Mad, Bad and Sad Women
Mad, Bad and Sad Women

Female underground policy in feminist interpretations of Sophocles’ Antigone

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the feminist agency of female characters in Antigone and concerns alternative manners of political articulation. Referring to the work of French interpreters of the tragedy, Luce Irigaray and Nicole Loraux, as well as to Bonie Honig, I intend to present Antigone, Ismene and Eurydice as women engaged in developing “feminine politics”. Such a perspective overcomes the liberal feminist narrative – which tends to highlight actions taken by an individual, in this case Antigone – stressing the importance of conspiratorial activity of two sisters, such as gossiping and public mourning. I suggest that their activity is an expression of strong resistance to the biopolitical machine of the citystate which tends to abstract life from its singular dimension in order to create a nameless, substantial community. What is at stake here is a politics that privileges taking care of singularity and irreducibility of life.

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