Names such as Susan B. Anthony, Coretta Scott King, and Malala are widely known as feminist icons. These women have defied the odds of social norms to pursue their ambitions with great integrity and personal strength. Feminism is becoming even more prevalent in recent times, but this notion has survived the test of time since the literary work of Antigone became known in the 5th century BC. Written by Sophocles, the tragic play surrounds Antigone’s account in attempt to give her brother, Polyneices, an honorable and proper burial while in opposition to King Creon’s decree. Throughout the plot, the protagonist defies many norms. As the representation of Ancient Greek women, Antigone’s strength, courage, and shrewdness attend her actions in the presence of injustice, suggesting that she is a feminist icon of defiance.
Understanding the context of Antigone’s society is key to realizing the feminist aspects of her actions. In a patriarchal environment like Ancient Greece, misogyny is inevitable. Women are considered secondary to men, and they have neither political nor social importance; however, men fulfill major societal duties, and they are respected and honored. King Creon views women of less importance: “From now on they’ll act like women. Tie them up, no more running lose…”1. Justifying that Creon believes female roles are limited, this quote demonstrates that women, specifically Antigone, should be restrained, or they will act upon disobedience against men, a great threat. However, Antigone (both the play and the character) defies the expectations of women. Going against male power was unheard of as ancient Greek women fear the wrath of men. For Antigone to defy Creon, she possesses the qualities of a feminist icon. Furthermore, the exposition of the play shows the contrasting natures between Ismene and Antigone. As opposed to her sister, Ismene is the representation of gender norms and female frailty: “Remember we are women, we’re not born to contend with men”1. When asked to help give Polyneices a burial, Ismene rejects Antigone’s plan to go against the king’s decree. She believes women should be inferior to men; therefore, she is reluctant in burying their brother, suggesting that she is compliant and obedient towards the authority of men. Ismene is the generalization of an ideal woman in Ancient Greece, while Antigone exerts her opposition and feminist strength towards Ismene by saying “I will bury him myself… I love him”1.
Influencing the plot of the novel, Antigone acts forthrightly and aggressively upon her beliefs. Antigone believes Creon’s decision to not bury Polyneices will anger the gods, so she decides to bury her brother herself. In a conversation with Ismene, she says, “… do as you like, whatever suits you best- I will bury him myself”1. By doing so, Antigone disobeys the state’s law because of her belief of the higher law in giving a man a proper burial. According to the feminist icon, divine laws have greater authority than man-made laws. She determines the legitimacy of laws based on its content and validity, rather than believing in a law because of the superiority of its creator. Creon deems himself the greatest figure of the state, therefore any laws he implements must be the most legitimate and holds the greatest power; however, Antigone views those laws as illegitimate because she believes Creon’s laws are unethical. In an argument, Antigone refutes Creon by stating that the laws she believes in are “… the great unwritten, unshakable traditions”1, suggesting that the justification for her actions is that she is obedient to the higher level of authority, despite her supposed obligation to follow state laws. This demonstrates that Antigone stands as the counter sovereign figure who challenges the sovereign state. Ignoring threats, Antigone has no difficulty admitting to her beliefs in defiance to the authority. Moreover, Antigone abides by her beliefs so strongly that Creon puts her to death: “she’ll never escape, she and her blood sister, the most barbaric death”1. Even so, Antigone chooses to die for her beliefs than to live for being submissive; this suggests Antigone is aware of, prefers, and submits to consequences. Here, the protagonist exerts selflessness because she is willing to sacrifice her life for a cause that in turn benefits the women of her society. This act makes her a heroine. Antigone’s actions oppose authority, but because they are driven by her ethics, she proves that she is a feminist who seeks to bring about change.
In addition to this, Antigone exerts feminist strength in other different ways. Creon, who represents the men of society, enables Antigone to commit acts of civil disobedience throughout the play. When challenging Creon’s authority, she calls him a fool: “… let’s just say I’ve been accused of folly by a fool”1. This statement proves Antigone’s attitude towards Creon by implying that he is an imbecile. She does not hold a high opinion of Creon as her king nor as a man. Here, Antigone’s firm statement against Creon puts him in an oppressed position while Antigone is growing into the position of a courageous woman as she regards a man as an individual of lower intellectual status than her. As aforementioned, Antigone indeed performs a burial for Polyneices. When Creon interrogates his niece, she states, “I did it. I don’t deny a thing”1. Antigone’s straightforwardness in her tone validates her bold courage for opposing authority. She admits to the crimes and does not fear the repercussions. As a woman in a dominantly male political realm, Antigone proves her unflinching spirit as a feminist. Antigone’s strength is also proven by the fact that she wished for her actions to be public: “… tell the world!”1 she cries. Allowing her act to be kept private would be similar to submitting, obeying, and enabling the state’s laws, which completely objects her stance. By publicizing her crime, she wishes to let the public realize Creon’s laws are less than the higher laws. Additionally, since it is impossible to make a political change with only one person, the announcement of her act is a political movement because there could be a change of the mass opinion. Antigone is the voice of subjection and resists gender suppression. Because of this, she has immense political courage, largely due to the fact that she is a woman who is supposed to have no power in society. Furthermore, upon Creon’s decision to isolate Antigone, she commits suicide: “… there in the deepest, dark recesses of the tomb we found her… hanged by the neck in a fine linen noose, strangled in her veils…”1. The protagonist avoids a long and torturous death in which she defies Creon once again. Antigone’s suicide symbolizes her power. The shift of power dynamics demonstrates that the protagonist is reclaiming her agency and her unwillingness to accept male conquer. The act of suicide is unacceptable in Ancient Greek society, so the audacity of her to do so proves her outrageousness.
Evident in her actions, Antigone exercises her wit, demonstrates forceful strength, and establishes bold courage in a society where women are suppressed, indicating that her defiant actions validate her title of a feminist icon. Along with fighting for feminism, Antigone is the ideal representation of female strength. In the eyes of both men and women, Antigone’s acts of defying Creon’s decree, giving her brother a proper burial, and hanging herself in the cave altogether fight for love, equity, justice, and power. Although Antigone was written more than two thousand years ago, it stands as one of the first feminist literary works. Its legacy has brought an everlasting impact on modern society. Antigone’s feminist strength inspires many women to come to empower their own feminist strength against the injustices of society.