“Now if she thus can flout authority, unpunished, I am woman, she the man.” -Creon (484-485)
In ancient times, all over the world, women were considered inferior to men. Women in ancient Greece, as well as in other religions, did not have any political rights, official power, and were not educated. Because of this, Antigone’s gender is a problem for Creon since he does not recognize her opinion.
“No woman shall be the master while I live.” -Creon (524)
Woman held no official power. In so many religions, women were considered property. In ancient Greece, girls were property of their father or a male relative and when she got married, she became her husband’s. She was under his control and every decision for her was made by him (Rhymer). Even in ancient Rome, a woman needed a man to complete any legal business (Padgett). …show more content…
In ancient Rome, women could not vote or serve in any position of power (Padgett). Women were just like slaves, owned and controlled, but freed slaves actually had the right to vote (Wilson, Garcia & Jeon). Women also did not have the opportunity to commit crime which made Antigone’s offense even worse to Creon. He did not expect anyone to break the law, especially a woman (The British Museum)
A proper education was also not provided to women and girls. In ancient Athens, boys were sent to school at six or seven while girls stayed home and learned about housework. Some girls were educated, but only by their mothers at home (ABC). In Alexandria, Hypatia, the first woman to study math, philosophy, and astronomy, was actually beaten to death because of her knowledge. All through history, women have had very limited rights. From politics to education to power, women have been inferior to men for a long time. Antigone’s bravery to stand up Creon shows how women can stand up for what they believe in. It shows how women can gain some