Comparing Women's Power In Sophocles And Virgil, Antigone
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Women of power in the ancient times were rather rare in a world dominated by men of rule. In epic works, women began to be more accepted as people of voice and power within society, having pride in situations of the heart and matter of their people or family. Sometimes these same attributes that were praised can be criticized by the society of their times due to actions that sabotaged their overall goals as powerful women in society. In the works of Sophocles and Virgil, Antigone and Dido are praised for their great qualities as strong and determined women. They are portrayed as women of virtue and strength, which gives them a supportive audience within their society. However, these same wonderful attributes reveal fault and mistakes that can…show more content… For the sake of new love, Dido allowed all her focus on her city and the construction of her new empire to slowly slide down the drain. She put her people, reputation, values, and all she had worked for on the line for love that would soon be her fatal reasoning for her death. She tells Aeneas, “Because of you, Libyans and nomad Kings detest me, my own Tyrains are hostile; Because of you, I lost my integrity and that admired name by which alone I made my way once towards the stars” (Virgil 107). Because the building of the city came to a halt and the people of Carthage did not have a focused ruler, it would make sense for them to be angry. Love blinded Dido from her responsibilities as a ruler of a people, which set them back from moving forward, and securing their city. Things really began to get out of hand when Aeneas leaves her, resulting in Dido losing her mind and losing all hope as a ruler and lover in her lifetime. By the time she tried to get herself together, her people turned against her, for they felt abandoned. To let love get in the way of responsibilities was frowned upon during the people of her day and hindered her to secure her name as a great ruler in the days of ancient