In the plays Medea and Antigone ,there are two women who are fighting back for what they want, or what they feel is right. Both Antigone and Medea live in societies which they are treated as low-quality because of their gender.The role of women in ancient Greek life, was considered to be pointless compared to Greek men. A woman was supposed to stay home and clean and take care of the children,while her husband went to work and fought in war. Antigone and Medga both protest against this discrimination and went beyond their roles as women and fought for their rights. They both rebel against powerful men who force cruelty on them.Antigone defies Creon’s law, Medea gets revenge on Jason. They both rebel someone who was more powerful than them. Medea’s use revenge and Antigone protested against a cruel government. Antigone and Medea are both feminists because they both protests discrimination against women.
In the play, Antigone by Sophocles, Creon and Antigone have conflict between one another. Antigone has beliefs that has challenged the powerful ruler Creon. Creon's concern for the laws of the city causes him to abandon all the other beliefs and he feels that all people should obey the laws that were set by him. Antigone, on the other hand, believes in the Gods and the rules that they set. She feels that the laws of the gods should be obeyed by everyone. Antigone does not obey the law that Creon made which was that no one can bury Ployneices body. Instead of listening to Creon, Antigone decides to bury her brother because she loves him.This fight between Creon and Antigone rise to conflict.
In Euripides’s play, Medea, Medea is shown to be a strong woman who does what she wants and doesn’t let anything stand in her way. She is feeling angry because of her cheating husband Jason. When she finds out that her husband, Jason has left her she starts to scare the people around her, and having them think that she will kill anyone who passes her way. In the beginning of the play the nurse says “She hates her children, does not enjoy seeing them. I’m afraid she may be planning something rash. Her mind is dangerous.” (Euripides 37). This quote shows that Medea’s hate for her children. Medea couldn’t even look at her children and think nice thoughts about them because they reminded her of Jason who had dishonored her. Medea killed many people including her children and a princess in order to get back at her unlawful and cheating husband. Medea later on explains to the chorus (which is all women) that men treat women so badly with no respect and was trying to show them that she is disgusted by all man because her husband had just left her.
Medea and Antigone are both strong and independent.They fought for what they want and believed in. The women do what must be done in order to obtain their goal whether its breaking the law . They may do things for different reasons but in the end they get it.
