A Comparison of Antigone and A Dolls House Essay - 688 Words

Similarities in Antigone and A Dolls House Ibsens A Dolls House has been called the first modern play. The play was considered revolutionary because it broke several molds which had endured for centuries. Incredibly, much of what was considered revolutionary first appeared in Sophocles play, Antigone - one of the first plays in existence. In merely looking at the surface, one notices right away that both plays are significant in that they avoid the social temptation of using a man as a protagonist. Looking deeper into the stories, however, one can see that in even more contradiction with society, the female characters go against men. Both Antigone and Nora step into the spotlight as the female hero who has been†¦show more content†¦In A Dolls House, Nora too must decide where the line between right and wrong is drawn. In order to save her husbands life, Nora forges her fathers name on a promissory note. Both women thus break the law using similar justifications. Antigone does so under the premise that the Gods dictated that all men deserved a proper burial. Likewise, Nora commits her crime with the belief that since it is saving a life, her situation is an exception to the rules. The leading men in both works also have similar characterizations. Both Creon and Helmer are egotistical men, who put too much value on their position of authority; Creon so much so that he is willing to put a decree that defies the laws of the Gods. Furthermore, both are close-minded and too stubborn to see that they could be wrong. When Nora reveals her crime to Helmer, the audience expects to see a grateful and understanding husband, but instead is greeted with a spiteful and unappreciative man who does not see the true purpose of Noras deed. Similarly, Creon, instead of seeing that his niece Antigone placed family and the Gods before the law of the land, solely sees that he has been disobeyed. Both men worry about how their social status will be affected by the actions of the women; Creon is afraid he will look weak if he allows Antigones deed to go unpunished, and Helmer is worried about allowing his wife to commit such a crime. One could argue that the true criminals are the menShow MoreRelatedComparison of A Dolls House and Antigone1248 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom ‘The Empowered Woman’ by Sonny Carroll In my mind, Sonny Carroll’s poem perfectly represents what an empowered woman should be; firm, determined and able to stand on her own feet. The characters of Nora and Antigone, from Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ and Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’ respectively, completely fit my description of ‘the empowered woman’. As inspiring figures, they left me wondering how they maintained their identities even in their patriarchal societies. What touched my heart theRead MoreComparison Of Antigone And The Dolls House1400 Words   |  6 PagesAnother theme that prevails in both the plays is power. It is exactly what the two characters Creon and Helmer in both the plays namely Antigone and the Dolls house had. Creons tyrannical power on a macro scale as a ruler with Helmers high handed treatment of his wife on a micro level as head of a family is to be discussed in this essay. Both men come across as misogynists. Their quickness to ju dge and judge harshly seems to be emphasized in both cases. Creon is shown with diverse relationsRead More Comparison Between the Characters of Antigone and A Doll’s House1456 Words   |  6 PagesA Comparison Between the Characters of Antigone and A Doll’s House   Ã‚  Ã‚   There have always been fundamental differences between the mentalities of the male and female sexes. At one time, women were considered as a possession of the father or husband. Women were denied participation in public life, they had restricted access to education, and they werent legally allowed to own property. This oppression of women did not prevent them from fighting for, and obtaining, equal rights.   It seems thatRead More A Comparison of Moral Conflict in Antigone and A Dolls House1479 Words   |  6 PagesConflict Between Individual Morals and State Laws in Antigone and A Dolls House  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mother, should I trust the government?   Or should I trust myself?   This dilemma is a common one in a great deal of literature.   In Antigone and A Doll’s House, the main theme is the question of whether one should be true to oneself or true to one’s state or society.   Should Nora (in A Doll’s House) and Antigone (in Antigone) â€Å"follow the rules† and do what the state and society want them to do orRead MoreEssay about Antingone and a Dolls House: a Mens Society1358 Words   |  6 Pagesthought of as scary, fictional, and even comedic for their time. Gender roles in society are virtually thematic in the two stories A Dolls House and Antigone. A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen is a story about the wife battling to hide a loan that kept her husband alive, because if anyone found out society would crash upon her for her bold actions. Antigone, written by Sophocles, is a play about a girl defying men to do what m an didn’t to please the gods and bring honor to her family. In almostRead MoreEssay on A Character Comparison: Nora Vs. Antigone1842 Words   |  8 PagesA Character Comparison: Nora Vs. Antigone In the novels A Dolls House and Antigone, Ibsen and Sophocles respectively create two lead female characters, Nora and Antigone, who confront societys expectations of women in fundamentally different ways. Nora goes against the grain of middle class society by first forging her fathers signature and then deceiving her husband, Torvald, throughout their marriage; Antigone, on the other hand, openly challenges and defies the rule of men, including herRead MoreA Character Comparison: Nora vs. Antigone Essay1922 Words   |  8 Pages 2005 World Literature Paper I A Character Comparison: Nora Vs. Antigone In the novels A Dolls House and Antigone, Ibsen and Sophocles respectively create two lead female characters, Nora and Antigone, who confront societys expectations of women in fundamentally different ways. Nora goes against the grain of middle class society by first forging her fathers signature and then deceiving her husband, Torvald, throughout their marriage; Antigone, on the other hand, openly challenges and defiesRead MoreWhat Makes a Hero1664 Words   |  7 Pagesheroic qualities however this mere discovery of a few characteristics does not warrant him the full title of a true hero. A young woman’s rational judgment is clouded by the emotional loss of her brothers and father in Sophocles’ play Antigone. Many would call Antigone a hero since she stood up against her uncle, the new king of Thebes, for something she believed in, a fair and proper burial for her brother. However, her actions are powered by emotion and her reason is clouded by anger and grief overRead MoreA Doll House by Henrik Ibsen7379 Words   |  30 PagesMa. Jennifer S. Yap Dr. Sherwin Perlas World Literature January 14, 2012 A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen Translated by Rolf Fjelde I. Introduction During the late nineteenth century, women were enslaved in their gender roles and certain restrictions were enforced on them by a male dominant culture. Every woman was raised believing that they had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must yield to the control of a stronger gender. John Stuart Mill wrote in his essay, â€Å"The SubjectionRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 Pageson the Floss The Awakening Moby-Dick Billy Budd Mrs. Dalloway Bleak House Native Son Bless Me,Ultima One Hundred Years of Solitude Catch-22 Othello Crime and Punishment The Scarlet Letter The Crucible Slaughterhouse-Five A Farewell to Arms Song of Solomon Ghosts The Stone Angel The Great Gatsby The Stranger Heart of Darkness A Tale of Two Cities The House of Mirth Their Eyes Were Watching God Jude the Obscure 2003 (Form A): According