Ancient Grecian First Wave Feminism

Antigone and Ismene present two sides of an issue from the opening of the play: to bury Polynices or not. The girls are sisters, but only in familial ties. Ismene clings to the fear she eats from Creon’s government. She releases her internalized misogyny at Antigone, “Remember we are women / we are not born to contend with men” (74-75). Ismene’s rage comes from Antigone’s proposal to bury their brother, regardless of what King Creon decrees. “I’ll raise a mound for him, for my dear brother” (95). Antigone’s instant characterization juxtaposes her against Ismene, King Creon, and Grecian society. Subsequently, she unknowingly embodies feminism. She embodies a woman’s right to think. Her ideas are inaugural in the grand scheme of women’s rights. Antigone and Ismene’s relationship plays into an archetype of women against women. Two women competing for the same resources like wild animals. This inner-feminine dilemma lends itself to a slam poem entitled “Fantastic Breasts and Where to Find Them”. This poem debates the topic of women’s rights in a masculine dominated world. The poem’s main metaphor is the role women play in the world of Harry Potter. By contrasting such a novel world against pragmatic issues of womanhood, truths are revealed. The same revealing experience occurs in Antigone. By pitting a woman against family for the sake of her family, Antigone truly calls into question what a woman is allowed to do in society. Dedication is a virtue, but only when it is used in the appropriate societal context. Before any precedents exist, Antigone revels to break the bonds of womanhood against her own misogynistic sister and brother.