Symbolism In Jean Anouilh's Antigone?

Antigone the play is a tragedy which means that the play deals with tragic events and has an unhappy ending especially when these tragic events occur to the main character. The literal definition of the French word Antigone is anti-generation meaning that Antigone died without generating. This play was inspired by Greek mythology which was originally written by Sophocles around 441 B.C. Antigone by Jean Anouilh is an adaptation of the Sophocles play. The play by Jean Anouilh in its original form is French but the book read was the translated version. The play was first published in 1943, during the peak of the Nazi occupation. French resistance was played by the character of Antigone, while the Vichy Government was played by Creon they were

An interesting fact is that many Nazis actually embraced the play Antigone. In contradiction, the German superiors attempted their best to limit any works that implied anti-Fascism. "Antigone" is perceived as an enduring metaphor for the Nazis and someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force which can also be referred to as treason. In World War II the collaborationist was the Vichy regime. What is extremely interesting is through the war the play was being staged all over Europe from 1941 until the end of the war. In addition where ever it played, it always excited interest and passion because the audience observed matches with Creon as the Vichy government and Antigone as the French Resistance. Antigone is the rebel of this whole play who decides to defy against Creon 's law. This can be compared to the French rebels that battled against much like the French rebels fought against Charles De Gaulle, whom Anouilh detested and thought was a dictator-like despot. While being invaded by Nazi Germany the French Resistance who were publishing newspapers, discovering escape routes. They also teamed up with the Allied Armies in order to retake France. In 1944 the allies were able to reoccupy and liberate an

Creon is known as a reasonable leader and he would try to comprise if Antigone wouldn’t agree with his opinions. This can be associated with Petain as he negotiated with the Germans. Antigone expresses her arguments for the right of freedom. In Antigone 's perspective she believes that Creon 's leadership and government is depriving individuals from being moral. Similar to the Vichy government Creon attempts to persuade Antigone that he is preventing Thebes from chaos. Antigone is like the French resistance movement, she went against the law even though she very well knew what it was. She goes decides to go bury her brother as she feels it is the moral thing to do. The guards are similar to the French police as they started to go against their own citizens and started to support "the enemy" the Germans. The Chorus says the Guards are “quite prepared to arrest anybody at all”. Chorus: She is thinking that the instant I finish telling you who 's who and what 's what in this play, she will burst forth as the dark, tense, serious girl, who is about to rise up and face the whole world alone—alone against the world and against Creon, her uncle, the King. Another thing that she is thinking is this: she is going to die. Antigone is young. She would much rather live than die. Antigone doesn’t think she acts she doesn’t reason she feels. I am not