What does Antigone have to say about women and their position in Greek society? (A) 10In Greek society, women were treated as inferior to their male counterparts. Their position was to serve their husbands, to procreate, to be caring, passive and devoted. They had no voice in government, society, or even their own marriage. Often the men were much older. Women were expected to marry and have children well before the age of twenty. Antigone, the heroine of the play, did not fit the mold of a typical woman and she emphasized the problem by arguing with King Creon, her uncle. Antigone had so angered Creon by defying his decree and publicly disobeying his law that he felt he had no choice but to sentence her to death. Creon even described her as "the man" in one act. "I'm not the man, not now, she's the man if this victory is hers and she's free." (669) She also stated in her rebuttal speech that Creon had broken God's unwritten law to bury the dead. “Nor did I think your edict had such force that you, a mere mortal, could override the gods.” (668) The messengers compared Antigone to her father Oedipus and called her a savage. She then realizes that she chose death over life and begs Creon to tell her what crimes she has committed. “…deprived of all the joys of marriage, raising children – abandoned by my loved ones, struck by fate, I descend alive into the caves of the dead. What laws of the mighty gods have I transgressed? (680) In contrast, the other major female characters, Ismene and Eurydice, remained more faithful to their expected gender roles. Although Ismene also wants to bury her brother with Antigone, she knows his place and begs Antigone to b... middle of paper ...... the storm is symbolic of Prospero's storm of vengeance in his soul. He then explains to his daughter, Miranda, why this storm is necessary. Prospero explains their story for the first time. He was once king of Milan and was overthrown by his brother Antonio and King Alonso. He was sent to perish at sea with his daughter Miranda. He was rescued by Gonzalo, who gave him something to eat. They then landed on a mysterious island where he acquired great magical powers. They live there for twelve years with only two other beings. Caliban, their servant, was a type of beast domesticated by Miranda and Prospero. He once controlled the island. Ariel was a magical being that Prospero had freed and who also became his slave. Prospero has a plan to restore his power and avenge the wrong done to him. At the beginning of the play, Prospero appears to be self-centered, cruel, and vindictive. He