Antigone Reflection

On the evening of Wednesday October 9th, I attended a performance of The Antigone Project presented by the University of West Georgia Theater Company in the Blackbox at the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts. Adapted from the play Antigone written by Sophocles in 443 B.C. This production was written by Jameela Smith, Deja Culver, Myles Wright and, Jenna Miller, directed by Amy Cuomo. Bringing Antigone to a more modern time made the play entertaining.

A short play is usually filled with a theatrical energy of diverse anthologies. The time allotted may be only ten or fifteen minutes, so it must be able to capture and engage the audience with some dramatic tension, exciting action, or witty humor. Just as in a short story, a great deal of the explanation and background is left for the reader or viewer to discover on their own. Because all the details are not explicitly stated, each viewer interprets the action in their own way and each experience is unique from someone else viewing the same play. Conflict is the main aspect that drives any work of literature, and plays usually consist of some form of conflict. In “Playwriting 101:

Antigone is an ancient Greek play, originally written by tragedian Sophocles, that has been adapted by the French playwright and dramatist, Jean Anouilh. This well-regarded interpretation of the play retains its classical plotline but explores theories of tragedy and how tragedy has moulded this classical play. During this theatrical piece, the protagonist, Antigone, ignites disastrous events that gravely impact not only her family, but the city of Thebes. Furthermore, A World Enclosed is an archetype of tragedy that perfectly represents Antigone. This archetype of tragedy is demonstrated in a plethora of ways throughout the play: Antigone’s stubbornness and determination, her over willingness and persistence to obey the gods, and how the chorus, essential and solitary figures in Greek plays, comment on how tragedy functions within the play.

For many decades, books present us with different characters that impact the course of history and literature. These personas all come with different and unique perspectives that add meat to a story in unexpected ways. Usually the characters with the biggest impacts are the major characters of a story; however, as seen Antigone by Sophocles and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, that concept may not always be the case. Both stories create a unique way of developing their plots: by utilizing their minor characters. The play and the book provide their minor characters, Obierika and Teiresias, impactful roles in the way they serve as the wise, reasonable, and sane personalities that hold the voice of reason in society.

“Persepolis” is an autobiographical graphic novel written by Marjane Satrapi that shows her childhood in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. (Wikipedia). The book was originally published in 2000, and translations later published in 2003, 2004, and 2005. (Wikipedia). The book was made into a film, co-directed by Marjane. She also directed three more movies after. (Garvin, Kerry). I chose this book because I wasn’t familiar with the topic and never heard stories about the Islamic revolution. I also thought it was really cool how it was made into a comic book and even a major motion picture. The topic was really intriguing because the topic was hardly talked about and the author personally experienced the whole thing and I got to see her point of view during it. The fact that the author was actively involved during the whole war and got to write it down and turn it into a comic book makes it more fun and exciting to read.

William Shakespeare, a world-renowned playwright, poet, and actor, has been known for centuries all around the world for his great variety of brilliant, poetic, and creative plays written during the Elizabethan Era. Shakespeare’s plays have the reputation of being among the greatest in the English language and Western literature, traditionally divided into the genres of tragedy, history, and comedy, and comprising of various imaginative settings, plots, characters, and conflicts. They have been translated into every major living language, in addition to being continually performed all around the world. Many of Shakespeare’s plays give insight on human nature, astonishingly able to characterize every emotion, strength, and weakness

During our interactive oral, we covered areas such as the conventions in Greek theatre, the influence of Athenian society on the play and the portrayal of characters and conflicts. Through the discussion of these topics, our contextual and cultural understanding of the play developed and broadened.

In the 3rd century B.C. a philosopher Aristotle formed what he called the “Six Elements of Drama,” which are thought/theme/ideas, action/plot, characters, language, music, and spectacle. Little did he know that two millennia later, we would use these guidelines in order to evaluate or develop an exquisite play. Twelve Angry Jurors followed these guidelines to pull in their audience and cause them to be attached to characters or intrigued by the plot in such a way only a play of high excellence could. This play was performed in Merrol Hyde Magnet School. Twelve Angry Jurors demonstrates the excellence in the thought/theme/ideas, action/plot, characters, language, music, spectacle also known as the “Six Elements of Drama”

Although I have not thought about how I would stage a play I will give myself a chance to thinking thoroughly about how I would want an audience to receive a piece of work written by the four playwrights we have read this semester. Drawing on Wilson’s famous speech, I have an idea about what I would want. The Ground on Which I Stand is one that acknowledges the amazing playwrights we were able to read this semester. I appreciate what they have given to the world through the stage and in print. There have been plays that I resonated with me and some that were harder to grasp. Many of these playwrights talk about connections and family which is a way that I have connected with the characters. I wouldn't use many of the playwrights as influences

John F. Kennedy once said “A man must do what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures...and that is the basis of human morality”. But when someone’s ambition is to do something wrong, how does their actions reflect on their morality? In the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone and King Creon’s decisions and choices reflect on their consequences and morality. One of the main characters in play, King Creon, makes some awful decisions that make him reflect on his own moral values. Another character, Antigone has a compulsive motive to bury her brother, Polynices, but she isn’t allowed to transgress the king’s command and despite the consequences she still attempts to bury Polyneices. Lawrence Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan are two psychologists that created the Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development and Gilligan’s Ethics of Care Theory scales which show where one’s morality may rank depending on one’s actions. Even though Creon and Antigone started with the same circumstances and conditions, their morality causes them to stand on different levels and stages on Lawrence Kohlberg’s and Carol Gilligan’s scales and as well as on other Moral scales.

During the interactive oral regarding Antigone, I learned that during Ancient times, the role of Greek women were not as equal to that of men. The main subjects covered in the discussion were the setting (Ancient Greece), the role of women, and the importance of a proper burial during the period. The tragedy was written around 441 B.C. (at that time Ancient Greece was influenced by a patriarchal society), and women were treated poorly and viewed as inferior to men.

It would be an honor to carry out Shakespeare’s initial ideas to its full capacity, but I cannot fulfill this deed without the support from your company. With your money, cast, and audience; there is no doubt that anyone will exit the building without an enlightening experience.

Plays have been written by authors from hundreds of years ago. In there plays they allow people to learn from the characters mistakes. These dramatic tragedies have so many versions of sadness and fear. The two tragedies Antigone and Othello show us how they were victims of the monarchy despite what there wrong doings were.

Aristotle’s’ six components of theatre/tragedy can be seen the forms of plot, characters, theme, diction, music, and spectacle. Each factor serves a different purpose for making a theatrical tragedy come to life. The first most demanding task a play writer encounters is coming up with a compelling plot. According to Aristotle, plot refers to mechanics of storytelling; such as, the sequencing of the character’s comings and goings, timetable of play events, and the primary demands of plot (logic and suspense).

Some of the greatest tragic plays ever written was composed by the great Greek playwright, Sophocles. Today I will be focusing on one of his widely known plays, Antigone, translated by Robert Bagg found in The Norton Anthology of World Literature Volume A. I will also be reviewing a journal article written by, Vincent J. Rosivach from the University of Illinois. After reading the journal article, you will find that Rosivach provides a vivid description of what Sophocles was trying to portray. This amplifies the readers understanding because Rosivach breaks down everything in a way that allows the reader to use their imagination much more in depth. Rosivach refers to the play instead of the text which we were assigned to read which paints a more vivid picture for the reader. He makes references to where things are place in the play. When describing the underworld Rosivach states, “In the theater this world of the dead lies offstage to the audience’s left…” (Rosivach, 18). This allows the readers to understand the set up of the play and to activates one’s imagination. Rosivach does a phenomenal job at arguing many different points across this play. As he critics Antigone, he is dissecting the play so that he can bring the reader’s awareness to the little things that could have easily been unnoticed through out the play.