Antigone Journal 3

The most apparent contrast in pages 20-44 is the contrast of life vs. death. We see this contrast in the concept of the burial. We also see it in the consequences that Antigone is expecting to receive for her actions. Towards the end of the reading, Ismene also decided to face the consequnce of death. Anouilh creates the contrast between life and death by having Antigone and Creon be foils of one another. Creon cannot fathom as to why Antigone would risk her life to bury Polonices, and Antigone expects Creon to understand her desire to bury Polonices, even if it means her death. By having these two characters be foils Anouilh creates contrast not only between the two characters, but also between their main ideas and beliefs. Anouilh's decision to create this contrast was influenced by cultural happenings. The play was written during WWII, a time when much death and destruction was happening. Anouilh creates the contrast to portray the different views people had on the war. For example, Antigone thought that burying Polonices would be something worth dying for, just like many men thought that protecting their country would be something worth dying for. The contrast between life and death was intended by Anouilh to be a reflection on how people of the time period thought of the war.