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The relationship between Creon and Antigone in the play Antigone and the relationship between Offred and the Commander in The Handmaid’s Tale are examples of sex and politics in power relationships. Both Creon and the Commander are powerless slaves bound to the system, which they helped to create. Antigone and, to some small extent, Offred are the powerful characters in these relationships. Antigone is the most powerful of all the characters. Some of her power is drawn from her selfishness, stubbornness, pride and lack of care for those people in her life who love her. But her real power lies in the fact that she is not afraid of death. The amount of power that each of these characters has is directly determined by the lack of fear they have of death. The more that each one has to lose in death the less power he has in life. Power is the ability to determine one’s own fate. This is the true power that Antigone and Offred have while the political power that Creon and the Commander have only forces them to make certain choices regardless of the implication because they are slaves to their own government. Offred really has nothing to lose since she is basically a sex slave to the government that was created to protect her. Because she has nothing to live for she has power. Antigone takes it farther; not only does she not fear death she yearns for it and this makes her more powerful than any of the other characters. Creon, while he loves Antigone, fears losing control of his kingdom and subjects. Antigone’s defiance forces him to punish her for breaking the law in order to maintain his authority. His decree makes him a slave to the state. Likewise the Commander is a slave to the system that he helped to build and therefore both of these characters who are in positions of political power are completely powerless.
Approximate Word count = 1278
Approximate Pages = 5.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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