Writing about Going to the Theatre
Once you have completed your section, return it to the teacher so copies
can be made to share with the class.
Title:
Ophelia Thinks Harder
Author:
Jean Betts
Director:
_____________________________________________
6. Costume
On the following page, make an annotated sketch of a costume you found
effective in the production. Although you can draft your sketch in pencil,
make sure to go over it in blue/black pen so that it is clear and will
photocopy well.
Annotated sketch: a sketch carefully labelling every component. For a
costume, you need to label what fabrics and colours are used, as well as
the accessories (handkerchiefs, jewellery, hats, shoes, purses, weapons
etc). It also helps to label which parts of a costume are flowing/tight.
What about the costume gave you information about the character? (ie.
Juliet was dressed in a silk dress with plenty of rings and jewels around
her neck. This told the audience that she came from a wealthy
background).
Ophelia was dressed in the style of a 1980s punk-chick. She had a tight
black skirt, tank top, and a slightly ripped black top. This obviously
helped reinforce the setting of the play (the 1980s), but also helped
identify Ophelia with a strong figure of 1980s womanhood – Madonna, who
often adopted very similar dress. As such, the audience is asked to
compare Ophelia’s character with Madonna’s, particularly in the beginning
of the play when Ophelia is regularly appealing to the picture of Madonna
on her wall for guidance. There is a double meaning to this action, as the
image of Madonna - and the name itself – is a reference to the Virgin
Mary, who can be read as a symbol of female supplication (carrying the
child of god), domesticity and purity (conceiving the child of god without
intercourse). The musician Madonna, on the other hand is a symbol of
female independence and empowerment. Her songs spoke openly about
female desire and she was proud of her sexuality. The use of costume
and Ophelia’s repeated appeals to the picture of Madonna help the
audience realise her inner struggle between trying to please all the men
around her (Hamlet, Polonius and Laertes), while maintaining her own
independence and individuality.
How did the costume aid the effectiveness or impact of the performance
and/or character?
The costume is used effectively to the point of becoming a prop in
Ophelia’s characterisation. She is undressed/disrobed at least three
times in the play by other characters – her father and the queen, for
instance - demanding that she dress or look different. Her costume is
stripped from her, making Ophelia look like a doll, a passive figure
symbolically dressed (or shaped) by the demands of others. Gertrude and
Polonius demand she wear coloured clothes, and the queen demands that
she “dazzle” her son while Polonius demands that she does not encourage
him. When Ophelia is undressed, she stands in white undergarments and
is very exposed. This effectively communicates her vulnerability – she
hasn’t the power to say “no” in this world, and – perhaps more importantly
– has not yet quite learned HOW to say “no”. The removal and
replacement of Ophelia’s costume also communicates to the audience the
theme of inequality between the sexes. As the queen has her plucked,
shaved and undressed, Ophelia asks “Can’t I just be myself?”, to which
the queen says no, “we have to work at being women”. Later, Ophelia
mourns the fact that she has “turned into a woman? Can’t I stay a
person?”. The inequality is highlighted to us by the fact that being a
woman is about putting on a show and acting, whilst men “don’t have to
define themselves.” Underneath this is also a question about gender as a
cultural construct, as a performative aspect of society rather than an
actual ingrained difference between men and women.