Literary Analysis of Feminism Seen in Antigone and A...

Susan B. Anthony once said, â€Å"The true republic: men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.† In the plays Antigone, by Sophocles, and A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, strong women overcome restrictions and limitations placed upon them by their society and gender. In Antigone, Antigone chooses to defy Creon, her ruler, uncle, and a male authority figure, to support what she believes is right, which is burying her brother and respecting the gods. Though it was forbidden for her brother to be buried because of Creon’s decree, she resists, and in doing so, feels empowered and discovers what a strong woman she truly is. Similarly, in A Doll’s House, Nora is hindered by how the society in which she lives views†¦show more content†¦In the play Antigone, The king of Thebes, Creon, decrees that Polynices should not be given a proper burial because he is a traitor and turns against his city. When Antigone asks her sister, Ismene, to help her bury their brother, Ismene refuses to help her: â€Å"I’d do them no dishonor†¦ but defy the city? I have no strength for that† (Sophocles 19). Ismene represents all the women in society and what is expected of women during this time period, which is weakness, subservience to men and their government, and not defying any rule, especially the king’s. Because Antigone is willing to defy this rule and not conform to society’s wishes, she is a foil, or contrasting character, to Ismene. While Ismene does not, Antigone shows strength and her own free will by defying the city and burying Polynices. In A Doll’s House, Nora’s husband, Helmer, finds out that Nora has committed a forgery and confronts her. Though he is very angry with her and no longer trusts her, he wants to continue living with her like normal, just to appear as society expects them to. â€Å"As for ourselves, we must live as we have always done, but of cour se only in the eyes of the world† (Ibsen 194). This demonstrates the importance of society’s view of a family during this time period and how women are expected to behave. This also shows that women are not supposed to have control in a household and be able to take out loans, because they are seen as incapable. Also in A Doll’s House, Helmer’sShow MoreRelatedGender Roles In Antigone1547 Words   |  7 PagesIn Sophocles’ Antigone, gender roles are a major conflicting theme throughout the entire play. The setting of the play was written during the Greek mythological days, around 442 B.C. During these days, men were dominant and held all of the power, so women were automatically treated as less. Antigone and Creon portray the conflicting sides between male and female, and Ismene and Haemon portray opposing sides to Antigone and Creon’s actions. Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon each show differencesRead MoreA Doll House by Henrik Ibsen7379 Words   |  30 PagesMa. Jennifer S. Yap Dr. Sherwin Perlas World Literature January 14, 2012 A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen Translated by Rolf Fjelde I. Introduction During the late nineteenth century, women were enslaved in their gender roles and certain restrictions were enforced on them by a male dominant culture. Every woman was raised believing that they had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must yield to the control of a stronger gender. John Stuart Mill wrote in his essay, â€Å"The Subjection