In France, women had long been fighting for equality to men by the time Anouilh’s “Antigone” was first performed. In 1971, the “Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen” was written by Olympe de Gouges as a retaliation against the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen”, which excluded women (Halsall). When the Anouilh’s Antigone was first performed in 1944, women had formed a multitude of organizations such as XXX. Shortly after the play was had its first performance in France, women received the right to vote and stand for election (Reynolds 2). During a time of political revolution, the play Antigone emulated the discrimination women in France faced at the time; Antigone’s portrayal as an obstinate, strong-willed character shows her resistance against prejudice, such as many women were doing when the play was first performed. The play itself cannot directly achieve considerable change in societal viewpoints; it merely parallels the challenges women encountered.
During a performance of Antigone at the Oxford Playhouse in 2010, both Antigone and Creon’s character illustrate the stereotypes of sexes at the time. As shown in a photo of the performance, Antigone sits in a chair, with a …show more content…
Antigone is unhappy with her own gender, and “curs[es] the fact” that she is a girl, as it limits her ability to do as she pleases (Reader 42). Because of her gender, Antigone is expected to follow societal standards, such as having a child and acting properly. In discussing her loyalty to her brother, Polynices, and why she is so adamant on burying him, she tells Creon that she admired her brothers because “they were boys” and she “was a girl” (Reader 55). Even though her brothers ignored her and made their mother unhappy, Antigone admired the freedom they had. As boys, they were less restricted in what they were allowed to do, unlike