The Island

is this typical of the character throughout, or does the character change during the course of the play?

indicate a shift in Winston's understanding pf significance of the performing story of Antigone

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John and Winston are performing the play Antigone by Sophocles, which is an allegory of their own situations. John, playing Creon, sentences Antigone, played by Winston, to death, for crimes of conscience. This is allegorical of what has happened to the two men; both are non-violent offenders but have been given very long sentences for what are essentially crimes of conscience, just like Antigone's. John is a member of a banned political organization because his conscience tells him that he must participate in trying to effect change. Winston burned his passbook in front of the police, which was effectively setting fire to the tenets of apartheid and was therefore seen as anti-regime. Both men are prisoners because of their conscience, which they decided was preferable to be prisoners of their conscience, and in this they are the same as Antigone as well.