Antigone written by Jean Anouilh

IBS English Coursework

Ruth Haines

Discuss the reasons for Antigone’s decision to die and whether her death can be justified

Antigone written by Jean Anouilh is a play based on Sophcles ancient Greek tragedy also of the same name. Although major themes and aspects of this play have been adapted and modernised, the plot remains very similar to that of the original pay. It tells the story of a young girl, Antigone, who is willing to defy the kings orders and break the law in order to attempt to bury her dead brother, Polinices, to whom Creon (the king) has refused a proper burial. Despite Creon’s desperate attempts to let her of her crime, for she is betrothed to his son, Antigone refuses his offer and relentlessly demands to be put to death.

Unlike in Sophocles ancient Greek original, in Jean Anouilh’s Antigone the reasons for Antigone’s death are not clear and her justifications for wanting to die are portrayed with much ambiguity. For in Sophcles version, which is very much centred round the Greek Gods and religion, Antigone posses’ very strong religious beliefs. It is clearly conveyed that Antigone feels that it is her duty to do as much as she can to give her dead brother the chance of a religious burial and it is very clear that these beliefs are what she is willing to die for. There is however, in Anouilh’s play, not such a clear and apparent answer for Antigone’s stubborn choice to die.

Primarily it is portrayed that Antigone’s reason for carrying out this action and knowingly defying the law, is that she is totally possessed by interests of her sacred duty to her family. Similarly to the original, the audience understand that the reason for Antigone’s rebel is purely in the interest of her religious beliefs and her family loyalty.

“ ANTIGONE. I owed it to him. Those who are not buried wander eternally and find no rest. …Polynices has earned his rest.”

Such a speech portrays Antigone as a noble and brave young girl especially when it is made clear that she is willing to carry out such a selfless deed whilst fully aware of the certain fatal consequences.

“ANTIGONE. I know all that. I know it. But that much, at least, I can do. And what a person can do, a person ought to do.”

However, while it is this seemingly noble reason that the ...

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“ ANTIGONE. I owed it to him. Those who are not buried wander eternally and find no rest. …Polynices has earned his rest.”

“ANTIGONE. I know all that. I know it. But that much, at least, I can do. And what a person can do, a person ought to do.”

However, while it is this seemingly noble reason that the audience are lead to believe is true through the majority of the play, it is uncovered that this is not Antigone’s true reason for her death. This is discovered in Antigone’s confrontation with Creon when he tries to make sense of her actions. It is when Creon specifically questions Antigone’s beliefs behind religious burials that he discovers this is not the reason she is dying for.

“CREON. Tell me, Antigone, do you believe that flummery about religious burial?….And you never say to yourself as you watched them, that if someone you really loved lay dead under the shuffling, mumbling ministrations of the priests, you would scream aloud and beg the priests to leave the dead in peace?

ANTIGON. Yes, I’ve thought of all that.

CREON. And you still insist upon being put to death…

ANTIGONE. Yes, it’s absurd ”

Antigone adamantly embraces her guilt and abandons the more reverent approach.

After this point it rapidly becomes apparent to the audience that Antigone is actually unsure of her reasons for her decision to die. Throughout the rest of her confrontation with Creon, Antigone seems to be wondering blindly and confused, uncertain of herself and the true reason for her need to die. This accounts for the way in which she quickly adopts and abandons many different ideals that she believes justify her actions.

Immediately after Antigone dispels with the excuse of family loyalty and her ‘beliefs’ in religious burials the audience see a swift change in Antigones approach to justifying her actions. Antigone explains her actions were done for herself, which we find out later in her speech is due to her own unhappiness and unsatisfaction with life.

“ANTIGONE: For nobody. For myself”

After this revelation from Antigone she begins to persistently argue this new excuse for death. She adopts the idea of self and develops it into the idea of refusal. Antigone then goes on to taunt and mock Creon for his decision to say ‘Yes’ and thus for being weak.

“ANTIGONE: No, Creon! You said yes, and made yourself king. Now you will never stop paying.”

From this point Antigone’s character is seen as adopting the role of the rebel/individual resisting the state as she persistently reminds Creon of her reluctance to say ‘yes’ and her decision to choose ‘no’ to him.

“ANTIGONE: I am not here to understand. That’s all very well for you. I am here to say not to you, and die.”

Despite Antigone’s persistence in reminding Creon of her refusal and her displayed confidence in this new excuse, she fails to explain of even discover the reason for her refusal. To the audience this argument is not as convincing as the last and is seen more as an attempt for Antigone to convince herself of her reason to die rather that a justification to Creon.

It once again becomes apparent that Antigone is lost and does not know what she is dying for. Creon observes this and eventually manages to persuade Antigone to accept his offer of letting her of her crime.

“CREON: Don’t stay alone. Go and find Haemon. And get married quickly.

ANTIGONE: (in a whisper) Yes.”

However, when persuading Antigone of the life she could lead, in mentioning the word happiness, Creon identifies the innermost reason for Antigones refusal. From this point it becomes clear that Antigone has found the true reason for her rejection of life. Antigone rejects the ordinary concept of human happiness that Creon accepts; love, marriage, children, comfort and sensual joys are not important to her. For Antigone happiness spells compromise and this is what she is refusing. She has finally found her true reason for her rejection of life, Antigone refuses compromise.

“ANTIGONE: I spit on your happiness! I spit on your idea 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.”

Antigone, finally knowing herself, justifies her acts by a refusal of time and of existence. Once again she can be seen as representing the rebel, the individualist. She becomes the person of higher sensibilities who rejects ordinary happiness in life if it comes at the price of making concessions and compromises.

There is no definitive answer to whether Antigones reason for death can be justified or not, as people interpret this play in many different ways. Many people regard Antigone as a symbol of courage and praise her as a hero for dieing whilst safeguarding her values, rather that compromising them. However this is easily confused for martyrdom and many believe that Antigone craved for martyrdom and the ability to stand for something heroic. This idea is reinforced by Antigones refusal to share her punishment with her sister ‘Ismene’, thus sharing her ‘earned’ martyrdom.

“ANTIGONE: you don’t think I’m going to let you die with me after what I’ve been through? You don’t deserve it…

…. You chose life and I chose death.”

Ultimately I believe it is up to the individuals to decide themselves whether Antigone is right or wrong. The dramatist could have purposely not provided a neat solution to the problem he has raised because the answer was not important. Unlike the original, which was very strongly portrayed as a tragedy, this play could have been meant to reflect the complexity of the human condition.

A further explanation for the complexity and ambiguity in this play, surrounding whether Antigone was right or wrong, could be seen as a reflection of the complexity in the situation facing the people in France at that current time.