Semiotic Analysis of ‘Our Ajax’ Aidan Campbell

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 “a meaning or idea is relayed by a corresponding manifestation we can
perceive” (Fortier 2002:19) This is the idea in which everything, for example,
colours or gestures, construct meaning and signify intentions and/or beliefs.
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 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
was 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.

The orange light would change to a deep blue when the character of Athena
appeared, the Goddess of War. The colour blue is symbolic of royalty, wealth and
status and because Gods are rich in power and status it proves to be the right
colour to represent Athena. In the production it gives her the authority and a
higher status. One of the ways we know blue is a signifier or wealth and status
because the Royal Family is sometimes described as blue blooded.
Semiotic Analysis of ‘Our Ajax’ Aidan Campbell

Near the end of the play Ajax started to have suicidal thoughts. As these thoughts
were vocalised all of the lights start to dim and as the thoughts got stronger and
more powerful, the lights got 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 got more frightened as the thoughts got 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 achieved a blackout, then there was a flash of
light in which Ajax had the gun in his mouth and then a loud shot was heard and
then went 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 walked through the auditorium it was not hard 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 once Ajax was a great man but the more time that is spent
at war, the more cracks began to show and now he is nothing.

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.

At the back of the stage there was a white tent smeared with blood. When we
think of blood we naturally think of killings and murder, which could be the
signifier of Ajax’s suicide. Alternatively it could signify the murder of people
during the war that the soldiers are in. The fact that originally it was white could
be the signifier that the location they were in was once calm and dull until this
war occurred and the soldiers were called to fight.

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. This means that the uniform could be the signifier and
the signified is how the war has broken Ajax mentally. The one thing that you
couldn’t help but notice is the fact that surrounding a bunch of British soldiers
was one American sergeant played by John Schwab– Wearing a different type of
army uniform. This was to separate both type of characters to make sure you do
not get confused between the two. Although fighting one the same side as allies,
Semiotic Analysis of ‘Our Ajax’ Aidan Campbell

you could tell that they did not get on. With his arrogant behavior, which could
be seen as a typical American, you got the feeling he is not supposed to be liked.
The could be signified as the soldiers hate for the fact that the American army
always call upon the British to help them in the war and add to the amount of
bloodshed of the British soldiers.

The one character not to wear an army uniform is Athena. This is due to the fact
she is the Goddess of War and not a soldier. Instead she wore a chainmail like
dress, similarly in the same colour scheme as the rest of the soldiers. The
chainmail could be compared to what ancient soldiers used to wear in battle.
This could signify that Athena has been around for a long time and has seen war
after war, battle after battle. Seeing the amount of people being killed during her
time you can add on to this point to say that she is heartless by almost letting this
all happen.

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 – From the barbed wire and mental fence to the
sand and the lighting.

Bibliography

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

Pavis, P. (1985) “Theatre analysis: some questions and a questionnaire” from New
Theatre Quarterly 1 (2) pp.208-212, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Saussure, F. (1916) Course in General Linguistics New York: Columbia University

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