Compare the Plays Antigone, Oedipus and Othello and Discussion of Their Big Roles - Research Paper Example

 Introduction The history of theatre as a performing art is very old and rich. Plays have been incorporated as the reflection of the society through the paradigm of entertainment since the era before the birth of Jesus Christ. In the earlier times, it was just a means of entertainment but with the growth of civilisation, many aesthetic aspects got included in the paradigm of performing arts in general and theatre in particular. With time, theatres and plays have become more realistic, social and didactic and started getting related with myriad socio-economic issues of life, age and time. Thesis Statement This paper intends to present an in-depth study of the plays that have evolved from different ages in the literature through the manifestation of a comparative study. Along with that the comparative analysis of the themes present in the plays, culminates a perspective quintessential for the understanding of the role of these plays in comprehending the societies from which they have evolved. Comparison To compare the Greek plays Antigone and Oedipus with that of Othello by William Shakespeare, the first thing that will come under the scanner for choosing the parameter of comparison is the lapse of time running between the composition of Antigone, Oedipus and Othello. Yet, there are certain pre-cognitive planes on which the thread of comparison can be preceded. All the three plays are great tragedies of literature but Antigone is a tragedy of a princess and Oedipus and Othello speaks the tragic saga of two kings from two different parts of the world facing their predicament at two different times, yet are united by their grief and suffering evolved out of misunderstanding, betrayal and infidelity with all-pervasive elements of destiny extending and exercising its spell on the characters of the play. Antigone was probably composed by Sophocles before or in the year of 442 B.C. Chronologically, Antigone stands in the third position among the three Theban Plays but it is assumed to be written first. The play focuses on the expansion of the Theban legend that is composed predated to it and picks up the note where Aeschylus’ ‘Seven Against Thebes’ ends (Roberts, F. “The Three Theban Plays”, Pg - 35). On the other hand, Oedipus is also composed by Sophocles and it is an Athenian tragedy that was first performed around 429 B.C. This play is the second in the chronological order among the three Theban plays but in the internal chronology, it comes first which is followed by Oedipus of Colonus and lastly by Antigone. Over the ages, Oedipus as a play has become the mark of the excellence which Greek culture and art possessed at that time and undoubtedly is one of the remarkable tragedies of all times (Knox, B. “The Date of the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles”). Othello was composed by all-time master playwright of English literature, William Shakespeare and is assumed to be composed around 1603. Believed to be based on the Italian short story titled “Un Capitano Moro”, which in English means “A Moorish Captain”, the piece was composed by Cinthio who was a follower of Boccaccio. It is presumed to be first published in the year 1565. Othello as a tragedy has surpassed all the limits of the pain that love can bring and stands out as a shrine of aesthetic creativity, poetic verses and passionate presentation. All the three plays, Antigone, Oedipus and Othello are tragedies and all the three plays are set against a non-English background. Therefore, a comparative analysis of these plays would launch the readers into a platform that would yield a lot of information and perspective of Greek as well as Venetian society. At the same time, in all the three plays the role of women in society and their conditions from society to society at different times play important expression which would again launch into a macrocosmic interpretation of the social values pertaining during the different ages when the plays were composed. Antigone captivates many social and legal aspects of the contemporary world which are more focused and concerned with the running of the state and relate to the issue of vigilance and surveillance of law and order in the state. State control, the natural law and issues of contemporary legal institutions, issue of civil disobedience, and the role of a good citizen, fidelity and at a greater realm, the portrayal of Gods build up themes that interplay within the plot of the play. Therefore, a close introspection into the thematic facet of the play, Antigone hints that the play is more concerned with the socio-political aspect of the Athens and presents the condition of the citizen and the relation of the state with the citizens of Athens. As the female character is the central to the plot of the play, it is evident that the modern critical interpretation of the play leads to a myriad feminist discourse of the play which again throws light on the condition and role of women in and beyond the household in the Athenian society. In the play Oedipus, the theme of state control shares common space with that of the play Antigone. The other themes pertinent in the plot of the play are fate and free will and sight and blindness. The omnipotent destiny and the role of free will in the life of man and its importance in the Greek mythology and Athenian life become evident from this play. Fate is a very strong theme that evolves in Greek drama often and in tragedies particularly. This exercise of a free-will is a very important component of Greek myth and society also. State control plays a very eminent role again in this Athenian play and the verdict which sets the ideals on the behavioural aspect of the citizen and renders a dogmatic role in this play. The literal and metaphorical mention of the sight and blindness and the interplay of these themes in oscillating mode set a different parameter for the understanding of the play. The perception of being visionless from mind and having literal vision without the vision of mind is the crux which set a didactic tone diminishing the fore-boding being played throughout the plot of the play. Othello, which is composed hundreds of years after the production of Antigone or Oedipus, again hints on many social and racial issues. Apart from the supremacy of the evil over the good and equal importance of the manipulator Iago, who actually serves as the icon of destiny by playing and tossing with every character in his net of lies, gets prominence as hero in the eyes of the modern critics like Harold Bloom and A. C. Bradley. The supremacy of anti-hero over the hero is a very pertinent metaphorical presentation of the realism. The true and pragmatic vision of the society is presented through the ordeal that the hero in the play meets. Also, the play “Othello” has a great psychological element to deal with as it throws light on the flux which human behaviour shows (Shakespeare, W. “Four Tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth”). Conclusion The plays, Antigone, Oedipus and Othello though composed with different themes and are set against entire different backgrounds, are very important in terms of reflecting the true occurrences in the society. At the same time, these plays have been a very valid source of knowledge about the society and age from which they have evolved. Universal in their aesthetic aspect, the plays, Antigone, Oedipus and Othello shall continue to charm the readers and audience till eternity for the trustworthy representation of emotion, passion and psychological realism which these plays have encapsulated. References Knox, B. “The Date of the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles”. The American Journal of Philology, 1956. Fagles, R. The Three Theban Plays. Penguin, 1986. Pg - 35. Shakespeare, W. Four Tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth. Bantam Books, 1988. Bibliography Belfiore, E. Tragic Pleasures: Aristotle on Plot and Emotion. Princeton, 1992. Pg – 176. Cinthio, G. “Hecatommithi”. April 30, 2011. Virgil. 1365. Halliday, F. A Shakespeare Companion 1564-1964. Penguin, 1964. Pg – 346. Read More