Analysis on Antigone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis on Antigone - Essay Example The issue of burial would change from Polynieces being left out for the carrion, which would be illegal, to being buried anonymously out in the woods and without a memorial. An interesting twist might be to make the organized crime family Japanese, a story based upon the Yakuza rather than the more commonly known organized crime structure of the Italian mob. The setting of the play is justified because of the familial themes that are similar in both of the genres. The Greek setting is based upon royal familial ties and the need for both legitimacy in Creon’s authority and a conflict in which Antigone must defy his decision. The character interactions in the play by Sophocles are defined by their ties within a family and this makes the transition to a setting in which organized crime is involved have a strong potential. The genre of organized crime is based upon the ‘family’, thus the line of succession is a part of their power structure. That the role of Creon wou ld be in jeopardy of losing his place would also play nicely in the organized crime genre because although family is important, it is not the only criteria for establishing power. The son of an organized crime boss or the brother is not necessarily in line to inherit the control of the syndicate. The misogyny in organized crime can also be translated from the Greek. In the literary genre of organized crime stories women typically do not have a great deal of power and are more often portrayed as victims. Women in Japanese society have a tradition of being submissive, thus the nature of Antigone would have the same meaning if translated into a modern context. She is both young and female, thus her opinion would not be taken into consideration similar to the way it was not taken into consideration in the Greek version until she acted. Although modern Japanese women have more power than in the past, the organized crime syndicate of the Yakuza is based upon lower socio-economic male memb ers of the Japanese society who are disenfranchised and find a brotherhood with the Yakuza gangs. It is typically male oriented (Howard, 2011). The setting of Japan in the environment of the Yakuza means that male dominance and family importance both remain important themes. Generation gaps in belief systems can be used to show the older generational beliefs in male dominance in conflict with female assertions of power from a feminist perspective. The central issue of funeral can be translated between an anonymous burial of Polyneices in the woods instead of the customary cremation with honor. Characters The main characters of the play are Antigone, Haemon, Creon, and Ismene. In addition, the names of Polynieces and Eteocles would have to be changed as well. Antigone would become Aneko, which means older sister. This gives her a familial designation which also supports a sense of her wisdom. While Antigone means â€Å"against offspring,† the familial tie is reinforced through the use of the name Aneko (Behind the Name, 2012). Ismene would be changed to Junko, which means â€Å"child of obedience,† relating to her reluctance to go against the will of Creon. Creon would be named Eito, meaning a â€Å"prosperous person† designating that he is wealthy as he has taken control of the organized crime family (Baby Names World, 2012). Haemon can be changed to the name Hansuke which is translated to mean â€Å"helpful friend.† Polynieces is changed to Ryoji which is translates to â€Å"