A Comparison of Antigone and A Doll's House

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Similarities in Antigone and A Doll's House

Ibsen's A Doll's House has been called the first modern play. The play was considered "revolutionary" because it broke several "molds" which had endured for centuries. Incredibly, much of what was considered "revolutionary" first appeared in Sophocles' play, Antigone - one of the first plays in existence.

In merely looking at the surface, one notices right away that both plays are significant in that they avoid the social temptation of using a man as a protagonist. Looking deeper into the stories, however, one can see that in even more contradiction with society, the female characters go against men. Both Antigone and Nora step into the spotlight as the female hero who has been put in a compromising situation and is forced to decide whether it is more important to follow what society dictates, or go with what they feel is moral and just.

Antigone is faced with the death of both brothers, one who is to be buried with full military rites, while the other, under dictate of the king, is to be cast aside and allowed ...

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