Jean Anouilhs Antigone

Critical Reception
(an-tig-uh-nee)

Introduction

First performed in February 6, 1994

France was taken over by Germany

German occupation in France is seen as the dark years
Same period of time has also been named the golden age for the French Theatre

In Atelier Theatre in Paris

Antigone represented rebellion, war, and conflict

As a result
Started many political and philosophical debates

Initial Ideas Reviews

Critics and the public agreed Antigone was.

Many assumed the play to be about the resistance in France

some assumed that Anouilh was a sympathizer of Pro-Vichy or part of the Pro-vichy
Vichy was the pro-Axis government in Paris, during the 1940-1944

Parisian theatre critics & audiences got excited over this version of the

brilight modern piece of showing a classic myth

inspired many to love the same line in the play

In Feb 10, 1944- The Parisian Newspaper LAppel said

Yes the Greek Antigone we have known was good, but this younger, rejuvenated, adaptation
is a French Antigone for 1944!

Dr. Edward Boothroyd notes

George Steiner

within the first 2 months of the public premiere, 30 reviews have appeared in Paris
Couple rejecting the play
fourteen praising it unreservedly
views Anouilhs Creon as a triumphant, successfully intimating a pro-fascist bent

Leo Weinstein

states- Anouilhs call to Resistance is a message that seems unmistakably clear

German Initial Interpretation

Alain Laubreaux a leading theatre viewer, collaborating with Germany

admired Antigones need for a world of purity, but denounced how she achieved this
saying it could only lead to chaos, disorder and suicide

Charles Mere

The real hero is Creon, the just ruler, a slave to his duty who sacrifices everything that is dear
to him for the sake of his country
Creon is portrayed very favorably by Anouilh

Collaborators

Collaborators see this character is similar to Marshal Petain(Chef of State of

Vichy France)

Others see

Anouilhs Creon had not wanted to become the King, similarly, Petain was brought out of
retirement(84 years old) to save French from chaos
Collaboration was just a necessity, to save France from a worse fate from Germany
Creon was cynical, a political pragmatist who was like Pierre Laval, a pro Nazi(Marshal Petain
s Prime Minister during Occupation)

New production of Antigone got on stage on Sept 1444

Anouilh and director received criticism

the play was considered defensive justification for the Collaboration
Many reviews by the collaborationist press review the play well

Inspirations

Caused a spark in resistance, against the German rule

Albert Camus epitomizes French spirit under Antigone- I rebel, and therefore we are

Anouilh's Antigone was praised as a being the embodiment of the true French
spirit
Jean Paul Sartre, working with the resistance at the time

noted with Antigone, [Anouilh is] being charged on the one hand with being a Nazi, on the
other with being an anarchist

Dr. Katherine Fleming

Anouilhs Antigone provoked discussion and controversy

Goes into the heart about the debate about the appropriation of classics in the
ideological battles of WW2
Anouilhs Antigone follows Greeks tradition of Antigone

both represent their culture in development of thought and society

Andre Barsacq

French theatre director

Producer of Anouilhs Antigone in 1944

Great admirer of Jean Anouilh

Interview with newspaper

The play is not an adaptation of Sophocles's tale at all

The play was all Anouilh, without any blending
Compares Old Antigone to New(shows Anouilh's play had many new ideas)
Creon, in Sophocles, sentences Antigone to death
Ceron, in Anouilhs play, attempts to save her from her fate

Murray Sachs- Notes on the Theatrically of Jean Anouilhs Antigone

Anouilhs Antigone was not intended to be French or Greek

Anouilh neither avoids mention of the past, nor prevents identification with
the present, but by subtly blending the two achieves a convincing sense of
timelessness and universality

accomplished by imaginatively calculated theatrical means

plain intent of the stage direction and the characters costumes was to plant the idea the play
took place in the present

This universality is perfectly suited to the plays theme

Play in Translation

First translation was in English

February 1946 at Cort Theatre, New York

Play closed down after 44 performances

Lewis Falb(writer)- Considered the failure of the play was due to the casting of the 50 year old
actress Katharine Cornell for Antigone
Ruins the theme of Youth

Other Critics have argued that the word choice and abstraction of the play left out many of the
important themes in the play

Debut in London

Play performed by prestigious company

Opened in February 1949

Reviews of the play were positive
Many critics saw the actress of Antigone, Vivien Leigh, to be the attention grabber
like a women set apart
described as intense and moving
Antigone was received well by London reviewers and general viewers

The Effects of Fame

Plays time and place hide some of the important themes

German Occupation- Interpreted as play being politically involved

Theme of Rebellion exaggerated

One of the important themes that were hidden

Internal Conflict
Antigone struggling with the choice of life and death
Ceron struggling with choice of law and family
Childhood
Antigone struggling with personal turma, state of leaving security and
Individualism
Antigone not being to share thoughts with anyone else

Discussion Question

Do you think the response Antigone has gotten, masked

some of the important themes in the play?

Biography

Boothroyd, Edward. The Parisian Stage During the Occupation, 1940-1944: A Theatre of
Resistance? Diss. University of Birmingham, 2009. Print.
Steiner, George. Antigones. New York: Oxford UP, 1984. Print.
Sartre, Jean-Paul. Forgers des mythes. Lecture. Tran. Rosamond Gilder. Theatre Arts 20. 6.
(1946): 1-11. Electronic.
Fleming, Katie. Fascism on Stage: Jean Anouillh's Antigone. Laughing with Medusa:Classical Myth
and Feminist Thought. Eds. Zajko, Vanda and Leonard, Miriam. 65 Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. 16388. Web.
Sachs, Murray. Notes on the Theatricality of Jean Anouilhs Antigone. The French Review 36. 1.
(1962) : 3-11. Web.
Bray, B. (Trans.). (2000). Jean Anouilh Antigone (T. Freeman, Ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Buis, K. (2014). SURVIVING ANTIGONE: ANOUILH, ADAPTATION AND THE ARCHIVE. Retrieved
September 21, 2015, from https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?
accession=bgsu1392378901&disposition=inline