Marlo Thomas says: ''One of the aspects of equality is not just that you are treated the same as a man, but that you treat yourself the same how you treat a man. Antigone, written by Sophocles, and A Doll's House, written by Henrik Ibsen, are two plays about two women who challenge the rules of society. In Antigone, an ancient Greek comedy, the girl breaks the law of the king in favor of the law of the gods by giving her brother Polyneices a proper burial. Ultimately, Antigone dies because of her behavior, but not before proving how strong she is when standing up to Creon. In A Doll's House, a Norwegian play set in the late 1800s, Nora Helmer appears to be a normal, submissive wife to her husband, Torvald. However, over the course of the drama, the audience discovers that she breaks the law by asking for a loan without her husband's approval. Even if she does this to save her husband's life, her actions will still be looked down upon in society. In the play's conclusion, Nora ruins her good reputation and breaks society's rules when she leaves Torvald and her three children. It is important to understand women's roles and relationships because they influence families, society and everything around them. The restrictions and limitations of women in Antigone and A Doll's House influence the characters' perseverance in achieving their goals, willingness to commit crimes for the sake of someone close to them, and violation of society's rules. Both Nora and Antigone are persistent in their beliefs and the achievement of their goals. In A Doll's House, Nora is constantly saving money so she can repay Krogstad for the loan. To emphasize this, she says, “When Torvald gave me money for clothes and so on, I never used more than half…half the paper…their love drives them to do illegal things in each of them” . play.A Doll's House and Antigone are great examples of what happens when women try to break the mold of their society. Women's characteristics of persevering in achieving their goals, willingness to commit crimes for the sake of someone close to them, and breaking society's rules show that men are not the only ones who think for themselves. The qualities of Nora and Antigone influence the resolution of the plays more than any other factor in the plays. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. A doll's house. World Literature: An Anthology of Great Stories, Poetry, and Drama. Columbus, Ohio: McGraw Hill Glencoe, 2004.140-202. Print.Sophocles. Antigone. World Literature: An Anthology of Great Stories, Poetry, and Drama. Columbus, Ohio: McGraw Hill Glencoe, 2004. 14-57. Press.