Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is a tragedy that explores the story of King Oedipus. In Greek mythology, King Oedipus was the King of Thebes, one of the largest cities in Ancient Central Greece. Of all Sophocles’ Theban plays he wrote, three survived, which directly or indirectly touched King Oedipus. This essay will review the 2020 production of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex by Warwick Classics Department and Classics Society directed by Max Stapleton.
The original Sophocles’ play centers on King Oedipus’ dramatic story of trying to avoid his fate. At the beginning of the play, a mysterious religious plague struck the city of Thebes. As a king, Oedipus decides to investigate the reason for the plague and soon discovers the prophecy involving the murder of Thebes’ previous king, Laius. The prophecy states that the plague will stop when the murderer of King Laius is dead. The prophecy also says that the killer is both father and a “brother of the children in his house” and a “husband and the son of the very woman who gave birth to them” (Sophocles 25). Reminiscing about his past, Oedipus discovers that he is blind to the truth that he is the killer of King Laius.
The idea behind Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex play follows two main rhetorical assumptions. Firstly, the author emphasizes the confrontation between fate and the human ability to express free will in their actions. Oedipus ran from his fate in fear of the prophecy, unintentionally getting closer to her. Furthermore, the play questions the human ability to see things while being blind to knowledge and truth, suggesting that a blind person might be more sighted than the one who sees.
The Warwick Classics Department and Classics Society production of Ian Johnston’s translation of Oedipus Rex views the story through the prism of the noir detective genre. The play is set during the Great Depression, where Oedipus plays the role of a mayor who is famous for many glories (Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex). Faced with a disease that affects the poor citizens, Oedipus decides to uncover the mystery of Laius’ murder as it may also threaten his safety. In the play, Oedipus’s character progresses from being a strong and confident man seeking justice to a man obsessed with the mystery of his past who hesitates to link the two prophecies.
The director’s decision to change the setting to a more modern period in history allows the viewers to explore the story through relatable problems in modern society. For example, most interactions take place in decorations that resemble an office or interrogation in a police station. Moreover, according to Pérez-Lizasuain, the play’s events where the plague negatively affects political power resemble the COVID-19 pandemic (101). As a ruler and a public figure, Oedipus risks his position in getting to the core of Laius’ murder and saving the city from decline. While Sophocles’ story illustrated how dangerous it could be for people to try to avoid their fate and the dramatic consequences of long deceptions, modern production focuses on the impermanence of power. Compared to Sophocles’ original play that questions philosophical terms, the production illustrates what would to a man with Oedipus’ fate in modern society. At the end of production, Oedipus is taken away by police officers to be punished for Laius’ murder. Thus, the director intended to display modern power dynamics in which even the most active and fair power figures are tied to reputation and family secrets.
In conclusion, this essay reviewed the Warwick Classics Department and Classics Society’s production of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Through defining Sophocles’ and the production director’s intentions, the essay determined the core differences between the production and the original play. While Sophocles’ play focuses on philosophical questions, such as whether humans are free in their will, the production utilizes a more practical approach in showcasing problems relevant in 2022, such as power and politics.
Works Cited
Pérez-Lizasuain, Cesar. “Oedipus before COVID-19: An essay on the corporatization of political sovereignty and openings in the pandemic.” Alternautas, vol.8, no. 1, 2021, pp. 100-108.
Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Translated by Ian Johnston, Richer Resources Publications, 2007.
“Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex.” YouTube, uploaded by Classics and Ancient History @Warwick, 2020.