“Therefore, to silence the rumor, the Emperor Nero falsely accused of guilt and punished with the most appalling tortures the people commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities.” The quote mentioned earlier is an account by the Roman historian Tacitus about the persecution of Christians in Rome. A surprising fact is that: 250 years later, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire despite the persecution that Christians had previously faced. This quote shows an example of how powerful authorities determine what people identify, not because it was a choice, but because it is in the authority's best interest to change people's identification. people. The formation of identity by powerful authorities is explored in this essay with a focus on the French play Antigone by Jean Anouilh. This play was released during the German occupation of France during World War II, when French identity faced great threat, and served to encourage French resistance. As a result, omnipotent authorities always play an important role in how people identify themselves, because this helps the authority realize its own interests. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Society and family are presented as authority figures that determine an individual's identity. In Antigone, Antigone's sister is presented as the obedient version of her sister who obeys the norms of society. This is best explained by the quote: "You always challenge the world but you're just a girl after all." (Anouilh) As a personality close to Antigone, Ismène repeatedly asks Antigone to conform to the norms of society and she is a representative of the family who pushes the individual to act in a certain way, thus shaping identity. The rigidity of society to change identity from the norm is depicted in the play. In Antigone, Jean Anouilh presents Antigone's efforts to do what she wants (thus showing who she really is) as futile in order to show readers that society does not easily accept nonconformist behavior. Powerful symbolism is manifested through the use of the quote: "Yes, with a toy shovel we went to the seaside when we were children." (Anouilh) The word “toy” is especially associated with children and by using it, the author attempts to highlight Antigone’s childish behavior and innocence. The diction of the previous quote also foreshadows the futility of her actions as she tries to bury someone using a toy shovel, implying that she is using inappropriate methods to solve her problem. This proves once again that society is reluctant towards non-conformist behavior and is a means that the author uses to remind how powerful it is and how easy it is to shape people's identities since the defenders of free will are not powerful enough. The emphasis on innocence in the vocabulary used is meant to indicate to readers that children who have not yet been exposed to the actions of society are more inclined to seek their individual identity even if they are considered weak. This is reinforced by the quote: "I can do that when I'm old." If ever I am. (Anouilh p.12) which highlights the reluctance of older people in society to admit their identity and pursue their dreams, thus showing the author's point of view that young people are free to..