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Antigone | Study Guide

Jean Anouilh

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Course Hero. (2016, December 12). Antigone Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved May 27, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Antigone/

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Course Hero. "Antigone Study Guide." December 12, 2016. Accessed May 27, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Antigone/.

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Course Hero, "Antigone Study Guide," December 12, 2016, accessed May 27, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Antigone/.

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about Jean Anouilh's Antigone. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

antigone-jean-anouilhCreonWeary king of Thebes; cares only about order HaemonAntigone’s rejected fiancé; begs his father to spare Antigone IsmeneAntigone’s pretty, talkative, flirtatious older sisterNurseStrong, warmhearted nanny EurydiceCreon’s disengaged wife; knits and commits suicide AntigoneSolemn yet unshakeable tragic heroineCARETAKERChorusCounselor who informs the audience, advises characters, and comments on the action ENGAGEDSISTERSUNCLEChorushen your name is Antigone, there is only one part you can play; and she will have to play hers through to the end.Antigoneby the NumbersPlays written by AnouilhYear a London production starred Vivien Leigh as Antigone and Laurence Olivier as the Chorus~401949Age when Anouilh’s first play was produced 22Year the play premiered in Nazi-occupied Paris, sparking controversy with its anti-authoritarian themes1944Known for incorporating themes that delve into the absurdity of the human condition, Anouilh became an international success for his intensely passionate, personal plays. Antigone looks at how people can stand up to authority, as the French did to the Germans in World War II.JEAN ANOUILH1910–87Burying PolynicesRepresents actions that have no effect but are performed in support of one’s principlesIntegrityAntigone’s action is futile because the burial will be undone—but loyalty compels her to act. AuthorFreedom vs. ConstraintAntigone is free to stand up for her convictions, while Creon must compromise for the benefit of the state. HappinessTo Antigone, symbolizes superficiality and insincerity instead of authenticity and intensity Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature, Modern French Drama 1940–1990 by David Bradby, New York Times, USC Libraries, Vivien-Leigh.info Copyright © 2016 Course Hero, Inc.ThemesMotifsPolitical ExpediencyWhen Creon prohibits Polynices’s burial, he doesn’t believe his soul will wander if unburied; his act is political. Based on the classic drama by Sophocles, Antigone follows the tragic mythological heroine as she fights to bury her brother Polynices, who was deemed a traitor. Caught between the rules of society and her sense of duty, Antigone ignores her sister’s warnings and the king’s decree by burying Polynices anyway—an act of defiance that leads to her own death.“I Must Go and Bury My Brother.”MAIN CHARACTERSJean Anouilh1944FrenchPlayAuthorFirst PerformedOriginal LanguageAntigoneTragedyCard PlayingSymbolizes the indifference and apathy common people have to matters of state
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