Introduction
There are both minor and more important characters in The Three Theban Plays, and both men and women are crucial for the plot development and have the purpose of representing different sins and virtues. Male and female characters perform various meaningful and crucial actions, and most of them value truth, the laws of their Gods, and honorable death. By picturing rather strong characters of women, Sophocles tries to show that they can be as wise, reliable, dedicated, and fair as men; that is why females also have to be granted the possibility of self-realization. However, Sophocles still pictures a patriarchal society where women have to obey men. Overall, female characters play essential roles in every Theban Play, and it is more evident in Antigone, while in Oedipus the King, there is only one female. Even those women who appear only in several scenes are well-developed and strong, and their power is expressed in their willingness to accept death for the sake of truth or atonement for sins, while their aim is usually to care about men.
“Oedipus the King”
This play is considered the first in the trilogy, though it was actually written after Antigone. In Oedipus the King, many strong male characters make serious decisions, rule, solve problems. At the same time, women are underrepresented in this play, and the only female character has the purpose of foreshadowing the possible discovery by Oedipus of the terrible truth. Though this woman is powerful and wise, she is needed to ensure the well-being of the king, and this role suits her.
Jocasta
As mentioned above, Jocasta is the only female character in this play. Even though she only appears in several final scenes, it becomes evident that she has a strong and developed personality. Jocasta is simultaneously the wife and mother of Oedipus, which happens by mistake but still counts as a severe sin. After learning the truth, Jocasta tries to stop her son and husband from finding it out as well because her primary goal is to protect him and his feelings (Sophocles 73). She is depicted as an intelligent and wise woman with her own philosophy regarding what should be known and what is better to avoid, which means that women in ancient Greece were allowed to have their own opinion. She also selflessly aims at reconciling her husband and brother to save the family. However, when Oedipus finally realizes his mistake, she cannot bear being engaged in a sinful bond with her child, and her feelings of shame and disgust make her commit suicide (Sophocles 86). This is a relatively strong act because she is not afraid of death but living in sin scares her more.
“Oedipus at Colonus” and “Antigone”
In these plays, women and their roles are represented and revealed more, allowing the audience and modern readers to understand Sophocles’ perception of females. However, it seems that Antigone and Ismene discussed below have the purpose of taking care of the men in their family, and it takes all their time. Certainly, the two sisters are strong characters who are able to express their own opinion even when it is dangerous. Nevertheless, they always feel the pressure coming from males, and it is challenging to dare to resist their orders. In one of Antigone’s scenes, Ismene refuses to do that: “weak women, think of that, / Not framed by nature to contend with men,” referring to male’s superiority (Sophocles 218). Further, Creon wishes to “let them learn / To live as women use, not roam at large,” which also proves that females were perceived weaker, and men did not want to allow them to become more powerful (Sophocles 247).
Antigone
Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, is the most crucial, independent, and brightest female character in Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone. She has several essential roles, and most of them are focused on protecting her family, solving her relatives’ conflicts, and taking care of them. First of all, when the audience meets Antigone, she is an exhausted young woman who has selflessly decided to follow her blind father into exile and support him on this difficult path (Sophocles 103). This is her first and perhaps the most potent act: after abandoning a happy future and a likely successful marriage, Antigone chooses to take care of her father and help him in atonement for sin.
Further, the brave young woman is not afraid of Creon when he tries to take the sisters prisoner as she feels responsible for her father’s life and her brothers’ future (Sophocles 153). She even forgives one of her brothers who has betrayed another and promises to bury him with honor (Sophocles 186). All these factors allow suggesting that Antigone is indeed a solid and well-developed character whose primary value is her family. Even after it has fallen apart, she does not stop trying to fix it and make the situation better, at least for her brothers.
After finally finding a decent and noble man and falling in love with him in the third play, Antigone still cannot choose her own happiness over her responsibilities to the family members. Noticeably, she is the only person in the city who dares to break the king’s law to follow the Gods’ rules. This is probably the critical moment in the play as it represents women’s readiness to express themselves and stop obeying when they disagree with men’s rules. Finally, her suicide is the message that emphasizes her and the majority of women’s devotion to certain beliefs and ideals and the refusal to live in a world where a king may make his citizens break the Gods’ laws. This is the significant role of Antigone and the reason why it is possible to state the greatness of the female characters of Sophocles.
Ismene
Ismene is another female character who appears to be less strong and resolute than her sister but still plays an essential role in the plays and proves the fact that women can be brave and dedicated. She also cares about her family, primarily brothers and father, and tries to save them by helping Oedipus to cleanse from sins and prepare for the ceremony. However, her role is also to show the weakness of women and their fear of going against men: she refuses to help her sister honor their dead brother (Sophocles 219). At the same time, she almost immediately wants to change her mind, and although she did not eventually commit the crime with Antigone, Ismene later wants to share punishment with her. She is a well-developed character who has weaknesses and fears, just like everyone. Nevertheless, she can control them and is capable of brave actions.
Conclusion
To draw a conclusion, one may say that women in the Three Theban Plays are depicted controversially. On the one hand, they are respected by most men and usually are free to make their own decisions. They are wise, caring, and brave. On the other hand, most of them have the purpose of serving their brothers, fathers, or husbands, which is the feature of patriarchal society. Therefore, female characters indeed play a significant role in Sophocles’ plays but cannot be considered entirely free from the point of view of modern feminism.
Work Cited
Sophocles. Oedipus Trilogy: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus & Antigone. The Floating Press, 2009.