Semiotic Analysis of ‘Our Ajax’

Semiotics is a method of analysing theatre – Putting into practice the study of

signs. Semiology, as it is also known, can be applied to theatre. In his book
theory/theatre an introduction, Mark Fortier begins to describe this practice as
when in the first chapter of his book of theory/theatre “a meaning or idea is
relayed by a corresponding manifestation we can perceive” (Fortier 2002:19)
This is the idea in which everything in theatre, for example,; colours or gestures,
construct meaning and signify intentions and/or beliefssomething with a
alternative meaning. Philosopher Ferdinand De Saussure breaks a sign into two
parts: the signifier and the signified. Commonly the colour white signifies purity.
We know white signifies something pure, based on the religion of Christianity
that a bride wears a white wedding dress to show that she is ‘pure’ and still has
her virginity. So, in Saussure’s terms, the colour white is the signifier and purity
is the signified.

I am going to be analysing the play ‘Our Ajax’ by Timberlake Wertenbaker,

directed by David Mercatali. I saw this performance at the Southwark Playhouse.
Wertenbaker took Sophocles’ Ajax and created a contemporary version, set
during the war, presumably in a 21st century Asian desert due to the use of smart
phones and reference’s to Asian sands. The main intention of the play is to
highlight the trials and tribulations of modern warfare. Patrice Pavis created a
questionnaire defining the key areas of theatre to analyse using semiotics. I am
going to use the Pavis’ questionnaire to write a semiotic analysis of the play.
Patrice Pavis is a theorist working on theatre semiotics and created the
questionnaire with help from students to help and encourage the study of signs
in the theatre. He suggests the questionnaire “attempts to direct the respondents
attention to all the aspects of theatrical signification”(Pavis 1985:208) This
shows to us that he believes if you answer each of the questions then it will
provide a full and insightful notation of the play.

One of the sections of the questionnaire I am going to look at is lighting. I feel

that the lights gave suggestions as to what went on during the play. The stage is
set up with white lights surrounding the edge with a bigger light at each end of
the stage - One upstage and another downstage. At the beginning of the play the
light was a dark shade of orange. Being orange, this signifies heat. This signifies
heat because it is the same colour as the sun and because it something we see on
a daily basis it is just normal to assume it could suggest something of a higher
temperature. This thought process is increased with the fact that the stage floor
was filled with sand. When we see sand it is a signifier of a hot country with a
luxury beach or a dessert. In hotter countries, especially in the dessert it is
commonly associated with tiredness, hunger and dehydration. This links in with
the plays major themes of war and the effect it has on soldiers. If the orange light
is the signifier, then the heat, dehydration and negative effect on the soldiers is
the signified.ness, hunger and lack of wealth, which could be a signifier of the
theme of the play, war.

The orange light would change to a deep blue when the character of Athena
appeared, the Goddessgod of War. The colour blue is symbolic of royalty,signifies
wealth and status and because Gods are rich in power and status it proves to be
Semiotic Analysis of ‘Our Ajax’

the right colour to represent Athena. I in the production itto gives her the
authority and a higher statusshe deservers to back up the status she ha in the
play. One of the ways we know blue is a signifier or wealth and status because
the Royal Family is sometimes described as blue blooded.

Near the end of the play Ajax is having suicidal thoughts.s Aand as these are
being spoken, all of the lights start to dim and a. As the thoughts get stronger and
more powerful, the lights get darker. This could be encoded as Ajax’s mental
state and suggesting mental illness is like a dark cloud that gets stronger and
stronger, that if it is not treated it will just eat you up. Darkness also signifies fear
and Ajax is getting more frightened as the thoughts get stronger. This also adds
the scare factor to the audience as the darker it gets the fear increases – just like
fear in Ajax’s mind. Gradually it gets to a blackout, then there is a flash of light in
which Ajax has the gun in his mouth and then a loud shot is heard and then goes
back to blackout. This flash of light could signify a moment of insanity like a flash
decision, this could link back to the theme of war and signifies that soldiers are
trying to protect and do what they feel is right and sometimes you are going to
have to make quick witted decisions and sometimes they will not be right one.

Another way I am going to semiotically analyse ‘Our Ajax’ is by looking at the

scenography. As you walk into the auditorium it is hard not to notice the sinking
feeling – the stage covered in sand. At first I was confused to why but as the
performance unfolded it all made sense. I believe that the sand is the signifier for
the state of Ajax’s mind. As we know sand is fragments of broken down stone so
it could signify how mentally broken Ajax is.

Surrounding the four walls of the theatre was a metal fence with barbed wire
over the top. When we see barbed wire we automatically think it signifies
something that is being trapped inside. This could mean that it is the signifier of
Ajax’s mind being trapped within it self, increasing the thought of his
physiological wellbeing. Linking the two points together there is enough
evidence to say that the set of the performance is assembled to represent the
state of his mental wellbeing and how he is trapped inside himself with no hope
of return.

The last point of interest that I am going to talk about is the costumes. The play is
set during a war so the costumes are primarily army uniforms. War is all about
fighting therefore when we see an army uniform it signifies to us all of the
heartbreak people go through to protect others but there is always casualties left
physically and mentally.

In conclusion I believe I have given enough points to prove that you can use
semiotics to analyse a play. It also helps discover hidden meanings behind
objects, colours and lightings etc. It appears that everything can be brought back
to mental illness caused by war, which is what the play is all about.

Bibliography

Fortier, M. (1997) theory/theatre and introduction London; Routledge

Semiotic Analysis of ‘Our Ajax’

Pavis, P. (1985) “Theatre analysis: some questions and a questionnaire” from

New Theatre Quarterly 1 (2) pp.208-212, Cambridge University Press

http://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-large/our-ajax/