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Women in ancient literature
Women's role in greek literature
Gender roles of men and women
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Recommended: Women in ancient literature
Would you think that one day men would no longer be the dominating gender in society, while women would be doing things thought unheard of before like working a career? In ancient Greece and pre-modern Norway authors began thinking up unthinkable situations for their times. These situations were based on questions very similar to these. These ideas were thought of as scary, fictional, and even comedic for their time. Gender roles in society are virtually thematic in the two stories A Dolls House and Antigone. A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen is a story about the wife battling to hide a loan that kept her husband alive, because if anyone found out society would crash upon her for her bold actions. Antigone, written by Sophocles, is a play about a girl defying men to do what man didn’t to please the gods and bring honor to her family. In almost all societies before the modern age, women have been thought to be naturally below men. Both main female characters, Antigone and Norah, have fought against society to take responsibilities, as they rise from their status to face problems and challenges of men. Creon and Torvald both are seen as the pressuring masochist and spouse in Antigone and A Doll’s House. Sophocles and Ibsen draw many of the same characteristics and flaws of men. The characteristics of the men in these societies and plays are that they ridicule and anger women, they misjudge women’s capabilities and how much they really do, and they both have a very apparent arrogance.
Something that occurred frequently in Antigone and A Doll’s House is how often the men anger and insult the women. This is what Creon says to the soldier even after the soldier explains himself fully, “You, with your eyes on the grou...
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...stantly represent throughout the story.
It is obvious that in both stories women were very strong and responsible, while the men were arrogant and unappreciative. Throughout the stories, Antigone and Norah both proved there worth through their actions. But the men ridiculed, underestimated, and wallowed in their own pride. It is obvious how unfairly women were treated, but gradually women have been noticed and recognized for what they do and have to offer. Over time men have recognized women’s potential as they slowly fit into our society. Through the plays of Antigone and A Dolls House these situations of women being more than expected were described in detail. Also described in detail were how men acted in pride and immaturity to shun this behavior. These books have ended in tragedy, but women are a constant testament to success in our modern day society.
Over the course of time, the roles of men and women have changed dramatically. As women have increasingly gained more social recognition, they have also earned more significant roles in society. This change is clearly reflected in many works of literature, one of the most representative of which is Plautus's 191 B.C. drama Pseudolus, in which we meet the prostitute Phoenicium. Although the motivation behind nearly every action in the play, she is glimpsed only briefly, never speaks directly, and earns little respect from the male characters surrounding her, a situation that roughly parallels a woman's role in Roman society of that period. Women of the time, in other words, were to be seen and not heard. Their sole purpose was to please or to benefit men. As time passed, though, women earned more responsibility, allowing them to become stronger and hold more influence. The women who inspired Lope de Vega's early seventeenth-century drama Fuente Ovejuna, for instance, rose up against not only the male officials of their tiny village, but the cruel (male) dictator busy oppressing so much of Spain as a whole. The roles women play in literature have evolved correspondingly, and, by comparing The Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Wife of Bath's Prologue, we can see that fictional women have just as increasingly as their real-word counterparts used gender differences as weapons against men.
“Remember we are women, we’re not born to contend with men” (Sophocles, 18). The popular literary works, Antigone and A Doll’s House, written by Sophocles and Ibsen, are two famous tragedies that have been performed and read throughout the decades. Although countless audiences have been entertained by these well written plays, few would care to guess that many lessons and several unfortunate truths can be found with a less than tedious inspection of the characters and the reactions they give to their circumstances. The two main characters in these stories, Antigone and Nora, face adversities and problems that are amplified by their society’s views on the rights and abilities of women. The two main male characters in these plays, Creon and Helmer, cause the greater part of the struggle that the female protagonists face. The difficulties that Helmer and Creon create during the plot of these stories are the cause of three major characteristics of what one would consider typical to a headstrong man in a leadership position. The three features of Creon and Helmer that lead to the eventual downfall of Antigone and Nora, are pride, arrogance, and ignorance.
Though some view it as something that is concrete and cannot be changed, gender is an idea of how each human perceives themselves. Gender is nothing but a concept that is very fluid and can change throughout each generation. Unfortunately, though there is potential for change, human kind has barely made the effort to do so until recent years (barely) and continues to pretend as though these views of the sexes are set in stone. There is still this idea remaining that men should be the “ideal citizen” that brings honor, and that women should be meek and seen not heard. When comparing the views of these gender roles Christine de Pizan and Thucydides (through the voice of Pericles) have differing yet similar views on what is considered to be the
Captivatingly, both women act daringly, regardless of the culturally constructed labels as women, products of incest and wickedness. They use their “otherness” as a power mechanism, rather than an excuse to passivity. In conclusion, Elphaba and Antigone challenge conventional roles of gender, as they are strong, courageous figures of rebellion and exemplify a lack of traditional gender normativity.
Antigone believes that a woman should be intrepid and strong, even at the risk of challenging men’s authority. When she proposes to bury Polynices, Ismene answers, “we’re not born to contend with men”. (75) Antigone’s response, “that death will be a glory” (86), does not directly address gender issues, but it expresses her fury at Ismene’s passivity. After the burial of Polynices, Antigone defiantly states, “I did it. I don’t deny a thing,” while being interrogated by Creon (492) and later comments that she was “not ashamed for a moment, not to honor my brother”. (572-3) Antigone’s gallant speech and defiance toward traditional gender identities audaciously shows her revolutionary desire for gender equality.
Women in most cultures have been designated as second to men and in some instances, considered below male children as well. With the passage of time women gained respect and the right for equality. Although gender discrimination remains, a lot of progress has been achieved. Literature is a one of the facets of the human race that reflects the culture change of people. William Shakespeare’s King Lear portrays the patriarchal system of the Renaissance era, which leaves women completely dependent on the male head of household. In Henrik Ibsen’s Doll House, set in the modern era, there is still a patriarchal system but women have just a little more freedom. The article, The Doll House Backlash: Criticism, Feminism, and Ibsen by Joan Templeton, analyzes the gender subordination in A Doll House. Comparing and contrasting the themes of the two plays followed by consideration of the article’s research on the theme in A Doll House, assists in developing an understanding of the gradual progression of women’s freedom to be their “true selves” through equality with men. The “true self” is a person's character that is masked by a false portrayal designed to appeal to others.
Nearly every society, Nora and Antigone's are no exception, dictates a specific place or purpose for women, and while Nora and Antigone's respective societies possess some similarities regarding women's place and purpose, they contain several important differences. In Antigone, for example, the relative worth and status of women in Thebian society seems clear; women are to submit to the rule of man. Ismene suggests this submissive attribute of women in Thebian society when she begs Antigone not to defy Creon's commands, "Remind ourselves that we are women and as such are not made to fight with men." (193) Evidently the Thebian society controlled by men has kept a lid on women's individuality so much so that even a member of the royal family, Ismene, speaks of the futility in attempting to clash with the rule of man. Furthermore, Creon asks Antigone if she is "ashamed to differ from such men [the Chorus]?" (212) This suggests that in Thebian society w...
...herself as a man and has misogynistic tendencies. Fortunately, the role of women in society today has changed very much from the roles that they played in classical mythology. Women are now seen as being able to play any role they desire, whether it is the role of a housewife or the role of a workingwoman with a successful career. It is no surprise that achieving the roles that women play today took such a long time when for so long even in mythology women’s roles in society were constantly pushed in the direction of domestics and when for so long women were portrayed as less then pleasant creatures. The fact that these sorts of roles were pushed on women in the Greco-Roman society was proof enough that it was a patriarchal society. It is astoundingly wonderful that the roles that women play in modern society have evolved so much since the times of classical myths.
Women had very few rights, they lived as prisoners, serving men 24 hours a day. Women were sheltered from society, restricted to their husbands and their husbands houses, crying out for help and justice but there is no one to there to hear their screams. In the play Antigone when the title character had to sneak out of the house to meet up with Ismene. Ancient Greek men ruled a lot like over protective fathers with teenage daughters. Men were also scared of women gaining confidence and begin thinking on their own or worse taking action or speaking out against men, like in the play Antigone where Antigone confronts Creon by burying Polyneices after Creon strictly stated that no one bury him. If someone were to bury him, the whole Polis would stone them to death. When Creon found out that someone buried Polyneices, he did not even consider that it could have been a women that did it.
Antigone points out many things , however one of the main things that it points out is how bad gender inequality is back in the old day. It shows many examples of how many societies were run back then. It proves to me how women and men were portrayed in the Greece society, are the equal or different, what gender expectations do they follow or fight against?
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A woman is like a tea bag. It's only when she's in hot water that you realize how strong she is.” This is very evident in both Antigone and a Doll’s House. Antigone is a Greek play by Sophocles about a young girl who decides to take on the task of burying her traitorous brother to honor the gods even though her tyrannical uncle Creon has outlawed the burial. A Doll’s House by Ibsen follows Nora Helmer, a housewife who has borrowed money without her husband’s knowledge or consent for the purpose of taking him to Italy for medical reasons. It outlines the internal and external conflicts she experiences in the final days of her secret. It is important to understand the roles of women in both plays because during the time periods they were written, women were held to very different standards and were far more oppressed than men. There are many examples of nonconformity of women in Antigone and A Doll’s House in the ways that the main characters rebel against what is expected of women. Nora and Antigone are headstrong, sharp-witted, and willing to break the law for love, three character traits that were uncommon and almost frowned upon by society for women in history.
Women in ancient Greek times did not have equal or political rights. Athena and Antigone, who were both very heroic women went above and beyond the stereotypical woman. In society today, women are still not looked as an equivalent to men. Athena and Antigone share the Greek heroic traits of honor, perseverance, and of living in a higher class. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Antigone, and Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, the female characters, Antigone and Athena are not solely traditional female characters, instead, they embody the heroic characteristics, honor, perseverance, and high social standing.
Antigone, the protagonist of the play, has what is seemingly the most powerful female role. From the very beginning of the plot she foreshadows her demise but expresses it through her stubbornness and inability to realize the great power of man. It is possible that she was aware of Creon’s capabilities as a leader, but nonetheless, she fights back by going t...
The sexist stereotypes presented in this tragedy address many perspectives of men at this time. Creon the arrogant and tyrant leader is, the very character that exemplifies this viewpoint. Antigone's spirit is filled with bravery, passion and fury; which allow her to symbolize the very essence of women. She is strong enough to do what her conscious tells her despite the laws of the land. Many examples in the play prove that Antigone's character is very capable of making her own decisions in the name of justice. First, Antigone opposes Creon's law and buries her slain brother; because in her mind it was immoral not to. She does this because she is compassionate and loves her brother very much. Creon, however, believes that his laws must be upheld and would do anything to prevent any type rebelling. He is even more infuriated when he learns that a woman has broken his laws. He tries to show Antigone who's in charge by sentencing her to a life of imprisonment. Secondly, Antigone shows how determined she is by accepting her consequences with pride. She does not try to hide that she is responsible for breaking Creon's laws, moreover, she takes all the credit. All the while she maintains her strength because she truly believes in her actions. These sorts of actions ultimately prove that Antigone is courageous and willing to stand up to men, which was completely against the norm at this time. Her spirit refuses to submit to the role of a helpless woman like her sister Ismene's character does.
...nancial needs or just in the home men held the advantage. "A Doll's House," by Henrik Ibsen portrays the genders role of nineteenth century women and men in society. Torvald's perception of his wife of how she is a helpless creature shows the overall role which women filled. Women were responsible for the purity of the world through their influence in the home and through the upbringing of her children. They had to beg and ask for permission to do certain activities and essential things. Men were the ones in the family who worked and provided for his family's wellbeing. Because of the family's economic dependence on the husband, he had control over all of all his family members. This showed the amount of progress needing to come in the future to allow woman to start receiving some of the many rights they deserved which men had and so frequently took for granted.