Genre
Play, Drama, Political Play
Language
English/South African English
Setting and Context
A prison island in South Africa during the time of apartheid.
Narrator and Point of View
The point of view is that of John and Winston, the prisoners.
Tone and Mood
Compelling, dramatic, solemn, serious, and, at times, lighthearted
Protagonist and Antagonist
John and Winston are the protagonists, Hodoshe and the South African government are the antagonists
Major Conflict
The main conflict in the play is the fact that the two men have been imprisoned for standing up against a government that they do not respect. Additionally, they are treated poorly in the prison, dehumanized and beaten down by the authorities.
Climax
The climax is the play-within-a-play, in which Winston, as Antigone, is sentenced to death, and accepts her fate.
Foreshadowing
Understatement
Allusions
Allusions to apartheid in South Africa, to theater, to some old movies.
Imagery
The imagery is somewhat desolate; the prison is portrayed as a hopeless and dank place where prisoners are shackled to each other.
Paradox
Winston's reaction to John's impending release is paradoxical: he wants to be happy for John's appeal going through, but he is also angry at him and feels it to be an excruciating reminder of his own life sentence.
Parallelism
The two men's life stories parallel one another; their stories in turn parallel that of Antigone from Sophocles's play.
Personification
The prison guard is referred to as "Hodoshe," which is a word for a carrion fly.
Use of Dramatic Devices
There is an unseen character who is a symbol of the oppressive regime, and who is only represented through the sound of a whistle.
There is also a play within a play, designed to mirror what is happening in the lives of the characters.