Comparison: Antigone, by Sophocles and A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen

In my mind, Sonny Carroll’s poem perfectly represents what an empowered woman should be; firm, determined and able to stand on her own feet. The characters of Nora and Antigone, from Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ and Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’ respectively, completely fit my description of ‘the empowered woman’. As inspiring figures, they left me wondering how they maintained their identities even in their patriarchal societies. What touched my heart the most is the way they fight for what they feel is moral and just instead of following what society dictates. I believe that each and every woman possesses the qualities like ‘the empowered woman’ in Carroll’s poem. Through my essay, I’d like to show how females in both the plays, during the adversities and extremities of time, evolve into empowered women. I believe that the idea of female empowerment, through these characters, inspires fellow women to make names for themselves rather than being labeled or controlled by men.

Over the centuries, writers have used literature to show the societal status and the mind sets of the people in their era. ‘Antigone’, a Greek tragedy, and ‘A Doll’s House’, a highly controversial drama, inhibit the same thematic approach, depicting the oppression and submissiveness of women in male-dominated society and how they overcome their obstacles with firm will, inspiring millions of audiences from then till now. By Antigone’s character, Sophocles portrays a figure through whom he can express his faith in feminism in the 4th century. Likewise, Ibsen’s concerns about the position of women during the 19th century are beautifully breathed to life in ‘A Doll’s House’ through Nora’s transformation from a doll-like puppet to a human. Both of the writ...

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... left the arrogant male characters stunned.

Throughout the world, writers have shown their concern over a particular cause through the characters of their works. On the whole, Sophocles’ has beautifully shown Antigone as an inspiration. I quote,

This shows that even if Creon is obstinate, the audiences are inspired by Antigone’s bravery. Though some people support Creon openly, somewhere deep down, they secretly side with Antigone’s bold and daring behavior. Similarly, through Nora, Ibsen tries to illustrate the status of women and how they should be brave and speak for themselves in times of need. Many women are able to relate to these two female characters and I’m certain that they have served as role models for women’s emancipation. I hope that every woman is motivated by these characters to become ‘the empowered woman’ from Sonny Carroll’s poem.