Antigone's actions

Antigone’s actions are very bold and courageous; especially considering the time the story is set in. Gender and defiance play great roles in the story, as they provide the audience with a bountiful endeavor while analyzing the story. Both of these things aid readers in viewing the risk that Antigone bestowed upon herself, but also the intelligence which she had to have to perform such a task so well. Although it is difficult to pinpoint Antigone’s moral stature when analyzing the societal structure, we can determine that she had great respect not only for family but herself as well. Antigone’s actions were righteous in her eyes, and in mine as well, however, society had a different perspective back then. She displays great defiance, by not only showing the government she has little regard for their authority, but by transitioning from a passive to aggressive role. Generally women were regarded as passive creatures, do to their dependence upon men (which was derived not only from society’s standards but from a biological perspective, where women need men to fertilize their egg to reproduce); Antigone defied this by taking matters into her own hands rather than listening to what someone else was telling her to do. This contrast is also provided through the grave differences between Ismene and Antigone. Ismene is a great representation of a passive character, one who does not take any individual initiative but rather listens to what should be done. Meanwhile Antigone acknowledges what is expected and ignores it, showing their great differences. Besides the theme of defiance in Antigone’s actions, there is also one of tremendous knowledge. Locals did not know what to think about who could have buried the body so immaculately. They were confounded to the point of thinking that maybe it was an act of God, due to the perfection of which the task was performed. These elements serve to show that Antigone’s actions were truly sensational from the standpoint that it showed both her intelligence and defiance. The act (burial) she performed was so well executed, that it brought little certainty as to who could have committed such a crime, almost to the point of eliminating the fact that a woman was responsible for it. Antigone’s actions are not only a reflection of an early feminist individual, who defied both society and family, but also as a tribute as to the individual prevailing over the state.