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Comparison Of Sophocles 'Oedipus Rex'

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This paper will be considering the difference between Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus and a version of this play in film “Oedipus Rex” by Stratford. The specific aspects that will be compared are: the use of formal aspects of Greek tragedy, visual aspects, technical aspects and characterization. Although there are many differences between each; this paper will also discuss the similarities shared between these two experiences of the play. An interesting aspect to study is the use of formal aspects of Greek tragedy. The most obvious displayed in the film was the use of masks. A modern audience that has not attended a performance as such in the City Dionysia would probably not expect the actors to wear masks. The masks were rather large for the …show more content…

I noticed the costume colours varied based on the roles of the characters. For example, in the beginning of the film, Oedipus wore all gold. Gold represents his role as the King, while the chorus wore rag-like clothes with darker tones such as grey and brown. Additionally, I noticed that Oedipus was not seen leaning on a cane because of his swollen foot as described in the play, which is an important factor that could have put his past on display for the audience of the film. However, there were many props used to emphasize the situations. For example, the chorus held branches of suppliants when they were begging for the plague to be lifted from the city. I noticed that there were no leaves on the branches, which might have been used to symbolize the lack of life in the city. The special effect of fog and the dark lights were also used to display the sorrow within the city. No positive emotion was ever displayed during the film and play because of the tragic plot. The set design was rather simple and did not look like a city, but it did match the description of the setting in the play; the grey colour of the set adding to the dark scenery. Viewers are told in the beginning of the film to imagine the stage to be the city of Thebes and the lights as the sun. Viewers use approximately the same degree of imagination as readers of the play due to the combination of visual

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Furthermore, the moody sound cues and the hard lighting of the background was a perfect combination to most of its electrifying scenes, such as the cross-examination scene of the main antagonist, in order to reflect a mostly conflict ridden and angry scenes. For me, this is because the entire play is staged as when it is written, where its historical significance is key to the plot. Thus, as a spectator, I was swayed by the timely vibe of Australia in the eighties, complemented by the timeworn

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The setting depicted elements of nature by using lights and water to create a calm, conscious atmosphere. The play began with rain sounds in the background, leading up to actual rain pouring onto the stage during the shrine and the funeral scenes. The lights gave off blue overtones in almost every scene. In the scene with Scottie and Bernadette, the blue lights contrasted with orange lights to give the audience a perspective of the sunset that Scottie viewed every day. The lights, subtle music, and rain helped me make sense of the setting and feel like I was a part of the show.

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The black box theater is a very intimate setting to begin with, and as I took my seat in the theater, I felt that intimacy. The theater was dark, and the audience was virtually silent before the production began. As I sat waiting for the performance to begin, I took in the lighting, the props, and the set as a whole, and I began to feel as if I were sitting just at the edge of a different time period. The design element that stood out most to me was the lighting of the river because the gobos and the selection of down lights made the river come to life, almost as if it was another character in this production. I was definitely drawn into the world of this play due to the intimacy of the black box theater and the lighting design of the

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The set was simple, and it had a lot old fashion furniture that you don't see that much unless you have grandparent that still have old style furniture. The theater was small and minimalistic and help the audience feel closer the

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The scenes consist of the many techniques mentioned above, there are two main characters are shown and the play is set in contrasting between the past and the present. There are two real locations that are the TV studio and Melbourne hotel, however the interplay of the techniques in the scenes works together to create a wartime setting. The audience awareness is developed through the historical information from each scene. Theatrical devices a re combined to create various features and have a great dramatic impact. The structure promotes the audience to watch the play because the structure of this storyboard is contrasted between the past and present that will attract audience attention, as it is an historical play set between different times.

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A particularly effective element of the production was the use of costume. The costumes exposed the time period, transporting the audience back to 1981, immediately involving me in the story. Costume represented the social class the characters belonged to. Mr and Mrs Lyons were rich and had a high social status, their costume established their character; Mr. Lyons was wearing a suit and Mrs. Lyons wore tights and uniform.

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The productions of this play were successful through stage design, lighting crewing, and acting. Those three aspects made the quality of the play stand out to me, as an audience member. The production of the set design of the play was a good effort. The set design for the play staging aims for the sweet spot between feeding adult nostalgia and satisfying a new generation of children.

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In Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein, the lighting design perfectly captures the essence of the story, effectively communicating the plot and emotions of the characters. Through his strategic use of light, shadows, and color, the lighting design effectively communicates the characters’ internal struggles and psychological depths. It envelops the audience in a visually captivating experience that not only enhances the but also deepens the emotional connection to the play. One captivating example of lighting design’s impact can be seen in the scene where the creature, after being rejected by society, attempts to seek refuge in a remote forest.

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While both stage and screen portrayals were highly acclaimed there are some similarities as well as some marked differences in each interpretation. On the surface, the first difference noted between the stage and screen versions are the sets. The stage version describes the setting of the play, the Younger family living room, as a

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As the election of 1960 came to an end it saw Democratic nominee defeat Republican nominee Richard Nixon by a very slim margin. John F. Kennedy would go on to replace Dwight D. Eisenhower after his victory. President Kennedy would avoid controversial topics, such as civil right calling it a moral issue. Instead, he would focus on the issue of the Cold War. As he was campaigning for the election of 1960 he criticized President Eisenhower’s stance on foreign policy, accusing him of failing to reduce the threat of a possible nuclear war with the Soviet Union and also weakening America’s standing in the Third World (Norton, 763).

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The world of literature offers many different works; some may offer similarities while there are differences between others. There are more similarities than differences between Odysseus and Oedipus. Two great examples of literature is the tragic play “Oedipus the King”, written by Sophocles and “The Odyssey”, an epic poem written by Homer who were both Greek poets. Both poets’ work shows similar examples of life altering changes that were ultimately controlled by the Greek gods.

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Lighting was used very effectively to show a lot of conflict that wasn’t part of the main storyline. When the shadows of people were present in the background it drew the audiences attention away from what was happening on the main stage. The lighting also did a good job of setting a mood. When the shadows in the background were dancing and kissing it set a romantic mood and when the mood was more serious the background shadows were fighting. Also when Blanche put the filter over the light in the bedroom, it gave the play the more happy and romantic feel that Blanche’s character brought to the

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As stated by Landis, “Costumes are also used to focus attention on the major actors and the important action in a scene”, in connection to Oedipus in the filmed version, there was no hesitation regarding this saying. Oedipus, as the main character, was set up to wear the costume with the golden color, at the beginning, which made him standing out compared to others. And when

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For instance, the lavish hotel lobby would make the poorly dressed Odums stand out like a sore thumb, especially when they stand next to Clay. Moreover, the lighting keeps the focus on the Odums, which is implicitly critical to the play. Quite frequently the poor are left in the dark and out of the focus of the main audience – a side story. However, the lights would stay focused on the Odums throughout the play, which will force the audience to see and learn about the Odums. Because the audience’s focus remains on the Odums throughout the piece because of the lighting, coupled with the differences in costumes, the tragic situation of the Odums is in plain view of the audience.

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The stage directions are not so descriptive. The setting is described in two lines and the characters are little described. They are limited to describe the actions of the characters. There are sound effects such as the bell that sounds at the end of the play and lightning effects such as the fade out that occurs at the end of each

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