Had Antigone been a Man.........

Abstract

Sophocles’ classic, Antigone (placed around 441 BC) continues to intrigue contemporary readers, owing much of its appeal to the power of its courageous female protagonist (of the same name) who defies the ruling king for love of her brother. This paper argues that in burying her brother against Creon’s orders, she acts out of love not rebellion; moreover, she remains well within the role assigned to the women of her times. If Creon, the king, is outraged at her act, it is because he can’t see beyond the fact that she is a woman. In compelling her to choose between family and state, it is Creon who threatens the stability of Thebes not Antigone As such, Antigone illustrates how patriarchy first expects women to prioritise their familial roles and then penalises them for doing so. Had Antigone been a man, she would not have been trapped in this double bind, her act would not have been read as one of unwarranted rebellion, and despite operating within a patriarchal framework, she would not have invited death as just punishment for revering her dead brother.