Tragedy Journal #11

In the beginning the chorus acted as a device to forewarn the audience of the tragic events to come, as well as to inform the audience of what has happened previously with the characters before Antigone. The chorus did not really side with Antigone or Creon, but gave reasons to see how both can be right in their stance. However, in tonight's reading, the chorus did not talk about what is to come but talked more about a tragedy versus a melodrama. I feel that Anouilh used the chorus to show his personal stance on plays and how they should be portrayed. The talked about what makes something tragic and how in a melodrama the father wouldn't have died if he came five minutes earlier, or when he says, "the honest young man might have been brought to the police five minutes earlier" (24) Anouilh is pointing out the inherent flaws to melodramas because the sad aspects could have been prevented. But, in a tragedy there is this inevitable horrible outcome, "Nothing is in doubt and everyone's destiny is known" (24). This idea that everything is known helps to go along with the prophecies that were with Oedipus and in Greek life. He may have also used the chorus to foreshadow what is to come because when the chorus says, "argument is gratuitous: it's kingly" (24) this is showing that there are bad things to come simply because Creon is the king and he has to punish Antigone for disobeying his orders. I feel that Anouilh manipulated the chorus to reiterate that this is a tragedy, as well as to shed criticism on melodramas.