"If one man can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it? — Malala Yousafzai

           There has been a common theme throughout mankind, and it is simply that men are the superior gender. Of course it is more noticeable the farther you go back in history, so it is fair to say that this theme was alive and well during Sophocles’ era. Antigone’s natural rebellious nature and strong moral compass are what undoubtedly create the feud between Creon and Antigone, but it is interesting to think whether the conflict would be the same if Antigone were a man. The ideology that women are the inferior gender intensifies the conflict between Creon and Antigone throughout the play.  
         Throughout the entirety of the play, Creon proves that his character is misogynistic and cruel. Creon’s misogyny is first seen when he automatically assumes that whoever buried Polyneices was a man when he states, “Only, if you don’t bring to light those men who have done this...”(Creon 359-360). This line in the play is key evidence to just how angry Creon is when he eventually finds out that it was a woman who disobeyed him. Objectifying women is normal for Creon so when he is faced with a strong independent heroine like Antigone, it is obvious that there is going to be conflict. This is transparent when Creon states, “when I am alive no woman shall rule” (Creon 577). Antigone, being such a powerful and confident woman, is just adding fuel to Creon’s fiery rage. When Creon says to his son Haemon, “No. Spit on her, throw her out like an enemy, this girl, to marry someone is Death’s house” (Creon 704-705) he is demonstrating that he is not only more powerful than Antigone, but every woman in Thebes. This misogyny and brutality that Creon exhibits creates such a strong conflict between him and his niece, Antigone. 
           The fact that Antigone is a woman infuriates Creon and in turn magnifies her offense. Antigone has so many motives for burying her brother, Polyneices, including respect for her family, religious responsibilities, and living to her morals. One of her main motives was not to defend women’s rights. Nowhere in the play does Antigone convey that she is doing this as an activist for the women of Thebes. Even if this was the case, I still consider Antigone to be a feminist. In her time period, it was unheard of for women to stand up to men or to have any input in politics. Due to her high morals, she disregards this ideology and does what she knows to be right. In Antigone’s eyes, morals hold greater weight than gender. She does not listen to her sister, Ismene when she told her, “You ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men, and that we are ruled, by those who are stronger, to obedience in this and even more painful matters (Ismene 70-73). Ismene is submissive to men and definitely knows her place when it comes to her gender. Creon’s anger is so unyielding because Antigone is a woman that he threatens to have Ismene killed for the sole fact that she is a woman. If Ismene is so submissive to men, why is she being sent to die? Creon wants to demonstrate to the people of Thebes that women will never stand up to him or threaten his power any more.
           There is no doubt that Creon’s gender bias plays a significant role in the conflict between Antigone and himself. Antigone standing by her morals and burying her brother illustrates her disregard for the gender role given to her by society. Antigone’s conflict relates to one of the most popular feminists in today’s society, Malala Yousafzai. Malala is an 18-year-old girl who grew up in Pakistan. Living under the harsh rule of the Taliban, Malala is no stranger to gender bias. From a young age, Malala believed that all children, boys and girls, should be given equal education. Drifting from the ruling that only boys should be educated, Malala attended school and paid the price for her conviction when the Taliban issued a death threat against her. Being a woman worked against both Antigone and Malala making their conflicts much more severe. It is unfortunate that gender bias continues to plague society today, as it did in Ancient Greece so long ago.