Antigone (Anouilh play)

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Jean Anouilh's play Antigone is a tragedy inspired by Greek mythology and the play of the same name (Antigone, by Sophocles) from the fifth century B.C. In English, it is often distinguished from its antecedent by being pronounced in its original French form, approximately "Ante-GŌN."

The play was first performed in Paris on February 6, 1944, not insignificantly during the Nazi occupation thereof. A comparison is sometimes drawn between the French occupation and the play, with the character of Antigone representing courageous members of the French resistance, while her uncle Créon represents the collaborators to the German occupiers, however this interpretation is somewhat simplistic, and is not hugely helpful in understanding the deeper themes of the play.

Just as in the myth and original play, the action follows the battle for Thèbes in which both of Antigone's brothers have been killed. Créon, now king, has decreed that while Antigone's brother Etéocle should be given the usual respectful burial, Polynice must be left as carrion for scavengers. Antigone chooses to attempt to bury Polynice, and is brought before Créon as a prisoner. Créon attempts to overlook the offense, perhaps because Antigone is betrothed to his son Hémon, but Antigone refuses to be denied the responsibility for her actions, whether they be viewed as guilt or credit. A twist in this version is that Créon is not certain and does not care which body is lying on the pavement, and decided it would be Polynice. Thus, the noble cause that Antigone champions in Sophocles's drama is undermined here. No longer does Antigone nobly choose death; in Anouilh, she rejects life as desperately meaningless but without affirmatively choosing a noble death. The crux of the play is the lengthy dialogue between Créon and Antigone concerning the nature of power, fate, and choice, during which Antigone says, "I spit on your happiness! I spit on your idea of life--that life that must go on, come what may. You are all like dogs that lick everything they smell. You with your promise of a humdrum happiness--provided a person doesn't ask much of life. I want everything of life, I do; and I want it now! I want it total, complete: otherwise I reject it! I will not be moderate. I will not be satisfied with the bit of cake you offer me if I promise to be a good little girl. I want to be sure of everything this very day; sure that everything will be as beautiful as when I was a little girl. If not, I want to die!"

Although Anouilh based his play on the Sophocles play of the same name, there are a few differences. These include the absence of the blind prophet Tiresias (who was central to the Sophocles' "Antigone"), the substitution of the Choral Odes for a single character representing the chorus, and the addition of a nanny that takes care of Oedipus' two daughters.

Aside from the two major speaking roles, also appearing are: