Antigone And A Rasin In The Sun

Antigone and A Rasin in the Sun

Antigone and A Raisin in the Sun are two pieces of literature that are similar in one way, yet very different in another way. Both are very interesting pieces that were written to captivate even the most critical of audiences. This paper will show similarities as well as differences between the two pieces and their authors.

Antigone is a play written by Sophocles and is about a young girl named Antigone who struggles with written laws of her city, Thebes. Her uncle is King Creon and sentences her to death because she decided to bury her brother, Polynices, after it was declared that he deserved no burial. Antigone's sister, Ismene, was too afraid to go along with her. Antigone's fiancй, (who is also King Creon's son) Haemon, and his mother, Eurydice were appalled by the King's decision to put Antigone to death because she did what she felt was right in her heart. Ultimately, everyone dies and King Creon is left all alone (Tan, 2006).

In comparison, A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry and is about a black family including a man named Walter Lee Younger who lives in a two bedroom apartment with his wife, Ruth, his son, Travis, his sister, Beneatha, and his mother, Lena (Mama). The family receives an insurance check in the amount of $10,000 for the death of Mama's husband. They all have their own ideas as to where the money should go. Mama wants to buy a house to better their lives, Walter wants to open a bar with his friends, and Beneatha wants to use it for tuition to become a doctor. A white man named Karl comes to their door and offers the family money not to move into the all-white neighborhood in Clybourne Park. Mama puts a down payment on the house anyway, and gives the rest of the money to Walter to deposit in the bank for his business and Beneatha's tuition. However, since Walter does not believe a woman should be a doctor, he gives all the money to his friend Willy, who takes off with the money. The Younger family ends up moving into their new house in Clybourne Park to start a new life for themselves (Cocola, & Douthat, 2006).

Sophocles

Antigone was written over two thousand years ago, in a land that is still considered the birthplace of democracy. Sophocles was a part of this democratic movement, but custom, tradition, and the rules of the gods also played an important role in Greek life. This is reflected in some of the themes present in the play: choices and their consequences; custom and tradition; gods and religion, and betrayal. These are everyday issues and they make Antigone constant in terms of its relevance to audiences of all times, as these issues represent some of the fundamental challenges faced by humankind (BookRags, 2006).

Ancient Greek playwrights in Athens wrote plays for the Great Dionysia festival that was held every spring. It was a civic duty to attend these plays, as they dealt with moral and social issues important to the community. Sophocles based Antigone on the Theban myths of the legendary rulers of Thebes, using what was, even in his time, an old story to comment on such issues as the absolute rule of kings and the status of women in society (BookRags, 2006).

Lorraine Hansberry

Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago on May 19, 1930. Although 1930 is the year that most Americans associate with the Great Depression, Hansberry's family remained economically solvent through this period. By 1930s standards, the Hansberry's were certainly upper middle class, but by the standards of most Chicago blacks, many of whom lived in abject poverty at this time, they would have been considered "rich."

Hansberry was never comfortable with her "rich girl" status, identifying instead with the "children of the poor." Admiring the feistiness exhibited by these children who were so often left alone, Hansberry often imitated their maturity and independence. They wore house keys around their necks, symbols of their "latchkey children" status, so Hansberry decided to wear keys around her neck; any keys that she might find, including skate keys, so that she too might be thought of as one of them. A Raisin in the Sun was brought into American theater on March 11, 1959 (James, 2006).

Roles of Women

In the play Antigone, men view women as a threat to their masculinity and do whatever they have to in order to silence them. However, the women find ways to speak out anyway. Gender has profound affects on the meaning of Antigone's actions. Creon feels the need to defeat Antigone more so because she is a woman. Antigone's rebellion is especially threatening because it upsets gender roles and hierarchy. By refusing to be passive, she overturns one of the fundamental rules of her culture.

In the play A Raisin in the Sun, three generations of women are represented. Lena is the default head of household after her husband passes away. She believes, like most women of her time, that men should make the important decisions. Ruth is somewhere in between the two, is usually outspoken, and vocalizes her frustrations, yet aims to please her husband. She is willing to do whatever it takes to better the life her family. Beneatha is a young feminist college student who is not at all tolerant of society's unequal treatment and expectations of women. This play demonstrates the importance of how women's ideas have changed over time through the eyes of three generations.

Themes

There were several themes in Antigone. Pride, because Antigone was very proud of her family and did whatever she had to do to make things right in her heart. Written vs. unwritten law, because she felt she had to do what she believed rather than do what the law said she must do. Gender, because Antigone's rebellion threatens to upset traditional gender rolls and hierarchy. Lastly, were the themes of nature of tragedy and the rivalry between Antigone and her sister.

There were also several themes in A Raisin in the Sun. Feminism (or gender), because the play shows how women's idea have changed over time through three generations. Fertility, because Ruth is pregnant and has to decide whether or not to keep the baby since they really cannot afford another mouth to feed. The American dream, because the Younger family strives for value and purpose in society. Another theme was the need to fight racial discrimination as the whites fought against having a black family move into their all white neighborhood. This was a time to show them that they are equal and should be allowed to live wherever they wished.

Writing Style

Antigone