IO-Greek Religion and Beliefs
Mihir Palan Reflection
An interesting concept that is prevalent throughout Antigone is the impact that Greek religion has on the characters of the play. Before the IO, my understanding of Greek religion revolves around burials, as it states that the soul can only be at rest when the body gets buried. If not, then the soul will be cursed to endlessly wandering around River Styx, or the entrance to the Underworld. The only admission to get into the Underworld is if there is an elaborate burial that performs the required complex rituals. A question that develops regarding burials in Antigone is why Antigone is so adamant in resting Polynices and why Anouilh decides to make the burial such a big part of …show more content…
“The play is on. Antigone has been caught. For the first time in her life, little Antigone is going to be able to be herself” (24). This new experience of finally being herself is significant because it shows her willingness to accept the consequences of breaking the law, to show that taking action is better than inaction. Of the short years in her life, she was obligated to adhere to Creon’s laws, therefore, wasn’t able to do what she wanted to do. When Antigone killed herself using her robe, “The cord was round her neck like a child’s collar” (51). The child collar is important in describing the restrictions that Antigone had, as the law was the collar around Antigone, thus restricting her every movement. By choosing to kill herself, Antigone became at peace with her life, and thus leaving the restrictions that the law had surrounded her …show more content…
For example, Creon’s adamant nature for maintaining order eventually lost his family, and even after all he cared for was his job as a King. If Creon hadn’t been so stubborn about the law, Antigone would have survived, and thus maintaining the lives of his wife and child. There is also very important contradiction between the 1946 version of Antigone and the five plays version on Creon. In the last paragraph, the 1946 version states “Creon was the most rational, the most persuasive of tyrants.” (71) and provides emphasis on Creon’s dictatorship within society. It also states, “Now and again-- in the three thousand years since the first Antigone-- other Antigones have arisen like a clarion call.” (71) In the five plays version, it doesn’t state anything about Creon’s dictatorship, as rather states “And those who have survived will now begin quietly to forget the dead: they won’t remember who was who and which was which.” (53) This contradiction between who remembers the dead is significant, as the gray version supports the revolution and encourages the idea of moral law, whereas the five plays version believes that those who fought for their beliefs won’t be remembered at the end of the day. This contrast in versions is because the five plays version had to be censored for it so that it doesn’t show
Mihir Palan Reflection
An interesting concept that is prevalent throughout Antigone is the impact that Greek religion has on the characters of the play. Before the IO, my understanding of Greek religion revolves around burials, as it states that the soul can only be at rest when the body gets buried. If not, then the soul will be cursed to endlessly wandering around River Styx, or the entrance to the Underworld. The only admission to get into the Underworld is if there is an elaborate burial that performs the required complex rituals. A question that develops regarding burials in Antigone is why Antigone is so adamant in resting Polynices and why Anouilh decides to make the burial such a big part of …show more content…
“The play is on. Antigone has been caught. For the first time in her life, little Antigone is going to be able to be herself” (24). This new experience of finally being herself is significant because it shows her willingness to accept the consequences of breaking the law, to show that taking action is better than inaction. Of the short years in her life, she was obligated to adhere to Creon’s laws, therefore, wasn’t able to do what she wanted to do. When Antigone killed herself using her robe, “The cord was round her neck like a child’s collar” (51). The child collar is important in describing the restrictions that Antigone had, as the law was the collar around Antigone, thus restricting her every movement. By choosing to kill herself, Antigone became at peace with her life, and thus leaving the restrictions that the law had surrounded her …show more content…
For example, Creon’s adamant nature for maintaining order eventually lost his family, and even after all he cared for was his job as a King. If Creon hadn’t been so stubborn about the law, Antigone would have survived, and thus maintaining the lives of his wife and child. There is also very important contradiction between the 1946 version of Antigone and the five plays version on Creon. In the last paragraph, the 1946 version states “Creon was the most rational, the most persuasive of tyrants.” (71) and provides emphasis on Creon’s dictatorship within society. It also states, “Now and again-- in the three thousand years since the first Antigone-- other Antigones have arisen like a clarion call.” (71) In the five plays version, it doesn’t state anything about Creon’s dictatorship, as rather states “And those who have survived will now begin quietly to forget the dead: they won’t remember who was who and which was which.” (53) This contradiction between who remembers the dead is significant, as the gray version supports the revolution and encourages the idea of moral law, whereas the five plays version believes that those who fought for their beliefs won’t be remembered at the end of the day. This contrast in versions is because the five plays version had to be censored for it so that it doesn’t show