The Reception of Sophocles’ Creation in the Jean Anouilh’s Dramaturgy

The article deals with Jean Anouilh’s interpretation of Sophocles’ plot in the plays “Antigone” (1944) and “Oedipus, or Lame King” (1978). In the unstable period of the 1940s, including the Second World War, the writer appealed to the Sophocles’ creation in order to reveal the modern life problems through his interpretation of Sophocles’ great tragedy “Antigone” for the first time. But at the end of his dramatic career Anouilh appealed again to the creation of his great predecessor to revive his favorite rebellious hero in the image of Oedipus. In the play “Oedipus, or Lame King” the main character Oedipus proves the author’s faith in a strong personality who is able to resist the world of compromise.


Introduction to the Research Problem
Sophocles was one of the most significant ancient playwrights, who during his life gained fame of the greatest poet and had significant influence on the literature of modern times. The playwright became an innovator in his ability to describe the inner world of the character. "With all the celebration of divine will in Sophocles, in the foreground we see a human who seeks to act independently, intelligently, while maintaining the ability to be responsible for his deeds" (Nicola, 1997, 265-269). The 20 th century was full of historical and social cataclysms, and even though the most significant tradition for writers of that century was Euripides` tradition, the interest to the legacy of Sophocles remains. And drama works by a famous French writer Jean Anouilh are clear evidence for this.

Theoretical Grounds
A typical feature of the 20 th century drama is modernization of mythological plots. The reference to the myth becomes well justified, because "history turns the world time into a timeless world of the myth" (Meletinskii, 2000).
Thus, the writers, when processing mythological plots, revealed their own outlook on the world and their attitude to the complex historical events of the 20th century, and the myth was filled with relevant content, losing its connection with the epoch of its appearance.
Throughout his quite long creative life Anouilh modernized two tragedies of Sophocles by creating his own "Antigone" (Antigone, 1944) and "Oedipus, or Lame King" (OEdipe ou le Roi boiteux, 1978). In this paper, for the first time in the domestic literature we analyze these two Anouilh`s plays in their unity and evolution from the first text to the second.

Modernization of Sophocles` Antigone in the Eponymous Play by Jean Anouilh
Anouilh appeals to antiquity in the unstable period of the 1940s, including the time of the Second World War. Scrutinizing Anouilh`s creative life, L. Pronko rightly points out that the period from 1941 to 1946 was the time when the writer created some of his most important plays, which depict "a heroic personality to clash with the outer world" (Pronko, 1968). Indeed, the writer used the image of fearless young maximalist Antigone to express the spirit of resistance, which was so familiar to the French during the Vichy regime.
When creating Antigone Anouilh used Sophocles` tragedy as his initial source, but the characters, their life attitudes and language are not consistent with the ancient prototypes.
The characters of Sophocles are always mature characters, maximalists performing their duty without any hesitation. Yet, for the writer of the 20 th century an ambiguous personality was more interesting, a personality torn apart by internal contradictions. Thus, in contrast to the "entirely shaped, completed in their minds" (Yarkho, 1988, 5-26)  Sophocles` characters, they do not make a hard choice adamantly and proudly, but as the author`s contemporaries they try to overcome inner doubts and inner torment.
In Sophocles' Antigone the main conflict is embodied in the confrontation between different life stances. This is unwavering will of King Creon, who followed civil laws, and absolute humanism of Antigone, who buried her brother.
In contrast to the shaped characters of Sophocles, Anouilh depicts a hard struggle of his characters with their own life experience, and here lies an internal, dramatic content of the play.
Sophocles' Antigone is proud that she is going to give her life for the sake of the duty she fulfilled.
Although her struggle is vain in its essence, yet it gives meaning to human existence, so the antique audience admired the female character and felt sympathy for her. Although Anouilh`s Antigone is like her prototype, the same uncompromising and proud character, but still, nevertheless she is a child, a little ugly, "savage" girl, which "has changed under the influence of her childhood, <...> who is stubborn and persistent in achieving her goals, but she does not do it so voluntarily" (Luppé, 1959), as Sophocles' Antigone. She is "little Antigone", -this is the way she is pleased to call herself. She is "very little", because she remains "attached" to her past, whereas the character of Sophocles, on the contrary, strives for becoming a future ideal woman who fulfils her human duty" (Luppé, 1959). Anouilh`s Antigone is actually afraid of death, and realizing that such an end is inevitable, still she "does not know what she is dying for"  it is their desire to achieve the ideal -"childish purity" (Gignoux, 1946). And this internal rebellion arises from that -the only thing that the cruel world cannot take away from the young maximalists "is their way to rebel against the world, against oneself, against what is called life" (Vandromme, 1965).
Antigone. Nous sommes de ceux qui posent les questions jusqu'au bout. Jusqu'à ce qu'il ne reste vraiment plus la petite chance d'espoir vivante, la plus petite chance d'espoir à étrangler. Nous sommes de ceux qui lui sautent dessus quand ils le rencontrent, votre espoir, votre cher espoir, votre sale espoir!  Antigone. We are of the tribe that asks questions, and we ask them to the bitter end. Until no tiniest chance of hope remains to be strangled by our hands.
We are of the tribe that hates your filthy hope, your docile, female hope; hope, your whore (Anouilh, 1947, 43 - Oedipus is a "responsible, administrative, ruler with sincere concern for citizens` life, listening to their opinions" (Nicola, 1997), and despite the fact that he was defeated in the struggle against fate, his image before the end of the play remains magnificent. Oedipus is saved by his "extraordinary endurance and ability to withstand suffering" (Mitchell-Boyask, 2012, 158-163) questions had been answered. When he could no longer doubt that he had killed his own father; that he had gone to bed with his own mother. When all hope was gone, stamped out like a beetle. When it was absolutely certain that nothing, nothing could save him. Then he was at peace; then he could smile, almost; then he became beautiful... Whereas you! Ah, those faces of yours, you candidates for election to happiness! It's you who are the ugly ones, even the handsomest of you. <...> The kitchen of politics: you look it and you smell of it (Anouilh, 1947).
Indeed, Oedipus, which appeared in 1978, differs from the young Antigone of young Anouilh (1944). Oedipus knows what for he deprives himself of sight. His pride does not allow him to accept what his destiny has done to him. And in order to make descendants remember him not only as a toy in the hands of gods, but as a heroic personality, he invents a most painful punishment, rather than a simple suicide, which would have confirmed his weak will. Creon in 1944 told Antigone that she clearly has the selfpride and will of Oedipus.
V.N. Yarkho, Sophocles scholar, wrote that the greatness of Sophocles` tragic hero consists of the fact that "all of these steps of Oedipus < ... > indicate his continued effort -despite all obstacles -to the ultimate truth" (Yarkho, 1988, 5-26 As can be seen, the image of Creon did not change since "Antigone", he is still the same miserable supporter of conformists who still dreams of becoming happy. Creon leaves Oedipus and returns, as he says, "to order".
Oedipus also predicts a great future for his beloved daughter Antigone and goes with her to tell their story to the world. The idea of absurd fatality that haunts the best people, according to Anouilh, goes all the way through the drama.
However, the writer reiterates that only a person with a great destiny is entitled to meet great misfortunes. Overcoming them, he towers over the mediocre people of the world, and his life becomes a legend, which means his spiritual victory. Thus, the revival of Anouilh`s main conflict -between a man in the street and a rebel -in the play is resolved in favor of the latter -Oedipus, who was originally destined to have an extraordinary fate.

Conclusion
So, for Anouilh "Antigone" was his play, where he asserted the idea of meaninglessness existence of a heroic personality in the world, whereas in his drama "Oedipus, or Lame King", the writer emphasizes the importance of appearance of such a person. The fearless and proud character, who nevertheless is doomed to torment or death, yet he becomes the only way to deal with the world of compromise. Absurd seems to be no longer present in his opposition to this world, but this opposition turns into a really necessary riot, which should inspire Anouilh`s contemporaries to defend their interests to the very end.
Thus, despite the overt pessimism of his later works, the playwright does not lose faith in the ideal human, who is able to withstand the world of mediocre people. In his latest play, "Thomas More, ou I'Homme Libre" (1987), which Anouilh wrote almost for 15 years, he re-introduced his favorite hero, who was able to say "NO" to the world and to accept death, thereby to immortalize his own image.