Escapism and power as entwined themes in Anouilh’s Antigone and Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essay

relief valve is the faculty of a soul to leave his or her physical surroundings, and reach into a cosmea of their own, in narrate to flee the harsh virtue of reality. This ability gage give an individual position, or make them pull away it. This concept is highlighted in Anouilhs Antigone and Ibsens A biddys Ho character, through with(predicate) the crafty use of symbols, predicting, and imagery. In this light, escape valve and big businessman butt joint be seen as themes with a think purpose to drive the play foregoing by building up emotions that finish in acts of rebellion at the shutting of each play. With reference to this, escapism as a means to fall upon and turn a breathing out exponent, and world-beater as a innovation for escapism go forth be canvas in this essay.Escapism as a means to gain power is visualized in Anouilhs play Antigone through his protagonist. Although mentioned only once, the greynessish ground that Antigone is so fascinate d with serves as a symbol for her wishful thinker persona. She says It was beautiful. The whole land was grey when I went out. And now you wouldnt fill out it. It is like a localise bankers bill all pink, green, and yellow.1 The plump grey alludes to bleakness, imagery of a world without colour, which could entail to a world without men or human interference. Her dislike for the world with colour suggests that she is not content with the mortal world of man, and wishes to go beyond it. This idea is perpetuated when she says contain you ever thought how lovely a garden is when it is not yet opinion of men?Hence, her longing to leave the world of men is one of the motivating factors towards her last to defy her uncle Creon, bury her br other(a) and hencely make her uncle sentence her to death. Her strong willing to die, indicated by her vehement assertion, I lack to die gives her power over Creon, as he is helpless to change her decision. Indirectly, she brings well-ni gh the death of Haemon and Eurydice, as her suicide causes Haemon to conjunction her in death, which causes his mother Eurydice to commit suicide in turn. Thus, Antigones escapism defines and strengthens her will to die, which gives her consider fitted power over other characters in the play.However, in Ibsens A Dolls House, Nora is seen to create an terrific world which is filled with activity, colour and gaiety. This is her breed of escapism, which origins to Antigones, as hers is grey, dull and empty. Nevertheless, twain these forms of escapism serve to drive the play forward, although in different ways. Antigones escapist personality propels her power, while Noras escapism hampers her power.Escapism as a means to lose power is visualized in some(prenominal) Antigone and A Dolls House, although in strikingly different ways. In Ibsens A Dolls House, Noras escapism hinders her ability to accept the truth of her situation and achieve self liberation, and hence power. She e nvisions an idealist world of marital bliss, and in all but the end of the play, she ever strives to uphold this facade. This is evident when she says so convenient and happy here in our nonbelligerent home, and acquire no cargons in flake II, during a conflict between herself and Torvald. She is stressful to maintain her unrealistic world, as she is conscious(predicate) that this conflict is close to shattering it. This prevents her from gaining some(prenominal) sort of influence over her economise, as she is not able to assert her license by breaking free of her idealistic, although constrictive world.Thus, by attempting to conform to the expectations of the rigid post war society that the play is determined in, Nora hampers her ability to gain power. This is similar to the loss of power in Antigone however, it is brought on by Antigones absorption in the past(a) which leads her to reject her maturity, and thus her power as an adult in society. This brings to light a peanut, although significant undercurrent in both plays the theme of fryhood. This is linked to escapism, as it is a technique that Anouilh and Ibsen use to further their protagonists escapist natures, and thus restrict their ability to gain power.Both fe manlike protagonists are depicted as child women, although Antigones child like character stems from her reluctance to fall out from the past, Noras is imposed upon her by her push around husband, Torvald. For both women, this image causes them to lose power by fueling their escapist tendencies.For Nora, it is area of the character she plays for Torvald, and thus a while of her unrealistic world. Hence, it is not her true character. Thus, she is able to overcome it to gain power, by abandoning her scent out of idealism, and consequently the childlike image that her husband created for her. However, for Antigone, it is part of her innate persona, for she was never meant to be feminine, or adult -like. This is seen when she i s described at the very beginning of the play, as a thin little creature. This panorama of her character is developed through the play, oddly significant during her conversation with her Nurse. The nurse addresses her as my sparrow, my lamb and other such name appropriate to a child. This makes her yearn for her childishness even more. Her reminiscence makes her reluctant to die, and thus momentarily vulnerable.In stark contrast to this, escapism and power have a different function when manifested in the male characters of each play. Rather than escapism swelled rise to or hindering power, power is seen to be a trigger for escapism. In A Dolls House, Torvald is a man in a elderly society with considerable social standing. notwithstanding this, he indulges in an idealistic world in which he denies his failing wedding, and at the very end of the play, struggles to hold on to it, even after being burst by his wifes departure. This is construct in his disbelief when he says s carce to part to part from you No, no, Nora, I cant understand that idea. He fails to embrace the fact that the reality of his and Noras marriage has been finally revealed, as he has dog-tired so much time enwrapped in his unrealistic version of it, he has convinced himself it is real. Thus, his escapist world is shattered this renders him powerless to cope with Noras departure.Although Torvald seems to make out his power, Creon does not. He makes an analogy of his role as King to the role of a manual(a) laborer, someone who uses their physical strength for work that he describes as dirty. He deems it as something he is compelled to do, as he is responsible to the state by the power vested in him as a phallus of the royal family.His reluctant acceptance of power indicated by the line God knows, in that respect were other things I loved in life more than power leads him to discuss his summon Never grow up if you can help it. This suggests a legitimate attachment to the pas t, when life was simpler and free of the constraints of responsibility. The page himself is a symbol of this attachment, as he represents Creon as a young boy. Additionally, he is always by Creons side, reinforcing his subtle connection with the past. Thus, he exhibits a minor form of escapism induced by the weighty responsibility of having the power of the state.The themes of escapism and power, when linked, can prove to be a powerful tool to convey thoughts, and foreshadow character development. When combined with hints of childhood as a sub theme, these two motifs are revealed to be effective literary techniques in both plays, unveiling aspects of character that would at first glance pass undetected. Ibsen and Anouilh have shown escapism to moderate and amplify power, and in relation to this, power as a trigger for escapism. It is this interweaving of themes through symbols and imagery that unfeignedly enhances a piece of literary work, and gives it layers of depth.