Through this, brechts antigone of sophocles necessarily becomes a potent. Melis rated it it was amazing apr 23, his version shows three endings to the antigone storyin a really compact space, only about 30 pages of actual play, with an intro almost as kjiga which first creon triumphs and antiigona the tragedy sophokles antibona us, then antigone triumphs and thebes is destroyed by riots, and finally where the chorus recognizes. Books by ruby blondell author of sophocles antigone. She thinks it requires her to honour her brother even at the. Sophocles antigone portrays religious, political and personal lines of devel opment which make conflicting demands on the characters. This was brechts first directorial collaboration with caspar neher. The con is sparse, its props minimala single setting, flict is established almost at once as we learn that. Antigone s line 18 they that is, both oedipus and jocasta are required to get her another brother and, being dead, cannot do so. Pdf antigone book the theban plays free download 80. Sophocles antigone portrays religious, political and personal lines of development which make conflicting demands on the characters. Free download or read online antigone pdf epub the theban plays series book.
The meaning of the name is, as in the case of the masculine equivalent antigonus, worthy of ones parents or in place of ones parents. For what of pain, affliction, outrage, shame, is lacking in our fortunes, thine and mine. Here antigone doesnt kill herself like in sophocles version, and neither is. Adaptation of the antigone of sophocles english literature. Antigone vs creon essay research paper antigone pages. Didst hear and heed, or art thou deaf when friends are banned as foes. Antigone expresses the view 32 that those of noble birth should show superior moral qualities. Brecht loosely adapted this regal drama from the 16thcentury playwright, christopher marlowe. These two only, brothers in blood, face to face in matchless rage, 120 mirroring each the others. Antigone is a greek tragedy written around 451 bc by sophocles. The writing style of antigone kind of depends upon whose translation youre reading. She is a sister of polynices, eteocles, and ismene. Storr translation 1912 for the loeb classical library.
Some of these have kept the plays verse poetic form, some have translated it into prose nonmetrical sentences, instead of. The incestuous nature of the sisters birth oedipus was married to his own mother 47 seems not to affect antigones view of her own nobility, which she is concerned to prove. T his was b recht s first directorial collaboration with caspar neher. Since the play is, you know, super old, there have been many translations of sophocless original greek through the years. Antigone bertolt brecht by alexander buxton on prezi. The national theatre produced an excellent version in 2012, with jodie whittaker as the eponymous hero, and.
The antigone of sophocles 49 chance of its success. Right after world war ii, bertolt brecht composed an adaptation, antigone, which was based. Perhaps the most important aspect of antigone lies in its original title. Brecht was also famed for using the chorus to lead the audience in their responses. Set in chicago and written shortly after the stock market crash this 20th. In 1944, when paris was occupied by the nazis, jean anouilh produced a version of antigone in which the audience was able to identify antigone with the french resistance fighters and creon with the occupying forces. Antigone tells ismene of her plans to bury their brother polynices in defiance of creons orders. The german poet and playwright bertolt brecht produced a version of the play in german, in 1948, which. What she proposes may be folly 95, but to her it is the only course that she can take. This is emphasized by the chorus in the lines that conclude the play. When ismene refuses to join her sister, pleading their weakness as women and subjects of creon, antigone leaves her angrily, determined to bury her brother, even if it means her own death. As for brecht, he limited himself to retrieving holderlins german greek, molding its matter in line with his own purposes. He inserts about 80 lines of argument between creon and antigone, with occasional comments from the chorus.
Antigone has been one of the most widely read, translated, performed, discussed, adapted, and admired of all classical greek texts. Brechts the antigone of sophocles was performed in 1948 in switzerland. The antigone of sophocles is an important adaptation of the original play, and you can check your understanding of it through this quiz and. Part romance, part political drama, the play is set during a violent workers revolt in 1918 germany. Antigone 442 bc translators note this translation by ian johnston of malaspina universitycollege, nanaimo, bc, note that in this translation the numbers in square brackets refer to the greek text, and the numbers with no brackets refer to this text. Antigone in a version by bertolt brecht by bertolt brecht. The main characters of this classics, plays story are antigone, ismene sister of. Antigone, by sophocles full audiobook a powerful artistic protest against tyranny, antigone has been translated and adapted dozens of times, applied over and over through the centuries to. Helene weigel as antigone in bertolt brechts adaptation, 1948 the preposition ant means both in opposition to and in compensation for. Antigone, also known as th e antigon e of sophocles, is an adaptation by the german dramatis t bertolt brec ht of holderlins translation of sophocles tragedy. The play was adapted by german playwright bertolt brecht and renamed the antigone of. Antigone is seen with, in turn, her nurse, her sis the staging of. Sophokles, play has captured the imagination of writers as diverse as friedrich holderlin, jean cocteau, jean anouilh, berthold brecht, rolf hochhuth, heinrich boll, and athol fugard, and of composers such as felix.
The dispute develops the concepts of justice and government which have already been touched on. Brecht, at this stage of the action, turns antigone into a champion of peace and democracy against war and dictatorship. Turned creon into a complete moral despot uses sophocles as a basis with which to interpret his own text. From the beginning, brecht made it his task to wrench ancient tragic poetry out of its ideological haze, and proceeded to.
For brechts the antigone of sophocles, brecht did not translate the play from greek into german but used a german translation of the play by friedrich holderlin, and added his own pieces to it. It was first performed at the chur stadttheater in switzerland in 1948, with bre cht s second wife helene weigel, in the lead role. Friedrich holderlin translated sophocles into german, brecht adapted holderlin, and now judith malina has rendered brechts version into a stunning english incarnation. Ruby blondell has 16 books on goodreads with 1050 ratings.
Introduction sophocles sophocles was born at colonus, a small village just to the northwest of athens, in 4965 bc. Pdf brechts adaptation of sophocles antigone in 1948 was openly a political. Storr, ba formerly scholar of trinity college, cambridge from the loeb library edition originally published by harvard university press, cambridge, ma and william heinemann ltd, london first published in 1912 argument antigone, daughter of oedipus, the late king of thebes, in. It was first performed at the chur stadttheater in switzerland in 1948, with brechts second wife helene weigel, in the lead role. Jean anouilh antigone 2 personnages antigone, fille d. In line with brechts changes to the script, it became apparent that antigone became concerned with the rights and needs of an individual, against the power and needs of the state, which is the situation during its showing in switzerland. And the grip of his madness spares not god or man, marring the righteous man, 685 driving his soul into mazes of sin and strife, dividing a house.
Antigone is a tragedy by sophocles written in or before 441 bce. Ismene, sister of my blood and heart, seest thou how zeus would in our lives fulfill. Oedipus unwittingly killed his father, laios, and married his own mother, iocaste. The latest volume in methuens collected brecht includes two plays previously untranslated into english volume 8 of brechts collected plays contains his last completed plays, from the eight years between his return from america to europe after the war and his death in 1956. Brechts version was based on the ancient text of sophocles use of classical text as an allegory of nazi regime.
Bertolt brechts antigone 1948 showed creon overtly as hitler. Her insistence on her parents being the unique source of a brother is obviously significant in her task to efface the family crime. Antigone study guide from litcharts the creators of. Brechts antigone 1948 is a bold adaptation of holderlins. Actions,characters and hubris in sophocles antigone essay pages. As far as brecht was concerned, the language of antigone was indeed holderlins, that is, a language a priori alienated of holderlins confrontation with the language of sophocles. Antigone is an ancient greek tragedy, which continues to provoke. In each instance, the reader may substitute a more specific evil, for example, exposure of corpses, for the evils in line 10. In the farthest corners of earth, in the midst of the sea, he is there. A platform extends the length of the facade, and from this platform three steps lead down into the orchestra, or chorusground. Antigone is one of my alltime favorite plays, and i picked up the brecht version because, well, its bertolt brecht and its antigone.
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