OCR A Level Drama and Theatre H459/41 Deconstructing Texts for Performance Antigone. QUESTION PAPER AND ANSWERS

As a director, outline and explain your vision for directing the actors in this extract to bring out the playwright’s intentions. Annotate the script to show how you would do this. [30] ............................... ...

As a director, outline and explain your vision for directing the actors in this extract to bring out the playwright’s intentions. Annotate the script to show how you would do this. 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Creon: Yes, my boy – I can. Come now – courage! Antigone can’t go on living. She’s already left us. Haemon: And do you think I can go on living, without her? Do you think I’m going to accept that life you talk about? Every day, morn till night, without her? All your bustle and blather, all your emptiness … without her? Creon: You’ll have to. To every man there comes a day, soon or late, sad or happy, when at last he has to accept that he’s a man. For you that day’s today. For the last time you stand in front of me as my little son … your eyes brimming, pain in your heart. In a moment, when you turn away and go through that door, it will be over. Haemon (drawing back; low): It’s over already. Creon: Don’t judge me, Haemon. Don’t you judge me too. Haemon (looking at him, then in a sudden outburst): That great strength and courage … that giant-god who used to gather me up in his arms and save me from ghosts – was that you? The thrilling smell, the delicious bread in the lamplight, the evenings when you used to take me into your study and show me your books – was that really you, do you think? Creon (humbly): Yes. Haemon: And all that trouble, that pride, those books – were they only leading up to this? To becoming a man, as you call it – a man who’s supposed to consider himself lucky just to be alive? Creon: Yes. 4 © OCR 2021 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 Haemon (crying out like a child, throwing himself into CREON’s arms): Oh Father, it isn’t true, it isn’t you, it isn’t happening! We’re not both driven into a corner where we can only say yes! You’re still strong, like when I was small. I beg you, let me admire you still! I’m too alone, the world’s too empty, if I have to stop looking up to you. Creon (putting him away): We are alone. The world is empty. And you’ve looked up to your father too long. Look me straight in the eyes. That’s what it means to be a man. Haemon (looks at him, then recoils, and bursts out): Antigone! Antigone! Help! HAEMON runs out. Chorus (going over to CREON): Creon, he’s like a madman. Creon (standing motionless, staring into space): Yes. Poor boy. He loves her. Chorus: Creon, you must do something. Creon: I can do nothing. Chorus: Haemon’s wounded. Mortally. Creon: We all are. Enter ANTIGONE, hustled in by the GUARDS who then put their backs against the door. The mob can be heard howling in the distance. Jonas: Sir, they’ve broken into the palace! Antigone: Creon … keep them away! I don’t want to see their faces any more, or hear their shouting. I don’t want to see anyone! You’ve got my death – that’s enough. Don’t let me have to see anyone else till it’s all over. Creon (going: shouting to GUARDS): Jonas, you stay here with her! The rest of you, come with me and throw the mob out! 5 © OCR 2021 Turn over 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 The other two GUARDS go out, followed by the CHORUS. ANTIGONE is left with the first GUARD. She looks at him. Antigone: So it’s to be you. Jonas: What do you mean? Antigone: Yours is the last human face I shall see. Jonas: Looks like it. Antigone: Let me look at you. Jonas (moving away; embarrassed): No … no … stop it … Antigone: Aren’t you the one who arrested me just now? Jonas: Yes. Antigone: You hurt me. There was no need. Did I look as if I’d try to run away? Jonas: Now then, no nonsense! It was either you or me. Antigone: How old are you? Pause. Jonas: Thirty-nine. Antigone: Any children? Jonas: Two. Antigone: Are you fond of them? Jonas: Mind your own business. He starts pacing to and fro. For a while the only sound is that of his footsteps. Antigone (more humbly): Have you been in the guards long? Jonas: Since the end of the war. I was a sergeant. I signed on again. Antigone: Do you have to be a sergeant to join the guards? Jonas: In theory. A sergeant or a special. But if you’re a sergeant you lose your rank when you join the guards. So if, for the sake of argument, I meet an army recruit, he might not salute me. Antigone: Really? Jonas: Of course they generally do. They know you’re really an NCO. As for the pay, you get ordinary guard’s pay, plus, as a bonus for the first six months, 6 © OCR 2021 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 the extra you used to get as a sergeant. But of course there are other advantages. Living quarters, heating, family allowances. All in all a married guard can earn more than a sergeant in the regular army. Antigone: Really? Jonas: Yes. That’s why there’s such rivalry. As you may have noticed, sergeants pretend to look down on guards. Because of the promotion mainly. They’re right, in a way. It’s much slower and more difficult in the guards. But you mustn’t forget that a lance-sergeant in the guards is more important than a quarter-mastersergeant in the army … Antigone (suddenly): Listen. Jonas: I’m listening. Antigone: I’m going to die very soon. He doesn’t answer. Pause. He goes on pacing. Then: Jonas: Of course, people look up more to a guard. He’s a sort of official as well as a soldier … Antigone: Do you think it hurts? Jonas: What? Antigone: Dying. Does it hurt? Jonas: Couldn’t say. I know it hurt during the war, when men were wounded in the stomach. But I was never wounded myself … Maybe that’s what’s stood in the way of my promotion … Antigone: How will they do it? Jonas: I believe I heard they were going to wall you up, so as not to stain the city with your blood. Antigone: Wall me up? Alive? Jonas: At first. Silence. The GUARD makes himself a quid of tobacco. Antigone: Hail, then, my grave, my marriage bed, my underground home! (She looks very small in the middle of that big base 7 © OCR 2021 Turn over 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 room. She looks cold. She wraps her arms around herself. Then, as if to herself.) But all on my own … ! Jonas (finishing his quid): It’ll be in the caves of Hades, outside the city gates. Right out in the sun. Another lousy job for whoever’s on sentry duty. The last I heard it was going to be the guards again. They put everything on us! Antigone (low, weary): Two animals … Jonas: What about them? Antigone: Two animals would huddle together for warmth. I’m all on my own. Jonas: I can call somebody if you need anything. Antigone: No. I’d just like you to deliver a letter after I’m dead. Jonas: What letter? Antigone: I’m just going to write it. Jonas: Oh no! None of that! Letter indeed! It’d be more than my life’s worth … Antigone: I’d give you this ring. Jonas: Is it gold? Antigone: Yes. Jonas: If they search me I’ll be courtmartialled. You realise that, don’t you? Fat lot you care … (Looks at the ring again.) Tell you what I could do … I could write what you want to say down in my notebook and tear the page out. It wouldn’t be the same if it was in my writing … Antigone (eyes closed, with an attempt at a laugh): Your writing … ! (Then she shudders.) Oh, it’s all too horrible! Jonas (offended, pretending to give the ring back): All right, if you’ve changed your mind. It’s all the same to me. Antigone: No – keep the ring, and write down what I say … But quickly – there isn’t much time. Put: ‘My darling …’ 8 © OCR 2021 2 As a director, explain and justify how you could stage a performance of Antigone to highlight the key moments of the play. 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