Conformity and Rebellion - Essay Example

Antigone Reading a play cannot be compared to listening and watching it on a screen. Although the plays are mainly meant to be heard and seen, I think that as a reader, reading a play would be more advantageous than seeing and hearing it. The play “Conformity and Rebellion” were mainly written to be seen, however, reading it can also afford some advantages. First of all, reading the play “Conformity and Rebellion” will simplify me to understand this complex work if a read it before seen it being performed. As a reader, it will not be enjoyable to watch the play “Conformity and rebellion” on stage before having an idea behind it and this will make me not to understand some scenes clearly. This is because reading a play helps a reader to interpret the ideas of the author in his or her own form since this depends on the reader’s interpretations and understanding (Abcarian and Marvin 23). If one watches a play, he or she will not have a chance to imagine characters in his or her way because he or she gets them being presented in a convinced manner. It is true that there are many and great movies of Antigone and they are amazing due to the computer graphics and special effects these days. Additionally, there are definitely many things to be said about the movies’ experience. They are fun, they are faster than reading, and have a wow factor. However, reading the play “Conformity and Rebellion” will always be a thousand times better than just seeing and listening to it. According to the experience of reading the play, a reader will be able to picture as well as relating all the characters in the play in his or her own way. It is annoying to watch a play whereby a character acts and look completely from what a reader pictured him or her after reading the play. I enjoy taking my time reading than watching a play (Abcarian, Marvin and Samuel 37). This is because by reading the play I will be able to give consideration to what the play’s author is trying to tell. This is because reading can be defined as conversation between a reader and an author. This means that after reading the play, “Conformity and Rebellion” I will completely understand the message the author is trying to deliver than just seeing and listening. This also enables one to connect the message received with things he or she has read from other books, TV, movies, personal experiences, and songs. A reader will always be disappointed when an interesting play book, like “Conformity and Rebellion” ends, this is like losing a nice friend (Abcarian and Marvin 29). Additionally, if the play is, for instance, a series, it will be a “torture” to wait for the writing of the next book. For instance, when you watch the play, “Conformity and Rebellion”, in the first scene when Ismene and Antigone are arguing, you will notice that there moods are clearly apparent and therefore it is difficult for the viewer to notice that there is public fear. This is clearly depicted in the play write when Ismene tells Antigone, “but no one must hear of this, you must tell no one…p. 469”. Their conversation with the playwright helped me point the characters in this way. If the play director wanted Antigone and Ismene to act in a happy and joyous mood, the play could have been acted in a different way as well as setting the movie differently and we could see the actors acting in a harsh manner. However, the way the entire play is presented in a movie, ends up pointing the viewers in a different direction that varies with the playwright (Abcarian, Marvin and Samuel 46). This cannot happen when you read the play. The playwright will certainly point a reader in a precise direction, and according to the matter of facts, one cannot some realities about the characters and plot because the book presents the play in a clear writing. However, there are many vital things that we also need to fill in. These include scenery, facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures (Abcarian and Marvin 35). This helps us to form opinions about the characters as well as understanding their actions and motives in a different way. In this sense, the written play will be referred to as a cool medium. Moreover, reading a play helps the reader to fully understand the thoughts of the author since a play is like a conversation between the author and the reader via the actions of the characters. In addition, reading a play always helps the reader to fully synthesize the content of the book and come up with a detailed understanding of all themes portrayed in the play. This is mainly achieved through taking down some short notes and even reading again the most critical scenes to understand them better. This is impossible when watching the play’s movie. For instance, in the first scene when Creon enters from the palace and deals with the Chorus from a top step, the conversations between the characters are detailed and written in large volumes. This is quite different from the movie whereby the characters just talk for a few minutes. The movie does not incorporate all this information, which the author intended the readers to read. Therefore, watching the play’s movie will be somehow disadvantageous than reading since some writings are omitted, thus leaving out some important information (Abcarian and Marvin 45). Although I agree that watching the movie is as fine as reading the play, it is clearly seen that reading the play will give the reader most detail, and he or she can pause reading any time he or she likes to look up for something else or digest the read content. The only aspect I can add is that the movie based on the actual events is better passed up than reading the play (Abcarian, Marvin and Samuel 57). For instance, “Conformity and Rebellion” is a very great movie as well as being entertaining than reading the book. However, the actual events shown in the movie are quite different from the ones recounted in the book. To sum up, I enjoy both reading and watching plays for several reasons. However, movies cannot be compared to good novels. This is because reading a play has the capability of helping the reader truly escape. There are sometimes when I finish reading an awesome play and feel like wanting to read again about the actors within the pages. With books, authors of plays have the opportunity of elaborating their descriptions more about the characters and settings. They are also able to go into details about events and places. There is no need to rush when reading a play. There is no big deal if a flashback covers four pages. If a reader misses something, he or she is able to read that particular page again. Reading a play book is similar to listening to your friend telling you an interesting gossip while watching is similar to eavesdrop on other people’s conversation, which you are not part of it. Works cited Abcarian, Richard, and Marvin Klotz. Literature: Reading and Writing the Human Experience. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. Print. Abcarian, Richard, Marvin Klotz, and Samuel Cohen. Literature: The Human Experience. Boston, Mass: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. Print. Read More