Presentation Of Self

Coriolanus, William Shakespeare's last Roman tragedy, tells a story of the eponymous hero who betrays his own country to revenge for his banishment and eventually gets downfall at the hand of his archenemy. This controversial play has received large critical attention in the West, especially on its politics and the complexity of the protagonist. Performances of the play have demonstrated similar concerns.Chinese scholarship on this play is comparatively poor and by far there has been only one stage version, i.e. the 2007 adaptation by Lin Zhaohua—Great General Coriolanus. Criticism of either Shakespeare's play or Lin's performance centers on either democracy and its insinuation or conflicts between the commonalty and the protagonist. This thesis, through a dramaturgical study of Lin's adaptation from the perspective of theatre semiotics, tends to argue that Lin explores the tragic existence of modern individual by projecting the internal wars of the General who strives for autonomous self.The first part of the thesis elucidates how Shakespeare's T is adapted into Lin's T'to serve the director's emphasis on the protagonist at war. An addition of allegorical prologue singles out the theme of wars; deletion of soft and sensational scenes tightens a story-line focusing on individual disharmony; and the use of microphone satirizes the external wars so as to project the General's inner disturbance.Through a study of spatial signs the paper goes on to analyze Coriolanus's alienation on Lin's metaphorical stage. The stage division and spatial tension between patricians and plebeians demonstrate the General's separation from the common people. Hard music and the alternation of clothes delineate his inability to play the role imposed on him, thus revealing his alienation both in the society and within himself.Finally, the concept of "Actantial Model" is adopted to aid the discussion on how Lin's parallel characterization universalizes Coriolanus's "self." The symmetrically presented Roman tribunes, the alter-ego Tullus Aufidius, and senators of both Rome and Volsce played by the same actors contrast with General Coriolanus who performs himself not for the pursuit of worldly power but to achieve self-sufficiency. Yet, paradoxically these characters all undergo a dilemma of duality between the ideal and the reality.The inner conflicts of Coriolanus which are long veiled within the dramatic text are presented on Lin's stage. Clinging to his nature, the General purposely launches wars against enemies, the commonalty and himself. Through presenting the protagonist's self at war, in alienation and being universalized, Lin expresses his concern about individuality in modern society. The director's innovative and successful adaptation of Coriolanus envisions the hundred-year development of Chinese Spoken Drama for self-independence and enriches criticism of the particular play. Providing a vernacular in the global market of Shakespearean performances, it may shed light on the future practices of intercultural theatre.