ISSUES: The Role of Women

I admire Antigone’s courage as a woman. In the past, women have always been seen as the same old stereotype – ‘the angel of the house.” Women were always expected to stay in the house, look after children, play musical instruments, cook, clean, and entertain. In WWI, women gained a better reputation: women were more efficient in working in factories than men. When the men had gone off to fight wars, women looked after farms and created airplane parts. Women were more efficient because unlike men, they did not get drunk and could work stably. Many men felt that women should not have so much power, and they used things such as “while the housemaid was voting for prime minister, she forgot to take the bun out of the oven.” Many men thought that women were emotionally unstable, but after the world wars, women’s reputations grew. For example, they were allowed to vote, and Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister in England. Even though women in history haven’t been the focus of heroes, they have often brought down powerful people due to love. Powerful men have sometimes sacrificed their life to protect their wives, for example Haemon and Antigone. Romeo and Juliet is also a good example, because even though Romeo had money and a healthy life, he gave it up because of Juliet. Currently, in the 21^st century, more movies have contained female heroes, such as Wonder Woman and Hermione, who have played major roles in saving the world and bringing the downfall of an evil or unjustifiable character. In Antigone, she was the only women who had the strength to fight for justice. Her sister, Ismene, felt hopeless: “You ought to realize we are only women, /not meant to fight against men,/and that we are ruled by those who are stronger,/to obedience in this and even more painful matters." Line 64-73. Antigone died honorably, but Eurydice died shamefully, feeling that she had no protection anymore, and she had had an awful life. Eurydice was a sad excuse for a powerful women, and that is often what men think of women. Creon was afraid of tyranny, but more afraid of a woman like Antigone taking over: "When I am alive no woman shall rule." This shows that me felt shamed if women took power over the country.