Antigone in Paris

In the 20th century the reception of ancient mythology experiences an enormous upswing in Europe. French playwrights between 1925 and 1945 in particular made use of the rich treasure of Greek mythology and recreated Antigone, Orest and Helena on the stages. The present work deals with the manifold reasons for this modern enthusiasm for myths. These are documented by means of deviations from the original mythological material as well as contemporary statements on the motivation and reception of the pieces. For this purpose, works by Jean Anouilh, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jean Giraudoux and André Gide have been used as examples, which are also placed in their artistic and historical context in comparison with other antique works.