Antigone Vs Othello Themes

In the plays "Antigone" by Sophocles and the Shakespearean tragedy "Othello" written by William Shakespeare, the themes that's being portrayed are honour and gender, through the play the audience if captivated by the characters choices and motives through the play. With the characters choices they help to make the play more understandable as the audience can recognise the tragic hero in both the plays.

The relationships between men and women in Othello are remarked as lesser then men. Iago often refers to his wife as a prostitute - "A house wife that by selling her desires, Buys herself bread and clothes (iv.i.95)" showing what type of relationship women and men had during the late 16th century. Women were generally considered obedient, respectful, kind and warm. They were never outspoken nor were they meant to, for it could be seen as a lack of loyalty. When Othello accused Desdemona of cheating on him, he found himself in a position that he didn't want to face with. Othello was emasculated with the thought of a woman disobeying him. Men were easily manipulated into thinking the worst of woman because they were certain it would never happen. However, when the slightest things start to be pointed out the characters start to over analyse. Woman were not on the same level as men; men talked down to woman, they didn't see them as equals nor think that they should be treated like one. This relates to Othello and Desdemona's relationship - she "betrayed" their marriage by cheating so when Othello found out he reacted by saying (4.1.187-198) "I will chop her into messes: cuckold me!" for no woman would ever do that. Men and woman are a big contrast in this play as women have no say in anything and men decide what is meant by everything, it also contrasts to power and authority with men being the stronger sex. In the end of the play both the wives Desdemona , and Emilia were killed by their husbands Othello and Iago , for an accusation that they didn't commit, questioning why men were the stronger sex if they were that easily manipulated into thinking horrid things about their own wives that they love , and trust.

In Antigone, Antigone is a character that is a contrast to the whole ancient Greece period. She is a character that sets the theme of the play. As gender in this time was important in authority she doesn't take this into consideration and does whatever she wants - burying her brother - head strong for "I am [she is] not afraid of the danger; if it means death, it will not be the worst of deaths-death without honor (pg. 332)". Antigone doesn't play the average role of woman in society compared to that period of time but instead challenges the role of men. Men found this a threat and didn't approve of being challenged by a woman as they find themselves more powerful and strong then her. Creon reacts to the idea of woman by saying "Die then, and love the dead if thou must; 
No woman shall be the master while I live. 
(522-524)" Women are nothing more then "women" to men and the perspective of the way men see women is not going to change any time soon. They believe that women