Oedipus: Unearthing A King
“Zeus and Apollo know, they know, the great masters of all the dark and depth of human life.” - Sophocles, Oedipus the King.
Before we take into consideration the pretext of what a character truly is when going towards how his or her mindset processes understanding just that which he is saying, we should have an awareness of why he is saying it. It’s this very word, why, that opens up the potential for finding the answers to all sorts of questions which allow him to unlock the force of unmasking what it means to appear to be someone like a divine ruler. It’s a considerable mountain to surmount, but the ideal best case of paralleling something so considerable, such as nailing the role of Oedipus, is one which translates into the world of the actor onto more world-altering views of this considerate understanding. This is the explanation of why a translation of one’s hard work into another is especially noteworthy; the actor is able to start back at such an early date, i.e. the times of the mythical Theban society, and grow through the mission of having it decode the complications of why we are where we sit contemporarily. Thus, the past can repeat itself anew, yet again.
Understanding something such as the importance of a king’s position in time must be drawn to what was surrounding him both in thought and in a location with permissible access to the literary knowledge he had within his arching wingspan. Knowing that Sophocles was aware of the Sphinx gives insight to a bit of the potential impressions that the pharaohs of relevance in his time had on Greece. The Greek culture traversed to communicate with the Egyptians in order to be mentored in discovering what made such a well-crafted culture to be revered by Americans to this day. The knowledge of a longer history led the Grecians to believe that Egypt knew exactly what it was talking about due to the stated ideals that made them last so long. All of this grows in evidence that the Greek culture wasn’t starting from scratch because they had an awareness it would be more time conservative to take a working concept and apply it to their own budding culture. This is why The Sphinx’s riddle itself, able to be solved by Oedipus, was such a notable remark of success for the Thebans. They thought that finding the answer to such a mentally complex question from an advanced culture could give insight to a hopeful spark of potential. The Theban society in this legend was of remarkable potential for growth thanks to such a philosophical mind. It’s also important to note that there was a Thebes in Egypt as well as in Greece with the latter starting 200 years earlier.
Seeing now that the actor has a concept of its location and what it means to be a Theban in a Grecian writer’s mind, we must now look into the concept of what it means to be a king. It’s more than just a consortium of garnered power, it is knowledge which must be brought forth across a mass of people in a way which seems right enough to the point that is at least two-thirds of which those people can agree, then the rest will assuredly follow suit due to the concept of herd theory. With such a strength of power coming into the mind, it could seem demonizing, but this is where Oedipus would be a little more confusing. He was not born into an aristocratic awareness (we know of his true parents’ lineage) of the power he would manifest, so he earned his way to a crown by following the concept of attaining knowledge. His philosophies of thought are what convinced people into believing that his soul could appease the very Gods which had cursed him. An actor of such a demanding role must see that the people of Thebes literally honor his beck and call as the all-seeing knowledge that will transfuse their fate with promise and righteousness. He is in a critical condition which, though now is trained, was at once a point of teetering concern for the wellbeing of his past. Especially seeing as how he has blood on his hands.
With a small amount of history and concept of the philosophy of dedication into the craft of a lifestyle, it’s now time to take this knowledge which is now hopefully a baseline emotion and apply it to the text as well as this overarching objective in the thematic events of such a tale.
Seeing as how the actor must be of age for the role, there are components which cannot be altered due to the idea of who they now are being solidified in the experience of their personal life. This is what makes it so beneficial to have a concept of the history and a spark of imagination for the present-day performer to articulate his thoughts in such a uniquely constructed way. Seeing that the actor has a history of his own, he can use subtle details in his memory to manifest choices when making ideal scenes for each choice that Oedipus would make through his example. Thus, the idea of constantly reproducing the same scripts has relevance in understanding what makes each reiteration so propounding in a complex new way.
When going through the process of learning the script after being cast, the actor should take a schedule and divide it up into portions based on how much time he has total. If there is substantial time before rehearsal for the actor to begin learning his lines, then he should be aware of not only the importance of reading the play many more times than once but taking enough time in-between each reading to comprehend the piece in a new way. It’s worth stressing that the time for digestion both subconsciously and in awareness between reads is just as important as the reading itself. Nevertheless, the time in between is a Goldilocks effect similar to where you wouldn’t want to read too fast or too slow causing incomprehensible information to form. The actor must be aware that his brain is as imperfect as he has proven the world to be, which, in a beautiful way, makes each reread so much more thought-provoking. For the extremely adept actor, who should already be reading a lot, there should be no reason why he wouldn’t read the entire script cover to cover twice in a week at the bare minimum. This doesn’t include independent studies on the background and biographical information on the playwright alongside his location and time period, which is inexcusable to follow through within this Internet age. As a classically trained actor will know from script study courses he has taken in education, he knows that each time he reads through the script, aside from the first free-read, he must seek out a specific focus to hone in on. This not only makes it easier to find as opposed to being overwhelmed but adds a unique point that is easier to articulate come the time of rehearsal. It is before this that the actor should drive himself into undertaking his memorizing.
As an actor myself, I’ve been very minimally seasoned but found the most effective way to memorize lines was to do them repetitive monotone speaking. I would do this after finding the research on the history’s relevance alongside all of the fictional and non-fictional philosophies appropriating the play itself, but before developing my own take on the physical character. Seeing through to this, it should be noteworthy that a major highlight of this method enlarges the chance for malleability come the time of rehearsal. When the script is memorized for the lines themselves with a consistent flat focus, there are no means to a solidification on how they’ll be delivered. It enhances the delicate approach of being in a reactive state with other partners on the stage. As well, there tends to be emotive attachment alongside memorizing lines with an inflection which can in turn concrete physical expression. Sometimes the actor can catch himself in an ever-deepening pit when he memorizes a line like the following three lines of Oedipus’ monologue, “So I beg you, grudge us now, no voice, / no message plucked from the birds, the embers / or the mantic ways within your grasp.” (Sophocles 352–354). These lines could be interpreted and retained with one emotion, yet is much harder to change should the director see the emotion as incorrect in his given circumstances of the narrative. However, let’s not jump ahead to the director’s side just yet, let’s get into the creation of one’s own Oedipus.
When the actor decides that he is justified with everything from his personal literarily dramaturgical studies on the character (which is very beneficial for explaining a point of view on decisions [which will be discussed soon]), and his lines are memorized to the point where he could pick up an extended verse or poem from any part of any sentence and finish it, he is ready to practice his character development. This is a part of the process that I, as an actor am still studying. I haven’t been able to practice, so please know that it’s not personally proven experientially. As the actor of repeated recitation which has hopefully happened enough in his career to make it apparent that simply reciting lines out loud with variable changes in tempo-rhythm, tone, physicality, volume, etc. is only a ground for uncovering the truth of the character, the inner life of the role. This can only be uncovered by doing just what he must get beyond, which is reciting. He must repeat his lines until he can acquire a significant understanding of their importance, and the faster he adapts his philosophical viewpoint with instinctual ideas that alter all of the ways that his lines are delivered, the faster his magic if’s can become proof of his characterized wizardry. By repeating the lines he has retained in unique ways, the actor can understand what his inner self-wants to show through the character and uncover different possibilities with who he is becoming in the character. The ideal scenario behind this creation is that the actor should hope to find pieces of himself for the spectators to speculate and dreamily receive in catharsis. Personally, the actor should strive to become a better version of himself through a new perspective. This in totality is what enhances the wisdom and takes the “sauce,” (Sota, Benjamin) away while leaving the seasoning.
A product that is seemingly done should never be seen because there is no logic in ending the growth of something so organic such as theatre. When the characterization is finally complete, the actor must be able to take it all and apply it in his rehearsals amongst the other actors who have prepared just as rigorously. The self-studied roles could take dramatic turns, but the inner core of what they stand for should be sturdy enough to allow room for adjustment. This is something all actors need to be prepared for. As the spirit roles find their bodies on the interactive stage, the directors begin to choreograph the way in which they live. Through the art of active listening, some of these alterations can be made intuitively in the moment, but when significant viewpoints clash with how specific parts of the story are being presented, it’s truly the logic of the reason behind what is happening that will take its course. As mentioned earlier, this is where it is very important for the actor to have distinct reasons why he does what he acts. It is not to be in a state of a show to impress, it is to shell out perspective on the unique ideas he has seen in his development which could significantly impact the quality of the overall production. The actor shouldn’t be one-minded, however. He should have the ability to keep an open mind and have expectations of altering his viewpoints too. This is an unbiased art.
Through this miracle of living all of the performers can find their position in the story and with their thorough training find the peace that what they do does not enhance the views of their character, but the entirety of the play itself. This coming together of an artificial reality seen by a silence of rows and columns of viewers creates a truly surreal experience. Should an actor have the chance to get into the heart of a role like Oedipus, he should see the potential for his chance to change the way we view history. His very performance could alter thousands of audience members’ views on exactly what it is that was going on in the mind of the genius Sophocles. Thus, the preparation of a role like this and all roles should be taken as seriously as surgery because both are life-altering.
