Which 2 concepts are particularly interesting lenses through which to view your HL essay text?

Culture

Concept of culture is crucial to the understanding of Otama and her character development. The cultural significance of Meiji Japan amplifies the tension between duties and the pursuit of independence felt namely by Otama. The interactions of Otama with traditional norms of Meiji Japan, as well as conflicts with Japanese Aesthetic Philosophy drives these underlying tensions. Therefore the understanding of concepts to do with Japanese beauty standards is also important. Culture is important furthermore in the production of this novel in its physical manner. The novel follows a the structure of a traditional Japanese plot arch. It is the understanding of internal conflict and struggle that makes this so interesting. Without this understanding, the novel seems still and constant. Through this, Mori is able to sympathetically portray dilemmas faced by characters in this time period.

Perspective

The way this novel is portrayed through an external removed narrator is quite interesting. Paradoxically omniscient first person narrator. It emphasises the unreliability of the narrator throughout the novel as they fill in moments where they would otherwise not be present. Mori’s own background is reflected in the narration parts that align more with conservative perspective and a westernised perspective… 

In what ways does your chosen retelling of Antigone help you to understand the concepts of creativity and transformation in literature?

In my chosen retelling of Antigone by Anouilh, the role of setting in changing character dynamics stood out to me. In particular, the nuanced relationship between Antigone and Creon, and Antigone and Haemon

The way Anouilh recontextualizes Sophocles’ Antigone at the time of France during Nazi occupation was interesting to me. Knowing some background information about the French Resistance, it was surprising how my sympathies had changed to lie with Creon, in contrast to how Sophocles’ version harshly antagonised his character. I would have thought that as Creon is the King, Anouilh would have maintained his powerfully built and rash character to represent the Nazi occupation, whilst Antigone would have played the antithesis to represent French Resistance. To me, this was the most obvious way to transform this play. However, it seems that Anouilh has even switched their character traits, thus portraying Antigone as a stubborn and impulsive character, and Creon as a level-headed, rational character. Although this new character contrast may seem to undermine Antigone’s character, the setting of Anouilh’s adaptation portrays her as a respected rebel force giving her almost heroine like qualities. In the case of Creon, in Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon and the “state,” Thebes, are seen as one, whilst in contrast, Anouilh provides distinct separation. This drastic difference brought to mind Creon’s archetypal saying “I am the law.” Perhaps because of his single-mindedness and disregard for family in Sophocles’ Antigone, it made me resent his character more. However, in Anouilh’s adaptation, this slight nuance and inner conflict of Creon, deciding between his inner moral compass and the outer pressures of the state made his character more sympathetic. In the end, I ended up with pity for Creon and respect for Antigone, even after the regret she left behind in her death. In her declaration at the start, ‘I don’t want to understand!’ (12) it suggested this almost “gut feeling,” or a strong moral belief that dying is something she has to do. Therefore, although Anouilh has creatively adapted Sophocles’ version through the changes in the character arcs, the effect of the adaptation transcended the barrier between stage and audience, leaving myself with a transformed understanding and stronger emotional connection to the play overall. Perhaps because of this, Anouilh’s version seems more intimate which is further developed by the relationship between Antigone and Haemon.

Anouilh’s adaptation resulted in an extremely intimate and significantly more developed relationship. For me, it seems like there was more logic in what Haemon would kill himself over Antigone rather than just seeming “dramatic.” This extra added scene of Haemon and Antigone’s duologue makes the basis of the relationship based further on love than on the convenience of them both holding high societal positions. Therefore, the impact of Haemon’s death suggests more prominence within Anouilh’s version. Additionally, during this dialogue, the comparison of Antigone and Ismene further characterises both and creates this underlying tension between the two characters.

brand new ancients review

Lines that stood out to me:

Of course, it is the very co-existence of author and performer that makes
performance poetry distinct from many other theatrical forms,

“miniaturizing” epic – series of epics.

The form of Tempest’s work and its close relation to traditional oral poetics is one of the most fascinating features of her performance

And maybe that’s interesting: because at what point do you realise that this isn’t something that you’ve written, but this is just something that belongs in you, that you are able to perform with- out the fact that you wrote it getting in the way?

Kwake Bass on the drums is especially crucial to the music and
rhythm of the piece; he even included a distinctive drum roll
every time the character, Clive, came on the scene—as if in a
nod to the Homeric epithets.

kind of cathartic resolution – defies conventional arc of tragic plot

Tempest has wholeheartedly appropriated the ancient world so that she is neither bound by issues of fidelity nor has to kick against them to make her
own mark.

I am particularly interested in the way Sophocles problematises Antigone as a Tragic Hero due to her glorification over her death to come. Antigone rejecting Ismene’s willingness to die with her arises as a problem due to her motive for doing so. Rather than do it for the sake of protecting Ismene, she rejects her help because she wants to relish in the glory of having defended her family. Because Antigone buried the dead body on her own, she believes that she should take all the credit for doing so. More than that though, perhaps it is because of her filial piety. She had a duty to honour and respect her family. In that sense, she was the only one who fulfilled that duty… (Hannah)

Henah more directly outlines the character of Antigone and her relationship toward other people:

I find it interesting how Sophocles problematizes Antigone through her deeply human, flawed behaviour intertwined with her respect of the divine law. The way that she treats her sister, Ismene, is generally cold and bitter, arguably too judgemental. Antigone’s words are often even cruel, and this seems at odds with the familial duty that she is willing to perform for Polynices, who killed her other brother, Eteocles. She is not without hubris, and it is questionable whether her motive for burying Polynices is to be solely true to the will of gods, or for her own glory—as Creon himself accused her of. Because of these traits she becomes a complex character who is at once fulfilling the divine law and her duty, but also competing for the role of the tragic hero against Creon. (Henah)

Aaron brings in idea of competing for the role of the tragic hero and perhaps where our sympathies should lie:

Sophocles problematises Antigone as a character she is competing with Creon for the role of a tragic hero, both have their hubris and flaws as heroes. Antigone’s cold-hearted nature creates a complex character making it hard to sympathise with her, yet due to the nature of the play and the ideals of Sophocles who was conservative at the time, we should be siding with Antigone as she is trying to fulfil her religious role. (Aaron)

Thiya written idea more clearly:

Sophocles presents her as a problematic hero as he seems to misalign the audience’s sympathies with her on multiple occasions. On one hand, it seems that she is doing something honorable for her brother by burying him, however, her motives are highlighted in the exchange between herself and Ismene. Here she seems to hold a selfish appeal in obeying the gods when she rejects Ismene’s newly changed stance. Rather than the reason for the rejection of Isnemes death as a sisterly love, Sophocles portrays it as something far more selfish. This can cause the audience to question whether Antigone’s religious stance is due to her morals or he glory and treatment after death (Thiya)

Lila talking about the downfall:

The character convention of the tragic hero relies most heavily (in my mind) on two tropes – the character must begin at the top, in utter glory, and their fall must be due solely to themselves (often by hubris). So Antigone doesn’t exactly fit his description. As she says, she has lived a life of only misery and suffering – she ‘welcomes’ death – we have never seen her in a position of glory and happiness (I suppose her status as a princess and her love for Haemon might redeem her here though – not perfect but closer to it than she is by the end of the play). Secondly, her fall (death) is at the hands of Creon, not herself. She arguably does the right thing, and although her hamartia is probably hubris and stubbornness, it is only evident because she is so possessed to do right by her brother. Finally, she does not hold our sympathies, and thinking back to the intended audience, it is even more unlikely for her to be the tragic hero. Why would an ampitheatre full of men wish to see a woman’s fall, especially considering the lack of power that women had in that time…(Lila)

Antigone character: inconsistencies with her character. multifaceted.

What do you find most striking and significant about the different ways in which the directors of the BBC and NT adaptations of Antigone adapt the Prologue of the play?

I think the BBC production of Antigone is how I imagined it in my head. First off in the setting of the scene, the stairs of the palace is consistent with what is described in the script. Additionally, some of the lines are similar or the same as the version that we are reading. The way the power dynamic is portrayed between Ismene and Antigone is very powerful. Ismene’s voice is significantly more shaky and reserved demonstrating her caution as a character. In her lines, she begs Antigone to think first before she acts showing the rationale behind her character. This was similar to the NT adaptation. One striking difference I noticed was the way the sibling dynamic was shown. In the BBC adaptation, Antigone is shown embracing her sister to comfort her suggesting that she is in fact the older sister who cares very deeply for Ismene. However, in the NT adaptation I don’t get this sense of relaxation from all the tension in the scene; it lacks the sentiment that the BBC has. Rather, Antigone grips onto Ismene tightly trying to force her into burying their brothers with her.

As the scene progresses, both adaptation demonstrates a rising tension. In the NT version this is done with a complete set change. The lighting changes dramatically to add to the ominous mood. For the BBC adaptation, the scene and lighting remains the same. The stage movements in the NT adaptation (the gradual distance increase with the sudden closeness) adds to this feeling of uncertainty and is almost an external expression of the internal moral conflict: to honor the family or to honor the country. The stage movements in the BBC adaptation follow a general upward progression. Furthermore, the camera is used to add to the tension unlike the NT. The constant switching of camera angles mimics the same increase and decrease in distance between Ismene and Antigone in the NT adaptation. It also could potentially reflect the stichomythia in the script. Furthermore, in the BBC adaptation,  Ismene follows Antigone around before splitting off stage showing their power dynamic. Ultimately, both adaptations result in the characters going off in opposite directions demonstrating the differences in their perspectives. The BBC, Antigone withdraws back to the castle potentially symbolising her loyalties to Creon.

Other Perspectives;

Lila:

The first thing that sticks out to me in both adaptations of the play is how their translation is significantly different to ours, which leads to such different meanings. A line that particularly stood out to me was ‘the honour of being Oedipus’ daughter’ which has so many different connotations – knowing the story of the last three plays, this oxymoron implies nothing less than utter shame but also serves to convey the lingering pride and familial love that Antigone and Ismene still have for their father, who, despite his tragic fate, was the saviour and beloved king of Thebes for a long time. When Ismene states that they as women are ‘barred from any political power. Men are in power and we have to obey them’, it’s another interesting callback to Oedipus Rex, where Jocasta was a fully equal part of the triumvirate, and perhaps creates some subtle tension regarding the way Thebes has changed in the time since Oedipus’ crown was seized. This translation really emphasises an almost feminist reading of the sisters’ position, as opposed to our translation, which seems relatively understated with ‘we are women, we’re not born to contend with men’ being the sole translation of this passage.

I think this was a more in-depth analysis focusing on the smallest details across the trilogy. Its always  something i forget to consider

Victoria:

The other one begins with photos of Creon descending from the roof and soldiers saluting. This seems to show the beginning of an authoritarian state as Creon comes to power and immediately implements martial law and makes orders that go against the Gods. This continues a theme in the Theban plays where man vs god especially within the law is a common conflict. The posters appear to watch the area and the scene between the sisters in a 1984-esque idea of “big brother is watching you”.

she connects it to this connotation of having it be more industrial recalling details about post war, sci fi dystopian.

Henah:

A similarity between the two adaptations is the costuming of Antigone and Ismene. Both adaptations reveal the contrasting characteristic between the sisters through one wearing blue and another wearing red/pink. Antigone wears a blue dress in both productions, and Ismene wears a pink/red garment. Yet the actual clothes themselves reveal a crucial difference in when the play is set, as although neither of the adaptations are set in Ancient Greece, the NT adaptation is evidently more modern in its take than the BBC adaptation.

focusing in on the details of how the director has made it modern.