The gender inequality seen through the female characters and the conflict between Antigone and Creon in Sophocles` Antigone - USD Repository

  

THE GENDER INEQUALITY SEEN THROUGH

THE FEMALE CHARACTERS AND THE CONFLICT

BETWEEN ANTIGONE AND CREON

  

IN SOPHOCLES’ ANTIGONE

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

  Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

  By

ADRIANUS ADHIKARA PUTRA PRABHASWARA

  Student number: 064214013

  

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2011

  This Undergraduate Thesis Is dedicated to For those who always give me the biggest love, sacrifice, and support

  My Great Lord,

JESUS CHRIST

  My Beloved Parents,

  

Ir. C. Adji Nugroho & Dominica Paramitta Wardhani

  My Beloved Brothers&Sister

  Nino in Heaven, Daniel, Franky, Dyas, Rani

  My Beloved Grandfather

  “eyang bp” Benedictus Mursumarwan

  

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

  First of all I would like to express my greatest gratitude to His son, Jesus Christ for blessing me in writing this thesis and guiding me to finish my study in Sanata Dharma University. He guided me when I was stuck in writing this thesis, He always opens the way and gives me strength to solve my problems during this writing.

  I would like to give my greatest gratitude to my great advisor Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani S.S., M.Hum., and co-advisor Modesta Luluk Artika Windrasti, S.S., for giving their love in helping me to finish this thesis. They always be patient in guiding me and giving their best so I can solve the problems in my thesis. I also thank all the lectures in English Letters Departement for helping me and supporting me during my study.

  My greatest gratitude is dedicated to my beloved father, Ir. Cyprianus Adji Nugroho who has been so patient waiting for my thesis. I also thank my super mom, Dominica Paramitta Wardhani for accepting my deepest apology that I cannot finish my study in the time they expected. I love them in every way and this thesis is dedicated for them with all my heart. They never feel bored in reminding me to finish this thesis and giving their support in all my troubles during my study and my thesis. I also want to thank from the deepest of my heart to my lovely grandfather Eyang Bapak, Benedictus Mursumarwan who always pray for me during my study and my thesis. He is always so patient in asking me about my thesis and giving his love and best wishes for me to finish my study. I would like to give my greatest gratitude to my lovely brothers and sister, Daniel, Franky, Dias and Rani who always accompany me in my life, they are God’s greatest friends for me. They always make me feel home wherever I am.

  I also thank God for giving me the best friends in A class. Acong, who always accompany me in my difficult time, and for giving me place to play and sleep in his boarding house, he is always be a good listener when I have problems. You are my best friend and I will never forget you. To all my friends in A class that I can not mention all of you, my female friends, my teammate after 20, I just want to say that I love you all and thank you for everything.

  I also thank Ervina Stevanny who has been so patient in guiding me and helping me in my study, for giving her best support and love until I can finish my thesis. I will never forget you, because you are the best gift of my life.

  I would like to give my gratitude to Nabila who accompany me during my last semester, I learn so many things from her especially about love. I also thank her for helping me to learn about appreciating the difference and living in differences.

  The last but not least I would like to thank everyone who works in my house, for Mbak Agus, Bu Wanti, Bu Tutik, Bang Gudel, Pak Jimmy for giving love and pray so I can finish my study. Thank you for all and thank you for everything.

  Adrianus Adhikara Putra Prabhaswara

  TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE …………………………………………………………….. i

APPROVAL PAGE …………………………………………………….... ii

ACCEPTANCEPAGE……………………………………………...........iii

DEDICATION PAGE…………………………………………….............iv

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI..................v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……………………………………………... vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………viii

ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………......... ix

ASBSTRAK ………………………………………………………………. x

  

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………….. 1

A. Background of the Study ………………………………………….. 1 B. Problem Formulations …………………………………………… 4 C. Objectives of the Study ……………………………………………. 4 D. Definition of Terms …………………………………………….......5

CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ……………………………. 6

A. Review of Related Studies ………………………………………… 6 B. Review of Related Theories ……………………………………….. 8 1. Theories of Character and Characterization …………………....8 2. Theories of Conflicts …………………………………………... 10 3. Theories of Gender ……………………………...................... 11 4. Theories of Gender Inequality ………………………………….12 C. Theoretical Framework ……………………………………………. 14

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY…………………………………….. 15

A. Object of the Study ……………………………………………….. 15 B. Approach of the Study ……………………………………………. 16 C. Method of the Study ………………………………………………. 17

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS …………………………………………….. 19

A. Analysis of the Characters ………………………………………… 19 1. Antigone ………………………………………………. 19 2. Ismene …………………………………………………. 25 3. Creon …………………………………………………... 29 Conflicts between Antigone and Creon …………………………… 34

  1. Type of Conflict ………………………………………….34

  2. The Cause of the Conflict ………………………………. 37

  3. The Way the Conflict Seen in the Story …………………40 Gender Inequality …………………………………………………..45

  1. Through the Female Characters ………………………….46

  2. Through the Conflict between Antigone and Creon ……..49

  

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION …………………………………………. 54

BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………….. 57

  

ABSTRACT

  ADRIANUS ADHIKARA PUTRA PRABHASWARA. The Gender Inequality

  

Seen through the Female Characters and the Conflict between Antigone and

Creon in Sophocles’ Antigone. Yogyakarta: Departement of English Letters,

  Sanata Dharma University, 2011.

  Antigone is a play which tells us about the life in Greece, in the city called

  Thebes. In that city lives a king who is very powerful and cruel. The name of the king is Creon. The story also describes about the rebellion of a woman who is also the citizen of the city towards the king. Most of the story in this play describes the conflict between Antigone and Creon which is caused by the gender inequality which is also caused by the difference in perception between Creon as a man and Antigone as a woman.

  There are some objectives that the writer wants to achieve in this thesis. First is to describe the characterization of the characters in this play to find out the perception and their characteristics as a man and a woman. The next objective is to describe the conflict which happens in the story, especially the conflict between Antigone and Creon, and also to know the cause or the reason why the conflict happens. The last objective is to show that the gender inequality takes an important role in causing the conflict.

  This thesis is a library research, the data are taken from the play itself and the other data are taken from other supporting books as theories which are used to solve the problem in analysis. In solving the problems, the writer uses the gender approach. This approach is thought as the best approach to solve the problem because the story tells us about the conflict which happens between man and woman because of the gender inequality at that time.

  The writer’s conclusion is that the main character in the story, Antigone is described as a strong willed, brave, and critical woman. She is brave to fight against King Creon after realizing that there is an unfair treatment towards the dead bodies of her two brothers who died in a battle, Eteocles and Polyneices. Polyneices is not given the proper funeral because he is thought by Creon to be a traitor because he fights against his own city. From the conflict which is caused by the unfair condition, the writer finds the fact that the difference of perception between man and woman in gender inequality which support the conflict happens in the story. So the writer finds out that there are two conflicts in the story, internal conflict and external conflict. These all things which are described in this thesis.

  

ABSTRAK

  ADRIANUS ADHIKARA PUTRA PRABHASWARA. The Gender Inequality

  

Seen through the Female Characters and the Conflict between Antigone and

Creon in Sophocles’ Antigone. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas

  Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2011.

  Antigone adalah sebuah drama yang menceritakan tentang sebuah

  kehidupan di Yunani, di kota yang bernama Thebes. Di kota itu terdapat seorang raja yang sangat ditakuti karena kepemimpinannya yang keras dan kejam, raja itu bernama Creon. Cerita ini juga menggambarkan tentang sebuah perlawanan dari seorang wanita yang juga adalah penduduk kota Thebes terhadap sang raja, Creon. Sebagian besar cerita ini menggambarkan konflik yang terjadi antara Antigone dan Creon yang disebabkan oleh ketidaksamaan gender yang disebabkan oleh perbedaan persepsi antara Creon sebagai laki-laki dan Antigone sebagai perempuan.

  Ada beberapa tujuan yang ingin dicapai oleh penulis melalui karya tulis ini. Yang pertama adalah untuk mendeskripsikan penggambaran karakter yang ada di drama ini untuk mengetahui persepsi dan sifat-sifat mereka sebagai laki-laki dan perempuan. Tujuan berikutnya adalah untuk mendeskripsikan konflik yang ada di cerita tersebut, terutama konflik antara Antigone dan Creon. Dan untuk mengetahui alasan yang melatarbelakangi konflik itu terjadi. Dan tujuan yang terakhir adalah untuk memperlihatkan bagaimana ketidaksamaan gender mengambil peran penting dalam terjadinya konflik tersebut.

  Karya tulis ini adalah merupakan studi pustaka. Data utama diambil dari drama Antigone, dan data yang lain diambil dari buku-buku lain yang mendukung sebagai landasan teori yang digunakan untuk menyelesaikan analisis dari karya tulis ini. Dalam menyelesaikan masalah, penulis menggunakan pendekatan gender. Pendekatan ini dirasa paling tepat karena cerita ini menggambarkan konflik yang terjadi antara laki-laki dan perempuan yang disebabkan oleh ketidaksamaan gender yang terjadi pada masa itu.

  Kesimpulan penulis adalah tokoh utama dalam drama tersebut Antigone digambarkan sebagai seorang wanita yang kuat, berani, dan juga kritis. Dia berani melawan Creon sebagai raja karena menyadari akan adanya ketidak adilan dalam perlakuan terhadap kedua saudaranya yg tewas dalam perang, Eteocles dan Polyneices. Polyneices tidak diberikan pemakaman yang layak karena dianggap sebagai pengkhianat kota oleh sang raja. Dari konflik yang terjadi karena ketidaksamaan itulah yang kemudian ditemukan fakta bahwa perbedaan persepsi antara laki-laki dan perempuan itulah dalam pertidak samaan gender yang juga ikut menunjang terjadinya konflik, sehingga ditemukan dua konflik yaitu konflik internal dan konflik external. Inilah semua yang digambarkan dalam drama dan dibahas dalam karya tulis ini.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Gender inequality has become one of the important issues discussed in

  society. Gender inequality is the situation where there is a different value in the role and position between men and women in life. It describes that the position of women which are less valued than men, or in other words the position of women which are lower than men.

  Gender inequality shows the differences of role and position between men and women in society. This situation happens because there is an unfair condition in dealing with the position in the society, where men are in top and women are in the lower position. Men are in the position which rule to, and women are in the position to be ruled. The positions like king, president, chairman are the positions which should be fulfilled by men. And power is very close in deal with those positions. As a ruler people need power to make other people obey the rule, and this power is usually used by men to be exist. This is why the position of men in the society looks stronger than women.

  Those positions are very different with the position of women in the society. The position of women is only becoming a good housewife, serving the men, cooking, and taking care of the children. And power is not close in deal with those positions. It is because there are biological differences between men and women which make society put the position of men are above women.

  The concept of gender is used as an analytical category to draw a line of demarcation between biological sex differences and the way these are used to inform behaviors and competencies (Jane Pilcher and Imelda Whelehan) Beside the position, gender inequality also describes the difference in the role between men and women in the society. If talking about position, it is more related to what men should be and what women should be, but talking about the role, it is more related with what men should do and what women should do. Both position and role are socially constructed, what men should do and what women should do and also what men should be and what women should be. Talking about the role, society construct that men should have the role which is seen better than women’s role. Ruling and controlling are the roles that men should get. The reason of this construction is not only about the differences in the physical body but also in the development of the brain. The basic of this knowledge is the reset which have been done by the scientists from time to time. It can be seen from Carol Travis' book titled "The Mismeasurement of Woman"

  In the beginning the left hemisphere of the brain was considered to deal with intellect and reason, while the right side dealt with passion, sex, irrationality and similar concepts -- thus males were considered to have a superior left brain (Carol Tavris 1992:48) This kind of theory which has been believed by the society all around the world which leads the gender inequality happen in all aspects of life between men and women in the society. Thus, gender inequality is identical with unfair condition and treatment towards women.

  The differences between men and women in the role sometimes cause the pressure in society that both men and women can get. For example the condition that women should serve the men and men should go to work and become a leader. Sometimes men also pressed by the society that they have to be something better than women, if they cannot be like what have been constructed by the society, they will not be honoured as a man.

  In this paper, the writer will analyze the gender inequality in the text of Sophocles’ Antigone. The writer chooses Antigone as the object of the study because the story shows the gender inequality. In the story, the gender inequality leads to the conflict between two main characters, Antigone and Creon. It is caused by the different perception between Antigone and Creon about the justice.

  In this case, Antigone fights against Creon’s law to get the justice of the treatment to her brother’s dead body, Polyneices. Creon itself is described as a man, and he is a king of Thebes. He is so powerful and all his people should obey his rule. In the conflict between Antigone and Creon, the reader will see clearly about the gender inequality which put Creon as a king and a man, in the top position, and Antigone as citizen and a woman, in the lower position.

  The other reason of choosing Antigone is because it was written by a male great well known writer, Sophochles and it was written to show the idea and purpose of gender inequality in the past. Sophochles as a male writer, Sophocles described the strength of a woman who tried to get the justice of her brother’s right as a soldier. It is interesting to see how Sophocles as a male writer understood about what actually a woman feel inside like what Antigone feels and wants to do, and also how he described Antigone who has the same capability in showing that a woman can do what man do.

  In this study, the writer will examine the gender inequality through the perceptions of the female characters, as a mirror of female’s feeling toward the unfair condition which put them into lower position than men, and through the conflict between Antigone and Creon. The conflict is in the perspective of both of them which differ one and another towards the role and the position of men and women which has been constructed by the society.

  B. Problem Formulations

  1. How are the characters in the story described?

  2. How is the conflict between Antigone and Creon depicted in the story?

  3. How is the gender inequality seen through female characters and the conflict between Antigone and Creon?

  C. Objective of the Study

  There are three problems that will be discussed in this paper. The first problem is related to the character and characterization, the intrinsic element. The writer will try to find out the characteristics of the characters in the story, the female characters and the male characters. This identification is used to find each character’s perspective on the differences in the role and position of men and women related to the gender inequality. And the writer will review theory on character and characterization. The second problem is related to the conflict between Antigone and Creon. The writer will try to figure out the conflict in the story, it is used to identify how the conflict starts and what the basic of the conflict, and therefore the writer will review a theory on conflict in literary point of view. And the last problem is related to the gender inequality which is seen by the female character’s perspective and the conflict between Antigone and Creon. The writer will try to figure out the perspective of the female character which can be used to identify the conflict of the story between Antigone and Creon, and also try to find how the gender inequality appears in the conflict.

D. Definition of Terms

  1. Gender Inequality

  Gender inequality is the situation when there is a different value between men and women in life. It is socially constructed and related to the difference in the position and role between men and women.

  2. Conflict In “A handbook of Literature Fifth Edition” (Harmon, William.1986:107).

  Conflict is defined as the struggle that grows out the interplay of two opposing forces in a plot. So conflict is used to describe that there is a different perception or understanding from one character to another characters.

   

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies After doing the libarary research, the writer finds the fact that the Sophocles’ play entitled Antigone has been used by many people as the tools to

  see the social phenomenon which happen in the society, especially in Greek, and generally in all over the world.

  The writer also finds another study made by Cahyaningrum. (RR. Lira Dewi Cahyaningrum, Representation Of Creon’s Tragic Hero In Sophocles’

  

Antigone , A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis. 2007) from this thesis, the

writer took the statement from Lira’s undergraduate thesis.

  What is meant by the “man” here is the king of the city. Since the king places the highest position in the society, he has the full right to control the city and the citizen, so that his power or his authority becomes unlimited or absolute. (Lira, 2007 : 1) From the quotation above, the writer knows that Lira uses Creon’s point of view. By seeing the position of Creon, Lira gives more sympathy to Creon, and she puts Creon as the hero in the story.

  Another study is Kurniawan’s work. (Finansius Yudha Kurniawan, The

  

Moral Lesson Of Antigone Struggle Against Tyranny In Sophocles’ Antigone , A

  Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis. 2005) on his work Kurniawan focused on the moral lesson of Antigone struggle. The writer quotes Kurniawan’s opinion about the moral lesson that he took from analyzing Sophocles’ Antigone is about people can get happiness by following their hearts to do good things.

  One of the aims for human to live is to find the happiness. Human wants the immortal happiness and not the temporary one. According to Aristotle, human will get their happines after they do the good things since it is appopriate with their nature. (Kurniawan, 2005 : 50). The writer takes another study which is done by Setyarini Santosa Putri,

  (Setyarini Santosa Putri, The Emergence Of Feminist Idea In Sophocles Antigone, A Sarjana Sastra Thesis. 2002) she wrote that the emergence of feminist depends on the understanding that in all societies which divide the sexes into differing cultural, economic, and political spheres, and the position of women are less valued than men.

  In gender perspective, the reason why men have power towards women in almost all aspects of life is because actually the men also become a victim of the situation itself. So men are also pressed by the society. The writer asks to take an example in the story of Antigone, especially by the characterization of Creon, the cruel and powerful king of Thebes. By using the gender perspective in analyzing the characterization of Creon, people might see that if Creon as a king does not have enough power, he will not be respected by his people. That is why he becomes a very cruel king with his rules.

  In her thesis, Putri focuses in feminism especially in the emerge of feminist idea.

  There are two reason for the writer to mention Antigone to be a heroine in this story. the writers personally thinks that Antigone is a heroine for her brother, Polyneices and her country, Thebes. (Putri, 2002 : 60)

  From the quotation, the writer finds the fact that Putri used the feminist point of view. It is seen from the opinion of Putri that chose Antigone as a hero in the story.

  The focus of the writer in this paper is in the gender inequality. The writer wants to focus on the differences of positions and role between men and women.

  The writer uses the conflict between Antigone and Creon to see the inequality of positions and role which is created by the society. This conflict starts when Antigone realizes that there is an unfair condition towards her brother’s dead body. and this is what makes Antigone to be brave to break tha law of Creon to get the justice for her brother, Polyneices to be given a propper burial as human being. And the gender inequality can be seen through this conflict. In this way, this paper is different from what Putri, Kurniawan, and Lira has done.

B. Review of Related Theories

1. Theory of Character and Characterization

  Character has the important role in a literary work especially in drama and prose. It helps us to understand about actually what happen in literary works. It helps us to understand the message of the writer because characters are tools that are used to deliver the message to the reader.

  According to Robert Stanton in An Introduction to Fiction states that the most important evidence of all is the characters’s own dialogue and behaviour.

  Every speech or action is not only a step in the plot, but also a manifestation of character (Stanton, 1964 : 18)

  Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say, the dialogue, and by what they do. The grounds in the characters’ temperament, desires, and moral nature for their speech and actions are called their motivation. (Abrams, 1981) From the theory from Abrams above the writer knows that character have many functions in a literary work like delivering the message of the author, giving moral, and describing the situations of feeling like motivation. Those all are expressed by the dialogue and what they do.

  To understand the characterizations of character in a work of literature, there are many ways which can be used other than using dialogue between characters and the character’s acts. The writer uses the theory of characterizations from Understanding Unseen: an Introduction to English Poetry and English

  Novel for Overseas Students.

  1. Personal Description The author describes a person’s appearance and clothes, such as the face, skin, eyes, and the castaway’s extraordinary clothing.

  2. Characters as Seen by Another The author describes him through the eyes and opinions of another, conveys through his choice of words and phrases, such as unquiet eyes, dim smile, rare sound of her voice, unapproachable aspect, gazing at him stealthily.

  3. Speech The author gives an insight into the character of one of the persons in the book through what that person says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is giving some clue to his character.

  4. Past Life The author gives a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character; by direct comment, though the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.

  5. Conversation of Others The author can also give clues to a person’s character through the conversations of other people and the things they say about him. People do talk about other people and the things they say often give as a clue to the character of the person spoken about.

  6. Reactions The author can also give a clue to a person’s character by letting us know that person reacts to various situations and events.

  7. Direct Comment The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly.

  8. Thoughts The author gives direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. In this respect he is able to do what we cannot do in real life. He can tell us what different people are thinking.

  9. Mannerisms The author describes a person’s mannerisms, habits, or idiosyncrasies which tell something about his character.

2. Theory of Conflict

  Conflict is an important part in a literary work. In conflict readers can actually start to understand what message or moral value given by the author, because in conflict reader starts to see the different ideas probably among the characters.

  Conflict happens because there are differences in opinion, point of view, attitude between one side to the other side. Conflict does not always happen between one character to another character, but conflict can also happen in different ways as stated in A Handbook to Literature.

  Protagonist may be involved in conflicts of our different kind: 1. A struggle against nature. 2. A struggle against another person, usually the antagonist. 3. Struggle against society. 4. A struggle for mastery by the elements within the person. (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 107-108)

  From the theory of Holman and Harmon above the writer knows that conflict can appear in many situations and starts from everything. Sometimes in a literary work we find a single conflict on a plot, for example the protagonist character struggle with his/her self, but it is certainly still against the antagonist character. For example the basic conflict in Hamlet, it is interpreted that hamlet struggle with himself but actually he struggle against his uncle.

  Conflict is not only about the struggle of the protagonist against someone or something, but it also implies the existence for some motivation for the conflict or some goal to achieve.

3. Theory of Gender

  When people talk about gender, people are usually trapped by the characteristics of men and women which is constructed by the society and actually it is not given when men and women were born.

  In fact, when people talk about sex, the focus is only on the physical differences. For example men have adam’s aple and women do not. Women have vagina and men have penis. These things which differ someone called as a man or as a woman.

  The concept of gender, as we now use it came into common parlance during the early 1970s. It was used as an analytical category to draw a line of demarcation between biological sex differences and the way these are used to inform behaviours and competencies, which are then assigned as either ‘masculine’ and ‘ feminine’ (Pilcher, 2004: 56) The writer finds another theory which supports the theory from Pilcher above. The difference in biological sex between men and women cause the different positions between men and women in the society. It also causes the difference in what men should do and women should not do.

  That the male body and the female body have quite different social value and significance cannot help but have a marked effect on male and female consciousness. (Gatens, 1996: 9)

  Gender studies examine how gender is less determined by nature than it is by culture. From the theory we know that gender is not naturally constructed but culturally constructed. People try to accept the agreement of gender and it is used in society. The basic example is when there is a boy, the parents give him blue shirt and a toy, but if there is a girl, the parents give her a pink shirt and a doll. From this example we know that it is the beginning of the gender difference which is culturally constructed not naturally constructed. The rules have little to

  

do with nature and everything to do with culture. (Guerin, Wilfred, et al, 2001:

  236-237)

4. Theory of Gender Inequality

  In life, people were created as men and women. They live together, but they have different roles and activities among each other. There is something called as men activities and the other is called as women activities. For example being a driver, a pilot, or carpenter is associated with men’s world, and also like working in the kitchen, preparing everything for kids is associated with women’s world. From this point of view, now people often find the differences in the equality in human rights between men and women that is thought to be unfair. For Example women cannot be a leader, etc.

  This separation was unprecendented in history, forcing men and women to adapt by creating new behaviour patterns. As men coped with the harsh business and industrial world, women were left in the relatively unvarying and sheltered environtmentsof their homes. (Brannon, Linda Gender Psychological Perspective. McNesee State University: 169)

  From the quotation above, the writer recognizes that there is the difference of the role in the society between men and women. Indirectly this difference brings men and women in the gender inequality. If people see that what men should do is in the higher activities than women, like men coped in harsh business and industrial world but women only concern in the environment of their homes.

  This inequality or difference puts up men still in the higher position than women, and also shows the thought and mindset that women cannot be in that position, in this case doing business and join the industrial world. It also happens to the men if they are not qualified in doing business or work in some field that is thought to be men’s field, they will not honoured as a good man and they will lose their trust and integrity in society. From the quotation also the writer knows that both men and women are the victim of the gender inequality. Women are pressed by the power of men but also men are forced by the society.

  I’m battling with my girls all the time. At seven and nine their values are archaic. They believe that girls are dopey in math and boys should not play with dolls. Worse, one day I heard Joanne tell her younger sister that women shouldn’t work! Those are the values I grew up with and it’s taken me yars to straighten myself out. Did I come this far just to watch my own children backslide two generations? (Pickhardt, 1983: 32) And from this quotation, the writer sees clearly what the different role between men and women is. It is written above that girls are not good in math and boys should not play with dolls. From the sentence the writer recognize that this category that puts man in the higher position than women. Women are only allowed to deal with the easy thing but not the difficult thing like math. They are only allowed to play dolls.

  There is also the sentence show that women should not work. It means that women are only allowed to deal with the house work. This thing also which limit the development of the women themselves. They do not have a power and mental to fight against the unfair treatment from men.

C. Theoretical Framework

  To answer the problems which are mentioned above, the researcher will understand first about the characterization of the character in the story. Related to the title the researcher will concern core in the characteristics of Antigone and Creon.

  The characteristics will be used to identify the gender inequality in the story. The researcher will also understand first about the theory of gender. After analyzing the characteristics and the idea of gender shown in the story, the researcher will analyze the conflict between two characters, Antigone and Creon related to the title and after that the researcher will try to see the idea of gender inequality which is shown in the conflict.

   

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study The object of the study is a text play written by Sophocles who is an

  ancient Greek writer. He is an outstanding writer among the writers in that era. In that era in ancient Greek, there is a competition for the writers, including play writer. Sophocles’ works were always in the first or at least in the second in the charts position. One of the masterpieces of Sophocles’ is Antigone.

  Antigone is the last part of trilogy, and the first two parts is Oedipus the

  Colonus and Oedipus the King. Antigone was translated into many languages, such as Arabic, Sanskrit, or indeed Gaelic, and it was also translated into Russia, Greece, Spain, English and Bohemia. In this study, the writer uses the English Version which was translated from the Greek version by Dudley Fitts and Roberts Fitzgerald.

  This play consists of five scenes with 1353 words. In the play there are eight named character and also chorus and choragus. This play was outstanding because it could survive for hundred years.

  The story of the play is about the conflict between Antigone and the King of Thebes Creon. It began when Creon as the King of Thebes forbade the people to bury the Polyneices. All the people were afraid because Creon is a powerful king. Antigone broke the law, buried her brother and was caught by Sentry, Creon’s man. When she was in the prison, she killed herself.

B. Approach of the Study

  In this study the writer uses the Gender Approach. “Gender is also used as analytical category to show the difference between biological sex and the use of informing the behaviours and competencies” (Guerin, et al, 2001: 236) Meaning that the difference between men and women in gender is also seen from the physical body of human being.

  The men’s bodies are different with the women’s, so then appear something which is ‘gendered’ like for example colors and paid works. Colors like what is explained above blue for boys and pink for girls, and in the forms of paid work, say that women tend to work part-time and men tend to work full-time. In other hand, women in nursing and men in construction. These all explain actually that difference in gender is culturally constructed, actually boys can wear pinks and girls wear blue or men work as a nurse and women in construction, but the physically difference especially in the body causes the society cannot accept or agree with that.

  This approach is chosen to analyze the Sophochle’s Antigone because the idea is shown in the story especially in a conflict between Antigone and Creon.

  Creon as a King has a power towards his people but Antigone as a woman citizen is brave to fight against Creon’s law. It shows that actually women also have strength to compete with men even there are so many differences like what is mentioned above.

  This approach is also suitable in Antigone because this story is also showing the power of women. That is Antigone who is brave to fight against Creon, King of Thebes. Woman is always looked under the man superiority and no woman can fight against man, all women should follow the men’s rule even though that’s no advantages at all.

  From the story, especially from the characterizations of Antigone and Creon, the readers can also see the difference between gender and feminism. In feminism the women are always pressed by men and they are in lower positions.

  So in feminism the victim is only the women. In the other hand if talking about gender, both men and women can also be the victims, like in the Sophocles's

  

Antigone , Antigone is pressed by the existence of Creon’s power as a king, but

  Creon is also pressed by the society to be cruel because he is a man and the king, he does not want to lose his pride. It is the same like the basic concept of gender that both men and women can also be the victim of the society.

C. Method of the Study

  In this study of Antigone, the writer was doing the library research. First, the writer read the whole story of Sophocles' Antigone. In reading the story, the writer tried to figure out the important intrinsic element of the story. The intrinsic elements which were found are character and conflict. It is related to the title of the study which talks about conflict which is seen throughout the characters.

  After finding out the intrinsic element, the writer used some additional information beside the text itself to solve the problem formulations which are stated. In explaining more about the conflict and character, the writer used A

  

handbook to Literature Fifth Edition by Hugh Halman and William Harman and

  

Glossary of Literary Terms by M.H. Abrams as the outside source. In this study,

  the writer used the Gender Criticism, and the writer used A Handbook of Critical

  

Approaches to Literature Fifth Edition and 50 Key Concepts In Gender Studies by

Jane Pilcher as the source talking about gender studies.

  In writing the analysis, first the writer tried to see how the characters of Antigone and Creon characterized, because those two characters which were tried to be seen in this study. After that, the writer tried to figure out about the gender inequality seen in the story, and related with the character, the last step of the analysis, the writer tried to figure out the Gender inequality which were discussed previously seen in the conflict between Antigone and Creon.

   

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS A. Analysis of the Characters In this chapter, the writer would like to analyze the problems that have

  been shown in Chapter 1. First, the writer wants to give explanation on the characterization of Antigone, Ismene and Creon. Second, the writer would like to find out how the conflict is depicted in the story. And the third, the writer would like to find out how the Gender Inequality seen through the female characters and in the conflict between Antigone and Creon.

  In the first part of the analysis, the writer wants to give explanation of the characterization of the characters in the story. There are three characters analyzed, they are Antigone, Ismene, and Creon.

1. Antigone

  Antigone is described as a very strong willed woman and brave woman; she will do anything for the truth. That she is a brave woman is clearly described in her rebellion towards Creon’s law until she got the death punishment. That she is a strong willed woman is shown by the reason why she fights againts Creon’s law. These will be explained by the writer one by one.

a. Strong Willed Woman

  Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and she is also the sister from the two brothers Polineices and Eteocles. Afer the death of Oedipus, Polyneices and Eteocles contend of the throne of Thebes, Polyneices leading the seven champions attacks from Argos and batters at the seven gates of Thebes. Eteocles defends the city, supported by Creon. In a very great battle, they meet each other and kill each other. Because of the death of the two sons of Oedipus for the throne, Creon as their relatives becomes the King of Thebes. Creon as a new king makes a rule not to give a funeral for the dead body of Polyneices because he thinks that Polyneices is a traitor because he died fighting for his own city, Thebes, when he is on the battle with Eteocles and finally both of them die. Unlike the Polyneices, Creon gives the funeral for Eteocles. Because of this unfair condition, Antigone starts to fight againts the Creon’s law.