Picnic At Hanging Rock Play Analysis

Picnic at Hanging Rock is a play that is enriched with Australian culture, exploring many alternate morals in each scene, which is dependent on the context. The section of a scene that has been selected for this dramatic treatment involves the four girls of Appleyard College: Miranda, Marion, Irma and Edith inspecting the Hanging Rock; this is until the three seniors suddenly disappear without a trace, where Edith is left in shock. Throughout this scene, Edith is bullied continually, which affects her emotionally. This small portion of the play is an essential component to the storyline, where multiple themes and messages are realised. However, these themes will be considered to a greater extent, where the investigation of the key subject matters

Tampering with these aspects can assist in showing versatility when utilizing the dramatic elements, which consequently results in the themes of this scene being fully implemented. Ultimately, the script is then desirable towards contemporary audiences, and the dramatic treatment has been fulfilled.

One of the major alterations made to this scene to allow it to compensate with contemporary viewers was implementing the aspect of multimedia, which is a convention of Postmodernism. Multimedia is a useful tool in order to convey a particular message; this is precisely what has been done in the revised section of The Hanging Rock. This has been achieved by utilizing a projector screen for text messages and general text, as well as the use of sound effects. The introduction of multimedia in this scene begins with Marion creating a group message between the four girls, which is shown on the projector screen. This form of technology being presented to the audience communicates that the four girls have a playful and humorous relationship through text message. However, this immediately changes once Marion proves a fool out of Edith, and hits her with a harsh insult. This minor fragment of the scene reveals that there are many dramatic

Intertextuality is the relationship between texts, where this complements the postmodern idea of creating thought-provoking imagery. In the chosen scene, this mechanism particularly focuses on the theme of mystery and symbol. Only moments after the girls evaporate into thin air, the projector screen visualises the text: “Now we are free. I will see you again, but not yet. Not yet.” This message is implying that, despite the girls’ disappearance, they are now free from mortality and have left Earth feeling satisfied. The element of mood is clearly depicted in this scene, as the quote from the film Gladiators is truly cementing the eerie atmosphere, reinforcing that the girls are potentially lost for eternity. In terms of symbolism, the text conveys a meaning that is deeper than the literal suggestion. This stimulates a certain thought pattern in the audience, which also solidifies the unsettling mood. Evidently, these elements are worthy of the theme of mystery. Through the employment of intertextuality and the elements of mood and symbol, the mystery of the girls vanishing is fully realised and delved into a greater depth in comparison to the original excerpt. This being so, a modern audience will be able to empathise with these processes. In which, implementing intertextuality with a hidden meaning that creates mystery is an efficient