There is a great deal in Antigone that speaks of the rights (and the strength) of the state pitted against the individual. But I think it's important to look at another struggle within the play: male vs. female.
Greek women's rights -- to mingle with crowds and meet with non-related men, to show an uncovered head among strangers, to learn, to divorce -- varied depending on the time and the exact city-state. A Spartan woman, for example, was honored for her role of wife and child-bearer, and girls were brought up to value strength and athletic achievement in themselves very much as boys were. But no Greek women had the same rights as their brothers, or as many; and no Greek women (aside from the very occasional queen) had political power worth speaking of.
Classical Athens, where Sophocles was born and worked, was a heaven for well-born men and something rather different for well-born women. They were married at fourteen, regardless of their feelings about the state, lived largely sequestered and secluded lives. As for having any voice in their "democratic" city-state, they might as well have been foreign-born men -- they could never hope for a vote. And since Athenian men didn't generally marry for affection, there wasn't even much hope for being "the power behind the throne."
In Antigone, King Creon is very much aware that the person who defied his decree is a woman. He is doubly enraged by this. His people should naturally be supportive citizens; but women should be even more than that. Mutely obedient is more like it. He never expected to hear so much as a murmur from the distaff corner. When Antigone's sister Ismene explains to Antigone why she can't help her bury their brother, her reasons and the order in which they're given support this:
"Remember we are women, we're not born to contend with men. Then too, we're underlings, ruled by much stronger hands, so we must submit in this, and things still worse." [Fagles translation]
*First*, they are women; then they are inhabitants of the city-state, obedient to its laws.
Creon's fury at being defied by not one but two women (for Ismene loyally joins her fate to Antigone's, though she's innocent of any misdeed) is worded accordingly:
"I am not the man, not now: she is the man if this victory goes to her and she goes free.... she and her blood sister... Yes, I accuse her sister of an equal part in scheming this, this burial." [Fagles translation, ellipses mine]
Creon is not fighting just for his throne, his power as king, but his very manhood itself.
But why should it be threatened by such a weak opponent -- no opponent at all, really, since she holds no power physically or politically?
Why, if women are so weak and worthless, does it mean so much -- does it mean *anything* -- if one of them disobeys? Do we fly into a fury when a mouse eats our food, or do we reserve our anger for the human bully, our moral equal, who purposely robs us of what is rightly ours?
Another line I just came across, supporting the idea of a male vs. female theme in Antigone:
Creon, talking to his son about ruling the state and keeping order, says:
"Anarchy -- show me a greater crime in all the earth! She, she destroys cities, rips up houses, breaks the ranks of spearmen into headlong rout."
Anarchy, the worst of all things, is a woman, then. Perhaps Eris, the goddess of discord?
Creon goes on to say:
"Therefore we must defend the men who live by law, never let some woman triumph over us. Better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hands of a man -- never be rated inferior to a woman, never."
Very sweet. Better, even, apparently, to have had the city-state fall at the hands of Polynices and the armies he'd mustered than to have Antigone commit a non-violent crime of disobedience.
I just wanted you to know that I was reading a little bit here this weekend, but I had a very busy schedule (for a change) and haven't responded much as a result.
I'm going to get some reading done tonight and then I'll let you have it! :)
