Question

Read this speech by Creon, which occurs in the second half of Antigone. Based on these lines, what can you infer about Creon's feelings regarding the roles of men and women? Based on what you have learned about gender roles in ancient Greek society, does Creon’s speech align with ancient Greek beliefs? Use evidence from the text to support your response.

Answer 1

Based on the speech, we can infer that Creon views women as inferior beings to men. For him, a woman should be subservient to the will of the men in her life. Creon immediately labels any woman who goes against the decrees of men or opposes a man a “shrew.” He even warns Haemon against marrying such a woman because soon her embraces will turn “wax cold.” This statement implies that a woman’s sole job is to please her husband. Moreover, he speaks of anarchy in solely feminine terms, addressing it as a She, suggesting that women are responsible for everything that goes wrong in society. He also believes that it’s a man’s inherent right to tame and master women; he says that being cast out of society would be a better fate for a man than to admit that he was made to bend to a “woman’s will.”

Ancient Greece was a patriarchal society. As in other ancient societies, women led sheltered lives and were not meant to question decisions made by men. What sets Antigone apart is the heroine’s boldness to stand up to not just any man but to the king. Plus, she never once seems to regret her decision after she has defied the King’s order and buried Polyneices. Keeping these points in mind, Creon’s negative reaction to Antigone does seem to align with the ideas about gender roles in ancient Greece.