The Position of Women in 3 Plays

Even a superficial reading of the Antigone and an examination of the mythology behind it points to the fact that Antigone's character has been formed from her relationship with her father. Antigone contrasts with the more traditional female role taken by her sister, Ismene. Clearly, Antigone goes beyond the usual role of women in Theban society because she has her own moral sense, a very strong one, strong enough to challenge Creon. The social value of compliance conflicts with the equal values of courage and loyalty, and Antigone is loyal to her brother but transgresses against the legal injunction of the state. Ismene, Antigone's sister, suggests that she comply with the order of Creon because that is what is expected. This conflicts with what Antigone feels the gods have ordered her to do in the name of her brother, and she is not willing to have what she knows is right swept aside by the admonition that she is only a woman. She says to her sister,

Be what you want to: but that man shall I

bury. For me, the doer, death is best.

Friend shall I lie with him, yes friend with friend,

when I have dared the crime of piety (Grene 161).

Antigone follows her own conscience and is destroyed.

In A Doll's House, Ibsen challenges t

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Some common words found in the essay are:
House Ibsen, County Attorney, Ismene Antigone's, Ismene Antigone, House Trifles, Krogstad Torvald, Susan Glaspell's, Torvald Torvald, , Grene David, doll's house, trifles women, role women, play women, position women,
Approximate Word count = 880
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page)

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