Antigone Is a Criticism of Society and a Feminist Piece of Literature

In modern context, I believe Sophocles’ Antigone can be read as a feminist piece of literature. It reads as a disastrous tragedy centered around the worst kind of human leader, and yet its foulness gives it the power to express a form of self-hate. The play centers around the monarchical family in Thebes, which at the time of the legend, is ruled by Creon. Creon ascended to the throne following the death of Oedipus and his wife, who both died in Oedipus Rex, a legend in which Oedipus is cursed to kill his father and marry his mother. Antigone and Ismene, two young women, are the daughters of Oedipus. Creon offers no mercy for disobedience, regardless of familial connection. By clearly establishing Thebian power dynamics, Sophocles uses Creon to criticize oppressive societies.

Thebes is ruled by an absolute, monarchical tyranny, and establishing this is necessary to interpret the significance of Creon’s actions. There are two perspectives to be considered when determining the nature of Creon’s rule: the way Creon views his leadership, and the way his subjects view his leadership. Creon often asserts what he thinks the rule of Thebes should be: “The man the state has put in place must have / obedient hearing to his least command / when it is right, and even when it’s not” (Lines 666-668). He believes that his word is final, and that all his subjects need follow without question. This is affirmed by his harsh sentencing of Antigone, an action that persists as relevant throughout the play; he declares that, “Since I have caught her [Antigone] in the open act [of burying her dead brother, which Creon forbode], / the only one in town who disobeyed, / I shall not now proclaim myself a liar, / but kill her” (Lines 655-658). Here, Creon decides that he would rather have his niece killed than let his decisions be viewed as wrong. In both of these scenarios, it is made clear that one person, and only that person, may control the government of Thebes, thereby making it a dictatorship; it cannot be determined a tyranny unless the government is also oppressive, which I will next demonstrate is the case. Citizens of Thebes on all levels of society feel as if they cannot speak against the king. Antigone, knowing that her life is already doomed, is able to confront the king with the thoughts of the people: “They see, and do not say. You have them cowed” (Line 509). The people of Thebes live their day to day lives in a climate where the king believes “[t]here is no greater wrong than disobedience” (Line 672), who is believed to be lucky because “...he can act and speak at will” (Line 507), a privilege no one else is afforded, even his own son. Antigone acts against the king and is sentenced to death. This is a government where neither freedom of thought, speech, nor action exists. This is an oppressive government. Creon goes further than hindering any sort of progress made by his subjects. He denounces the very principle of social mobility: “No current standard among men’s as bad / as silver currency. This destroys the state; / [...] / drives solid citizens to acts of shame” (Lines 296-299). In capitalist societies, money is the tool by which a person can obtain independence. The acts of work and trade open the possibility of choice. By denouncing the power of “silver currency”, Creon essentially denounces the existence of free will. By establishing his taste for complete power and complete distaste of individual agency, Creon demonstrates that Thebes is ruled by not just a dictator, but a tyrant, and Sophocles intentionally makes this explicitly clear. 

Thebes is a patriarchal, misogynistic society, and establishing this is necessary to interpret the significance of Creon’s actions. Creon’s previously established totalitarian rule proves as evidence for a patriarchal society simply because he is a man, he is in power, no one else is in power, and never was it presented as possible for a woman to be in power. He makes countless remarks explicitly degrading the power of women as well, once declaring “I won’t be called weaker than womankind” (Line 680). Near the beginning of the play, upon hearing Antigone’s plans to defy the king’s orders, Ismene warns her against such action. Ismene’s justification relies heavily on women being lesser, and therefore heeding to men:

We must remember that we two are women,

so not to fight with men;

and that since we are subject to stronger power

we must hear these orders, or any that may be worse.

So I shall ask of them beneath the earth

forgiveness, for in these things I am forced,

and shall obey the men in power. I know

that wild and futile action makes no sense. (Lines 61-68)

Ismene explicitly defines men as a “stronger power” that women must not fight with, and asserts that Antigone’s ideas are “wild and futile”, regardless of their merit. This demonstrates a deeply ingrained prejudice against women and their place in life, therefore being misogynistic. Ismene is presented as a person with sensible morals. Her criticism of Antigone, and the use of degrading words like “wild” and “futile” present her as a woman of the “correct” method of thinking, and Antigone as one of the “incorrect” method of thinking. We can learn from Ismene’s example and Creon’s explicit remarks that misogyny is deeply rooted in Thebian society, and Sophocles makes this intentionally obvious.

Everything that represents the state of Antigone’s Thebes is also representative of everything Sophocles is trying to denounce through this work. The better half of this essay has been used to clearly establish Thebes as a misogynistic society ruled by a tyrant. Everything that Sophocles establishes in this work is meant to be detested. A society that exaggeratedly, dramatically, profusely degrades women is crafted to emphasize the consequences when he is wrong and a woman is right. A king who believes to the most extreme extent that he must be right and everyone else must be wrong is crafted to enhance Creon’s downfall by his own inability to admit a mistake. 

Antigone’s purpose is to denounce oppressive societies. This is supported by statements made by various characters throughout the play. Antigone herself is the most obvious example, frequently speaking against her sentencing. Antigone knows that her actions are in line with the gods. She states many times, in many different ways, that Creon will face godly consequences for his actions, most explicitly once in an address to the king: “Nor did I think your orders were so strong / that you, a mortal man, could overrun / the gods’ unwritten and unfailing laws” (Lines 453-455). While singing her own dirge for her death, she calls out, “Look what I suffer, at whose command, / because I respected the right” (Lines 942-943). It is made clear that Creon is selfishly going against the will of the gods. Antigone is not the only person aware of this. The wrath of the gods bestowed upon him is foreshadowed constantly by the comments of other characters. To Creon, a guard asks, “Isn’t this action possibly a god’s?” (Line 279). To Creon, his son says, “You don’t respect [your office], tampling down the gods’ due” (Line 745). These warnings are placed throughout the narrative to tell the audience that if one does as Creon does, the gods will denounce it; in other words, if the actions seen during the play occur, let it be known that they are immoral. It is through this method of storytelling that Sophecles makes clear his abhorrance for the ideals of Creon and the portrayed Thebian society. Using dramatic effect and great emphasis, the prevalence of misogyny is clearly articulated and forcefully critiqued through the destruction of those who uphold its institution. At one point,  the chorus sings ironically, praising “...she, the greatest of gods, the Earth” (Line 337). She, the Earth, the greatest of gods, could not be made lesser than any man. Creon does this, and is punished for it. Misogynistic beliefs and functionings of society are made obvious, not to assert themselves as commonplace or acceptable, but to make clear throughout the play that this is tied up in the defiance of the gods; misogyny is part of the basis for their wrath. 

It is doubtful that denouncing tyranny and misogyny would have any real impact on the functions of ancient greece. Sophocles likely wrote Antigone like any other Greek play, made partially to entertain, and partially to make a statement about larger themes of life. Using drama as a vessel for social commentary was not novel in the Greek world, so it’s not outrageous to assume that such was the case here. The reason some question its message is likely the same reason the text has been allowed to survive to this day; plausible deniability is a vehicle for survival for many feminist works. What is more novel, and somewhat refreshing, is the subjects that Sophocles chose to denounce. Perhaps Antigone was written for an audience of a later time, one that would be more perceptive to the ideas presented.