Statements

I only read two of the plays included in this book. The plays I read, The Island and Sizwe Bansi is Dead, were both very good. Very well written but I'm not a fan of plays so didn't affect me as much as a novel would have.

Just ok

Fugard is deservedly considered to be one of the greatest living playwrights. The way he makes use of Sophocles' Antigone is simply brilliant. It's real, graphic and gutsy and a marvellous political comment.

The quality of the book exceeded my expectation. I have since then ordered about half a dozen more books.

The Island by Athol Fugard tells the story of two inmates (played by John Kani and Winston Ntshona) planning to perform Antigone for their prison on Robben Island. John is informed that he will be released early - in three months - and will serve three years in prison, as opposed to the 10 to which he was sentenced. Winston, his cellmate, musters up false encouragement for his friend, which ultimately ended in an explosion of pent up anger.John is passionate about performing Antigone for his fellow prisoners and guards, and he intends to go about it in the original style of Greek plays: the parts are played by at least two males. Winston becomes increasingly uncomfortable with playing the role of Antigone, and he backs out of the plan, emphasizing his point by saying, “[y]ou think I can’t? Just wait and see” (p. 61). After many disputes and learning that John will be released in three months, Winston concedes, agreeing to play Antigone to John’s Creon.My favorite part of this play was John’s portrayal and description of Creon. I’ve been met with criticism for not completely hating Creon, and I feel that this play explains my reasoning.“The law states or maintains nothing, good people. The law defends! The law is no more or less than a shield in your faithful servant’s hand to protect YOU! But even as a shield would be useless in one hand, to defend, without a sword in the other, strike… so too the law has its edge. The penalty!” (p. 74). The depiction of Creon only wanting to do what is best for his people will give Creon-haters a new perspective, the logical reasoning that comes with Creon. Sticking to one’s word, one’s law is valid. Just as well, Antigone disagreed with that law and had her own view of what was right.The Island showed Creon’s depth of character. In my opinion, this play gave a more full explanation of the king and his motivations and reasonings, than Antigone itself. Though John and Winston sided, related to, and agreed with Antigone, they didn’t pit one character against the other. It’s easy to make an emotional connection with Antigone (as most of my peers seemed to do) and then neglect Creon and deem him completely wrong. German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel explains that Antigone is the “tragic collision of right against right, with both sides equally justified,” and this is explained by Fugard in The Island. This gives readers time to consider Creon’s morality and efforts, instead of writing him off as an evil villain because of how Antigone appealed to pathos.John and Winston apply the metaphor of Antigone and Creon to their life in prison. The prisoners are Antigone. The prisoners are Polynices (as emphasized on page 52, when John, while explaining Antigone to Winston, describes Polynices as “[t]he traitor! The one who I said was on our side”). They are pitted against the larger, stronger group, and, just like Antigone, begin to accept their fate. While John will be released in roughly 91 days, Winston knows that he, himself will remain.Athol Fugard successfully evoked emotions within a short span of pages. It’s difficult to express heartfelt, realistic emotions but within the (roughly) 30 pages of The Island, I could feel the bittersweet sensation that John and Winston experienced when thinking of their separation. It almost felt too overwhelming to imagine the day where they really would part ways.Winston, while playing Antigone, compares heading to death as coming to Robben Island. He describes the purgatory of Robben in much the same way as Antigone is forcibly shut away in a cave. John and Winston compare themselves and their surroundings to Antigone, all the while using the characters to poke jabs at their superiors, often dropping the name of an officer, Hodoshe.I don’t think it’s necessary for individuals to have read Antigone before reading The Island. The premise is explained and readers will have an understanding of what Sophocles’ play is about by The Island’s end. Enjoying plays and having an appreciation for the art of concision, this short written piece will increase readers’ pleasure when studying Athol Fugard’s play.

The Island tells the tale of two South African men who were imprisoned as a result of the Immorality Act. John and Winston were sent to prison for speaking their mind. They are forced into hard labor every day by their prison guard names, Hodoshe. John and Winston, both fathers and husbands, have families that they involuntarily had to leave when sent to prison. Winston tends to be carefree and relaxed, while John is uptight and tense; he is difficult and does not seem so care about being in prison as much as John does. Winston is very happy for John when he hears that he will be let out of prison in just three months, even though John is still skeptical and thinks that the government will withdraw their declaration. On the last night that the book mentions, John and Winston perform the play, Antigone, that they have been rehearsing for many weeks. Winston plays Antigone, while John plays Creon. At first, Winston is very hesitant and refuses to participate as Antigone, however through persuasion and pity, John gets Winston to succumb and play the part. The Island and Antigone have much in common, ranging from the characters’ personalities to symbols and setting. Firstly, the reason John, Winston, and Antigone all believed in natural law, that morals are more important than the law itself. The characters’ moral values are very important to them and they all tend to trust their moral compasses more than their ruler or king. Antigone speaks her mind when she tells Creon that she believes her brother, Polyneices, should be buried, even though he strongly disagrees. In addition, when Creon confronts Antigone about her actions, she confidently admits to doing what she morally felt was right. In The Island, Hodoshe was the ruler of the prison. He ordered the men around and decided their assignments for the day. Similarly, in Antigone, Creon ruled over Thebes. He was not forgiving in his rule and only followed positive law. After Antigone confessed to burying her brother, Creon sent her to an isolated cave with limited food and water. Her fate would be determined by gods: whether or not they would come and rescue her. The apartheid refers to the mistreatment of African Americans by the whites in South Africa. John and Winston spoke out against the apartheid, and that is why they were arrested. In Antigone, there are two cases of mistreatment: women vs. men and Polyneices vs Eteocles. Creon orders for a proper burial of Eteocles, because he is loyal to the state, but he says that Polyneices does not deserve a proper burial because he was a “traitor.” John and Winston expressed their relation to Polyneices by saying that the traitor was “on their side.” The prison resembles the isolated cave because it shows isolation from society and the mainland. In the prison the conditions were harsh, but bearable, similarly to the cave. After reading Antigone, which was written in an old-english style, people may enjoy, prefer, and appreciate the writing style and language used in The Island more. It provides a more modern spin on the ideas of the story. John and Winston are easier to relate to than Antigone is because of this. It is easier to tap more into their emotions, and their vocabulary is clearer in the minds of people living today.

Just love the play within the play of Antigone. Used this as part of my assignment on Antigone. Everyone should read this.

Amazing...such a good example of excellent South African drama during the Apartheid era.Astounding.

Fugard's play about 'devising' a play -John the writer plays Ismene to his actor Winston's Antigone... then Creon to his Antigone - revolutionary form & content - amazing example of classical reception in contemporary world

Superb plays by the Master of drama!