“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman” said by Virginia Woolf. Virginia Woolf was a famous author that lived in the twentieth century. The quote shows that women are supposed to just be there and help their husband. They should not do anything out of the ordinary. Virginia Woolf made a very bold statement when she said that quote. Virginia Woolf was around for the change of how woman are treated. The current generation of women has had the luck to be born into a society where women and men are equal. We have learned that we, as women, can do whatever we set our minds to. Sadly this has not always been the case. In history there are many examples of how unequally the female gender was treated. This inequality has been shown through many different ways, and one of the ways we see this is in books. The topic is clear in the plays “Antigone”, by Sophocles, and in “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Williams even though they were written centuries apart from each other. In both the same problems that woman faced existed when it came to being equal to men.
In both of the plays we read that the position of the man is above the woman. This is shown many times in the play, and it becomes really clear when Creon says, “We cannot give victory to a woman. If we must accept defeat, let it be from a man.” (Sophocles, lines 729-730). Creon states that he is the man and the woman are below him. There might be some men out there that are better than him but there is no woman that is greater than he is. When it comes to Williams’ play, Stanley says a similar thing, “And I am the king around here, so don’t forget it!” (Williams, page 1218) No woman is every going to be better the head of the household. Both Sophocles and Williams show their positions about women by saying that they are number one and the woman should always be below them.
Women had to rely on a man to be able to live. This is a very clear theme in Williams’ play. In the beginning of the play Stella is standing on the porch and Stanley comes by and throws her the meat. He has to make sure that she has meat to cook. In today’s civilization women are able to go out themselves and get food. Another example is when Stella says “…you’d better give me some money.” (Williams, page 1176). This also shows that women do not have anything that is their own. Women had to ask for money which, today, is a very negative thing to do. There are no women that would like to go to their husband to ask for some money. This is similar to what Antigone says to Ismere, “Ask Creon; all your care was on his behalf.” (Sophocles, line 603)It shows that women had to relay on the men to keep them alive.
In both of the plays there is the contrast between what is expected of women and a woman that is acting a totally different way. In Sophocles’ play, Ismere says to her sister Antigone;”Certainly your words come of dark thoughts.”(Sophocles, lines 23-24) It is clear from the beginning that whatever Antigone is planning to do, it is not going to be good for her. Ismere knows that Antigone would do something that is forbidden in the city. Antigone is a headstrong person and she is not going to let anyone decide what she should do with her dead brother’s body. Williams also expresses the same differences in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” There you have Blanche, who says to her sister Stella, “You’re married to a madman” (Williams, page 1194) and the next thing that she says is “I’m going to do something. Get hold of myself and make myself a new life.” (Williams, page 1194) Blanche is prepared to take her little sister and run away from the house where she lives. This play takes place at a time when divorce was not even thought of, however, Blanche just know that she needed to get her sister out of the house to protect her from the crazy husband of hers.
Woman will never stop dreaming that they will one day be equal to men. There will always be women that are going to fight for their right to be equal to men. This is the same thing that Antigone does. She also turns to the crown and says, “You see me, you people of my country.” (line 863) Antigone is speaking to the people as if she was the king or the ruler. For her it did not matter that she was a woman. She should be the one on the throne because she was right. She thinks that Creon is doing the wrong and she is right. It was Antigone’s father that was king, then her two brothers fought for it and if it was possible for women to take charge, she would be the king. Even Blanche expresses the same thought and ideas when she says, “This man is a gentleman and he respects me. What he wants is my companionship.” (Williams, page 1228) Blanche is talking about someone that she made up but the idea is still there. He was looking for someone that is equal to him just like women are today with their men.
It is interesting that this two plays are as similar as they are even though they were written more than 2000 years apart. The two plays have the same ideas about women; that men are the head of both the society and the home, and women have to rely on men, that women’s place is below that of men, and also that women have a drive to be equal to man. It is the last part that women has the drive to be equal to men that is what have made changes in the civilization. It took 100 years to get women in the position where they are more equal to men. This does not mean that the struggle for equality is over. There is still a lot to do and there are many areas where things are not yet equal between women and men.
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