her identity as a woman in addition to her perceived role as being a ‘housewife’ further exhibits how she is dehumanized and stripped of her individuality as she becomes merely a representation of domesticity with no real agency of her own. This takes a detrimental toll on Ismeme because her mindset hinders her ability to understand and act against the oppressive society that she is a victim of. The two sisters have extremely polarizing views on society that harshly juxtapose one another. This striking discrepancy in their views of humanity will perhaps lead to miscommunication causing them to drift and feel betrayed. Antigone angrily dismisses Ismene, telling her that she is hurt by her refusal to help, “But I will bury him; and if I must die,/ I say that this crime is holy.” (Line 55-56) Antigone is unlike the ideal Greek woman. Instead, she was created to show the strength women have in the face of male authority. When Antigone references phrases such as “him” or “crime is holy”, she wants to advocate for what she believes is right; Antigone is not just simply burying Polyneices because it was disrespectful to her family. She wants to influence other women to stand up for what they believe is right. People shouldn’t be judged based on their norms but instead on their contribution to society. To conclude, Antigone uses her death as leverage for other women who are threatened in Greek society, this includes her sister, Ismene who felt temporarily incapacitated.  

The term “housewife” did not exist at that time since being at home was the only option for all women for many centuries. Creon believes that a woman should be kept in a powerless state, he tells his son “No women shall seduce us. If we lose,/ Let's lose to a man at least!/ Is a woman stronger than we?” (Line 539-540) Here, Creon’s fatal flaw is shown: his obsession for control. Creon maintains control by not viewing women as actual subjects as he only perceives men as being capable of thoughts/ideas. When Creon mentions “no women shall seduce us”, he degrades women. He views women as promiscuous and thinks that their only purpose in life is to appeal to men. The idea that women exist solely for men is dehumanizing which explains why Creon doesn't care for women's rights. Additionally, Creon's speech “Let’s lose to a man at least!” exhibits him as a character who is frail rather than strong. He is afraid of being insulted if he were ever to lose to a woman because of how women were perceived as weak and only thought of as subjects to please men. If Creon was to have lost to a woman, not only would he lose his nobility but also his self-identity. The sentry brings back the person suspected of burying Polyneices, Creon reassures the sentry that they’ve brought the right person, “Here is this woman. She is the guilty one:/ We found her trying to bury him/... But this is Antigone! Why have you brought her here?” (Lines 314-318) Creon is confused as to why the sentry has brought the princess Antigone before him, for in his mind it is inconceivable that she would be capable of such outright defiance of his orders. In Creon’s mind, he believes women are submissive due to the kyrios that allow men to control the future life of their daughters. This ultimately causes Creon to think that all women are weak and leads him to the conclusion that someone must have bribed the sentry to bury Polyneices. However, in reality, a woman who was considered to have no freedom or power buried Polyneices. To conclude, women were only thought of as subjects to please men and obey the law. 

Although women in Ancient Greece were treated unfairly because they were considered incompetent and incapable, some women resisted the male-dominated society's rules by expressing their own distinct opinions and ideas. This includes Ismeme who made herself complaisant with the ideals set by Ancient Greek society, heavily polarizing Antigone, the epitome of feminist liberation, individuality, and resolve. Whereas Ismeme's defining character trait is her inability to question the society that she is a victim of, Antigone is established as the complete opposite since she openly shows defiance against Creon. The fact that Antigone was willing to give up her right to live in an attempt to challenge Creon's authority shows her strength and characterizes her as a character highly motivated by personal values. In a way, Antigone lit the torch that would pave the way for more progressive reforms through her perspective as a woman and her aversion to self-censorship ultimately proved to be beneficial.