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The tragedy of the Theban princess Antigone, who buried her brother according to the divine laws and for her act was condemned to death, has been for over two thousand of years one of the most famous plays of ancient Greece. Sophocles used the elements of the myth of Antigone, condensed them into dramatical events and gave the story, through this, its immortality. Sophocles' masterpiece served as a basis for all of the adaptations of the play which have been written since then.
After analysing Sophocles' play in the first chapter, this thesis focuses on the German adaptations by Hasenclever, Brecht and Hochhuth. In contrast with the balanced multiplicity of conflicts in the original tragedy, the German writers emphasize mainly the political meaning of the myth: the danger for the state of complete destruction by a cruel, brutal and arbitrary tyrant.
The second chapter discusses Hasenclever's unsuccessful preventive warning of fascism. Brecht and Hochhuth, whose adaptations are examined in the two following chapters, looked back on the Second World War and the implications of resistance against and collaboration with the horrific events surrounding it. This thesis attempts to demonstrate how German writers of the 20th century use Greek mythology--to send their messages to their public.