Adaptation of Canonical Texts

 Introduction

The term Adaptation cannot be restricted to a single meaning and use. It has a multiple sense of meanings and applications which mostly indicate the process of modifying and original subject for a particular purpose, environment and function (Brown, 2009). Literary critics see adaptation as the alteration of a given literacy forms to address changing perceptions of major life issues.

Written works, can not only endure deliberate change from their original forms to their intended form but they can also flourish in altered forms that come as an afterthought (Brown, 2009).  Canonical texts are not exempt from this rule. Their adaptations seem to leap back and forth by exploiting new platforms and technologies therefore reinventing themselves to suit the new audience. Suffice it to say that text adaptation can follow certain norms of biological adaptations in which organisms fail to adapt to new environments. Written text can also fail to endure adaptations to new forms especially when they fail to please the aspirations of the audience (Bloom, 2010). This paper attempts to evaluate three original texts against different adaptations of the same and how they change in light of emerging issues. The themes of race, colonialism,m, and feminism as present in Othello, The Tempest, and Medea respectively shall be considered.

Othello and Racism

In William Shakespeare’s play Othello, race while being one of the major subjects, cannot be treated as a theme in equal measure to other themes such as love, rivalry, and jealousy (Potter, 2008). This is because Shakespeare presents the concept of race and color in an obscure but profound fashion. Film adaptations of the play have fallen victim to this and as such are always interpreted differently based on the whims of the adaptor and the audience. In the play, there is a wealth of light and dark colors which suggest race differences (Goodwin, Allen & Shakespeare, 2009). Thus it is impossible not to see racism as central to the play. Yet, critics are unable to place Othello, the dark-skinned character, in place of racial origin. Some argue that he is Arabian while others claim that he is North African. Furthermore, Shakespeare’s intentions for his Negro hero are subject to differing interpretations since Othello’s role breaks from tradition; blacks were treated as villains in Elizabethdramaram (Potter, 2008).

These assertions are evidenced while analyzing Geoffrey Sax’s film adapted from Shakespeare’s original play and its presentation of racism. In Sax’s film, the adaptor conveys a very important message about race as seen y the post-civil rights movement audience.  For instance, many characters in the film such as Iago and Jago use racially aggressive terms like ‘Nigger’ as well as ‘big black bastard’ about Othello (Erickson & Hunt, 2005). The audience that Sax intends to address through Jago’s choice of race-sensitive words appears to be different from the audience intended by Shakespeare when he wrote that play. Sax’sx’s main appeal is the audience that is affected by camera tricks as he employs close-up camera shots that bring Jago’s conspiratorial facial expressions into close and full view to the audience. Further, Sax amplifies Jago’s tone to emphasize dramatic irony to communicate the characters’ motives.

Another example of how the presentation of racism is affected by Sax’s adaptation is the use of sexual connotations about race. In one of the scenes Sax depicts a bathroom scenario in which Jago uses this expression to refer to a black law enforcement officer: “If I could find any with brains as big as their dicks I’d be a happy man” (Potter, 2008, p 45).  This overly abusive quote refers to the assumed obsessive sexual manners of black men, a modern era perceptual of black men, especially in America.

Race and Violence

Tim Blake Nelson adapts Othello to a 2001 film he christens “O”, which is one of the less modernized versions of Shakespeare’s original work. This film raises serious concerns as to how racial profiling is used to present violence (Erickson & Hunt, 2005). Suffice it to say that Shakespeare’s works are inherently violent. Yet film adaptations for young people misrepresent Shakespeare’s intentions (Buchanan, 2005). “O”, is one of the good examples of this as it takes on racism head-on.  Odin and Desi teasingly discuss their racial differences. However, at the point she disapproves of his reference to the term nigga, he states that only he has permission to use the racially aggressive term. Despite his obvious superficial response, Odin is troubled by such a profoundly self-conscious awareness about his skin color (Iyasere & Iyasere, 2008).

The original Othello as presented by Shakespeare is deeply apprehensive of how others perceive him. Thus, his greatest dread becomes the possibility that he might be transformed into the savage that whites perceive him to be. Likewise, Odin progressively becomes aware of his blackness through heightened aggressive behavior. By this, he becomes what others see him to be through his accelerated acts of violence. Nelson uses his adaptation of race to refer to the ghetto kind of gun violence. Before Odin shoots himself, he pleads with his peers to understand since he nor was his mother different from them. He implores them to understand his mother wasn’t a drug addict and that he wasn’t a member of a violent gang (Buchanan, 2005). By doing this Nelson appears to plead with the audience not to relate his actions to his ghetto origin. YeNelson’s plea may fall on deaf ears since his reference to that ghetto has already prejudiced the audience against Odin and his ghetto roots. This is an image that cannot be separated from him.

Hollywood has severally endeavored to portray the Moorish captain as a hero but these efforts can be termed as average at least. In general, Hollywood film directors whitewashed Othello an in attempt to obscure his race. American historical events of the 1950s and 1960s appear to have influenced this decision. The result was the creation of a bronze Othello devoid of black color to void the film stoking racial issues. Yet, Hollywood adaptations made later include black actors and do not shy away from displaying racial preferences (Buchanan, 2005).

According to Buchanan (2005), The British Broadcasting Corporation aired one of its adaptations of the play in 1981, in which race is completely removed from the play. In this play, Captain Moor is played by a white man, a decision informed by the internal politics within the British Actors Association. BBC justifies this by claiming that Anthony Hopkins the man white man who played the role portrayed an Arab Othello. BBC producers argue that race is unimportant to the film. The 1984 Frank Melton film The Tragedy of Othello uses a black character. However, Franklin appears to downplay the roles of race since Othello is dressed in similar attire as other white characters.

The Tempest and Colonialism

Shakespeare’s other works have also been adopted filmatically to reflect changing social norms. His play The Tempestfeaturese colonialism as one of the primary motifs.  Prospero’s

Occupation of the Island of Sycorax is the ultimate portrayal of colonialism. He imposes his own culture on the natives of Sycorax and becomes a kind of slave ruler. By doing this, many critics have equated him to European colonizers who usurped powers in their colonies enslaving the natives in the process (Al-Amer, 2003).

Percy Stow’s 1908 adaptation also going by the title The Tempest is one such film that highlights changing perceptions on the theme of colonialism. In this film which was created at the height of colonialism, Stow chooses a white man to play the black man character, a move that seems to deny the film a postcolonial perspective (Al-Amer, 2003). While there lacks a  clear depiction of race in Shakespeare’s play, academic understanding of the film portends that skin color and colonialism are still central and influence the prevailing understanding of the film

In Taymor’s film adaptation of the same play, the concepts of race and colonialism are brought to the fore through the use of skin color (Al-Amer, 2003). Caliban is unambiguously highlighted by his dark skin tone, which refers to the racist and discriminatory perception that directly identifies skin with an individual’s natural identity. Taymor doesn’t do this merely to approve Prospero’s racist want of enslavement but to portray the colonizing progression as adverse.     

According to Cartmell (2000), Taymor paints Caliban as an outstanding tool that indicates that the corruption of the civilized is more vile than the bestiality of the natural, particularly by considering Antonio and Sebastian’s attempts to murder Alonso and Gonzalo. Yet Taymor’s image of Caliban inspires the viewer’s compassion for a person who is caught up between his fear of sorcery and magical powers and the unreceptive readiness to consent to his place as a slave. This is indisputably validated through the incessant submissive kneeling and the respectful whispering tone he employs when speaking to the butler Stephano (Martin & Scheil, 2011).

Suffice to mention that there are lines from Shakespeare’s version original text that demonstrate Caliban’s request to be pardoned by Prospero and his plan to be prudent that have been omitted in Taymor’s script. This betrays Taymor’s attitude towards a colonial master. By omitting these lines, Taymor is unregretful of his overt betrayal of the dictatorial master. By this, he portrays rebelliousness that justifies his endeavors to flee from the colonization of an omnipotent white female (Al-Amer, 2003).   

In Cartmell’s (2000) view, Taymor’s adaptation is undoubtedly a great piece. Its lone fault could be the replacement of the protagonist’s sex which is likely to colonize the imagination of the future audience which could make it cumbersome to imagine a male sorcerer occupying Prospera’s role, particularly after encountering Mirren’s remarkable enactment. Nevertheless, it’s the changes to the original text notwithstanding Taymor’s film can still be seen as a truthful interpretation of Shakespeare’s original text (Massai, 2005).

On one hand, the stylistic features, the plot, characters, and main motifs of Shakespeare’s have not been changed. Yet on the other hand, Linda Hutcheon in her works argues that adapting a play into a film is equivalent to repeating it but in a different form. Yet it is a repetition that does not replicate the original piece. It is repetition that is conservative enough to satisfy the unpredictable pleasure of both the creator and the audience (Coursen, 1997). Suffice it to say that numerous adaptations of this play at no time impoverish Shakespeare’s original text. Instead, these adaptations are a full realization of Shakespeare’s primary text on the screen through methods that are sensitive to the prevailing realities.

Media and Feminism

Medea is a 431 BC tragedy of Greek origin and is authored by Euripides. It is based on the fatal saga of Jason and Medea and was first produced in 431 BC. The core of the plot is barbaric the actions of a former princess named Medea, who discovers that her husband Jason is cheating on her with another princess. Throughout literary history, none of the great anti-heroes such as Fagin, Iago, and others perhaps had been as infamous as Medea. This is a woman who butchers her kids for revenge against her husband’s infidelity (McDonald, 1993). Medea is by all means a feminist piece and its adaptations do mirror this concerning the intention of the producer.

Medea has been translated into tens of films for television and theatre.  In the annals of literary history, of all the great villains – Iago, Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Fagin, White Witch, Moriarty – perhaps none is more infamous than Medea: a woman who slaughters her children to spite her husband for taking another lover (Nardo, 2001).

According to Hall, Mcintosh-Varjabédian & Taplin (2000), Suzie Miller is one of the recent film producers who adapts Medea to fit modern-day realities. In her 2015 adaptation of the same, Miller hopes to prove that Medea is more than a monster villain who is largely governed by sexual jealousy. She argues that Medea is just like a common woman with ambitions whose actions are a result of being frustrated from realizing her ambitions. Miller writes a detailed dissertation on the character of Medea where she argues that by prising open Medea we might see a woman who is a politician, wife, friend, and mother all at once. This multifaceted woman is armed with greater strategic supremacies and inexplicable skills. As such she is intimidating to patriarchal supremacy (Renger & Solomon, 2013).

In her dissertation, Miller equates Medea to modern popular productions such as Game of Thrones as well as House of Cards, which try to illustrate that women need to work as much as men have to affirm their power (McDonald, 1993). Claire Underwood seems to be the Medea of the House of Cards and is a woman more skilled than her spouse in ascending the political hierarchy but must depend on him for identity before she can achieve her political ambitions. Claire Underwood is a civilized Medea (Renger & Solomon, 2013).

Miller’s adaptation intends to show how an extremely intelligent woman is demonized for her failures to live within spousal and maternal stereotype.  Just like the the ancient Greek woman, the modern day feministic hero has to take power for herself through skills, schemes and strong decision-making abilities (McDonald, 1993).

Rachel Cusk’s has developed a postmodern version of Medea that has received vast airplay in London theatres. In this version, Kate Fleetwood gives a tremendous as Medea. Cusk’s adaptation offers a disturbing perception of the main theme as she reimagines and recreates a story that is always told by men (Bailey & Hale, 2004).

In the real world, rarely do women murdering their offspring is rare. Such women, represented by Euripides’ Medea, are normally ppathologizedas bad mad women. Yet, Cusk denies us the comfort of anthologizing Medea’s acts even though she has been deeply hurt. Cusk’s Medea refuses to take the traditional course where a hurt woman internalizes negative feelings. She voices that prejudiced fathers always abandon their offspring, mostly with impunity, and are let free (Hall, Mcintosh-Varjabédian & Taplin, 2000). Yet a mother who dares to put herself before her offspring by voicing tiredness, loneliness, and the pure drag of motherhood is deemed to be a social misfit. Cusk’s Medea ascertains that remaining silent in such circumstances propagates the false myth that being a mother is a rewarding experience.  She uses her words as her weapon of choice to effectively avenge wrongs against her and silence the male voices both in the play and in the audience (Bailey & Hale, 2004).  

Von Trier’s version of Medea is perceived to be an oracle which is dreaded in Greece. However, Von Trier’s adaptation is closer to Cusk’s variety in presentation of feminism from a postmodern pit of view. In this film, she is presented as an antithesis of the archetypal feminist; she is handsome than beautiful.  

Von Trier, like Sax, uses camera tricks to illuminate his characters to highlight important messages that have been recast from EEuripides’play. However, differences are recognizable (Smith, 2006). For one, over employsaudiovisuall elements in his film that magnify the use of imagery. One such instance is how Jason’s new bride is presented. Von Trier, unlike Euripides, gives her a name as well as a voice. This tends to give the mistress a more feminine and human identity as well as a more acceptable place in society. As opposed to Euripides, Von Trier employs cinematic methods to draw the attention of the audience to his film’s female martyrdom and suffering (Nardo, 2001). This is in line with postmodern feminism.  

Yet another adaptation of Medea by Don Chaffey is a 1963 film titled Jason and the Argonauts, a 1963 film produced by Don Chaffey, which is somewhat unlike Euripides’, Von Trier’s, or any other adaptation mentioned herein. In this film, Medea is portrayed as an exceptionally attractive damsel in distress, who never develops beyond that.

Froitsis known facts, Medea is depicted as an attractive woman such that Eros her son is made to strike her for her to fall in love with Jason therefore aiding him to retrieve the Golden Fleece. This is before she forces Jason to love her and her son eternally (Smith, 2006). Interestingly, this preliminary scene defies Euripides’ and Von Trier’s Medea. Chaffey’s Medea is presented as a woman who needs a man’s help. She takes a back seat and watches Jason struggle to win the Golden Fleece. While this depicts Medea as a helpless victim, it also deprives her of criminal and villaintraitstGivenof this presentation, we can argue that Don Chaffey is influenced by a brand of feminism that treats men as eternally guilty of leading women’s suffering. Furthermore, in the opening scene is clothed in a sexualized attire; a sheer-like see-through cloth. Her makeup is emphasized by being meticulously to amplify her facial beauty. She appears as a seductive mistress out to devour men with her innocence. Thus she is an object of desire, the archetypal woman every woman would yearn to betroth (Hall, Mcintosh-Varjabédian & Taplin, 2000). Unlike most of the other adaptations, Chaffey uses a sexualized female perfectly modeled to use sexual desire as her greatest weapon for slaying men and getting her way in life.

Conclusion

Film adaptations reflect changing social norms, and vary in the presentation of major themes, characters, and even the storyline to fit the prevailing social values. In Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Othello, colonialism and racism have mutated with time. Such mutation is based on the prevailing social perception of the theme. Furthermore, the audience in which the adapted film is intended serves to influence the variation of the film. In addition, Euripides’ Medea has been adapted numerously with the main focus being the theme of feminism. Different variations of this text highlight the changing nature of feminism. The character Medea becomes the major focus and an image of how society views the strong female character. Thus, these adaptations are not merely translations of texts. They mirror the changing nature of pervasive social perceptions of major life issues.

References

Al-Amer, H. S. (2003). A psychoanalytic reading of Othello from text to film adaptation. Detroit, `  MC, Michigan University Press

Bailey, F. Y., & Hale, D. C. (2004). Blood on her hands: the social construction of women, ` Sexuality and Murder. Belmont, CA, Belmont, CA.

Bloom, A. B. (2010). The literary monster on film: five nineteenth-century British novels and `their cinematic adaptations. Jefferson, N.C., McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.

Brown, K. L. (2009). Teaching literary theory using film adaptations. Jefferson, NC [u.a.], ` McFarland.

Buchanan, J. (2005). Shakespeare on film. Harlow, England, Pearson Longman

Cartmell, D. (2000). Classics in film and fiction. London, Pluto Press.

Coursen, H. R. (1997). Teaching Shakespeare with film and television: a guide. Westport, Conn, `  Greenwood Press.

Erickson, P., & Hunt, M. (2005). Approaches to teaching Shakespeare’s Othello. New York, ` Modern Language Association of America.

Goodwin, V., Allen, C., & Shakespeare, W. (2009). William Shakespeare’s Othello. Edina, ` Minn, Magic Wagon.

Hall, E., Mcintosh-Varjabédian, F., & Taplin, O. (2000). Medea in performance, 1500-2000. `   Oxford, European Humanities Research Centre, University of Oxford

Iyasere, S. O., & Iyasere, M. W. (2008). Understanding racial issues in Shakespeare’s Othello and Titus Andronicus: selected critical essays. Albany, NY, Whitston Publishing Company, Inc.

Potter, N. (2008). Othello: character studies. London, Continuum

Martin, R., & Scheil, K. W. (2011). Shakespeare/adaptation/modern drama: essays in honor of Jill L. Levenson. Toronto, University of Toronto Press.

Massai, S. (2005). Worldwide Shakespeare local appropriations in film and performance. ` London, Routledge.

Mcdonald, M. (1993). Euripides in cinema: the heart made visible. Philadelphia, Centrum ` Philadelphia.

Nardo, D. (2001). Readings on Medea. San Diego, CA, Greenhaven Press.

Renger, A.B., & Solomon, J. (2013). Ancient worlds in film and television: gender and politics. `  Leiden, Modern Pub

Smith, J. (2006). Multi-Medea: reading in postmodernity. Ann Arbor, UMI.