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What does Antigone have to say about women and their position in Greek society? (A) 10 Women in the Greek society were treated as inferior to their male counterparts. Their position was to be sub-servant to their husbands, child-bearing, caring, passive and devoted. They had no voice in government, society, or even their own marriages. Many times the men were much older. The women were expected to be married and have children well before they turned twenty years old. Antigone, the heroine in the play, did not fit the mold for a typical woman and she pressed the issue by arguing with King Creon, her uncle. Antigone had angered Creon so much by defying his decree and publically disobeying his law that he felt he had no choice but condemn her to death. Creon even described her as “the man” in one act. “I’m not the man, not now, she is the man if this victory goes to her and she goes free.” (669) She also stated in her rebuttal speech that Creon had gone against the Gods unwritten law to bury the dead. “Nor did I think your edict had such force that you, a mere mortal, could override the gods.” ( 668) Messengers compared Antigone to her father, Oedipus, and called her a savage. She realized at this point that she had chosen death over life and pleads for Creon to tell her what crimes she committed. “…denied all the joys of marriage, raising children- deserted by my loved ones, struck by fate, I descend alive into the caverns of the dead. What laws of the mighty gods have I transgressed?” (680) On the other hand, the other major female characters, Ismene and Eurydice, stayed truer to their expected gender roles. Although Ismene too wants to bury her brother with Antigone, she knows her place and pleads with Antigone to b... ... middle of paper ... ...storm is symbolic of Prospero’s revenge storm within his soul. He then tells his daughter, Miranda, why this storm is necessary. Prospero explains their history for the first time. He was once the King of Milan and was over-thrown by his brother Antonio and King Alonso. He was sent out to perish at sea with his daughter Miranda. He was rescued by Gonzalo, who gave him food. They then landed on a mysterious island where he gained great magical powers. They live there for twelve years with only two other beings. Caliban, their servant, was a type of beast domesticated by Miranda and Prospero. He once controlled the island. Ariel was a magical being that Prospero had freed and had become his slave as well. Prospero has a plan to restore his power and avenge the wrong done to him. Early in the play Prospero appears to be self-centered, cruel and vindictive. He

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