Antigone – Jean Anouilh

"I am here to say no to you and to die."

Written and performed during the Nazi occupation of Paris, Anouilh's adaptation of the Greek myth turns Antigone into a symbol of resistance. She refuses to compromise with the pragmatism of her uncle Creon, insisting on burying her brother even if it means death. Her defiant 'no' resonated powerfully with French audiences living under German rule.

Anouilh's play is a modern classic. It strips the myth of its heroic trappings to present a stark conflict between moral purity and political necessity, asking what we are willing to die for.