Oedipus Rex is a delightful Greek play (to say the least) penned by legendary Greek playwright- Sophocles, which is set over 3 Acts that gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "I love my mommy".
It is a Greek tale that questions all logic and leads one to believe that sometimes, running from point A to get to point B can give birth to 'problem Z' and- should therefore, be never undertaken unless one has a greater and deeper understanding of the world of mathematically being screwed over by the Gods.
Over the course of the past 2-ish weeks my English Lit. class has just delved into the mesmerizing world of incest, road rage, divine retribution (that can not be questioned duh.), amnesia, and blind men who could take you down.
After reading 2 scenes from the play our class figured it would be fun to try and recast new actors to act out the the original play and being the 'Game of Thrones' addict that I am, I decided to cast an all-star cast exclusively from the GoT series (because why not):
It is a Greek tale that questions all logic and leads one to believe that sometimes, running from point A to get to point B can give birth to 'problem Z' and- should therefore, be never undertaken unless one has a greater and deeper understanding of the world of mathematically being screwed over by the Gods.
Over the course of the past 2-ish weeks my English Lit. class has just delved into the mesmerizing world of incest, road rage, divine retribution (that can not be questioned duh.), amnesia, and blind men who could take you down.
After reading 2 scenes from the play our class figured it would be fun to try and recast new actors to act out the the original play and being the 'Game of Thrones' addict that I am, I decided to cast an all-star cast exclusively from the GoT series (because why not):
Oedipus Rex- The Remake
Featuring!!!
- Oedipus played by Jon Snow
Jon Snow and Oedipus share many similarities. Both of them had parents who kept them in the dark about the truth of their parentage and both of them are on a subconscious level, are probably haunted by the secret. Both of them are seemingly innocent victims of divine retribution that they definitely didn't ask for. They both go from nobodies to somebodies who outsmart the gods and all those who sought to kill them.
Oedipus starts off as a likable guy- much like Jon. However It was his ignorance to the blind truth whilst being a noble man that particularly reminded me of how similar they really are and what interesting conversations they might have if they ever met.
- Creon played by Lord Eddard 'Ned' Stark
Ned stark is an honorable man. Someone who despises the idea of being top gun in Westerosi-politics. Ironically, his BFF is the King, much like Creon is to Oedipus. Ned is a devoted husband, loving father and a self-proclaimed family man who hates getting embroiled in politics and drama even though he was appointed "hand of the king"
Ned stark only lasted ONE WHOLE season on Game of Thrones. He died because he was loyal to the king whilst the king's tyrant son and conniving wife plotted to overthrow them all. He died because he was righteous. Given the way things are playing out in scene 2 of 'Oedipus Rex' It seems, very likely that Creon- a self-proclaimed righteous seeker of truth and honesty, will die.
and there you have it, Bob's your uncle.
- Jocaste played by Lysa Arryn
Lysa Arryn is a ruthless woman. she despises irrational faith and questions the legitimacy of the new Gods. Ironically she does have her set of irrational fears and Her husband was killed by a mad king and now all she's left with is a fancy title- "The Lady Regent of the Vale", and an 8 year old heir to the throne whom she breastfeeds. YES. she still breastfeeds an 8 year-old boy. I think Lysa would do justice to Jocaste's role because both of them share an ignorance that is far beyond the realms of motherhood. They both share intimate bonds with their son (whether they know it or not seems irrelevant) but they still are queens who seem to be aloof and have dysfunctional families.
All in all, sub-par actress, I'd highly recommend this one.
- Teiresias played by Lord Varys
Lord Varys is a eunuch. He also happens to be a soothsayer. A very wise soothsayer who is often dismissed by skeptic's as "one not to be trusted"
And rightly so.
Confiding in Varys could potentially lead to your imminent doom. But that's what makes him such a stellar actor in this cast. He has on multiple occasions, predicted the fate of legendary kings and queens. He's also quite bold and cynical- much like his antecedent Teiresias.
Something I felt strongly about whilst casting Varys was how he too like Teiresias, was both misjudged and revered all at once despite a haunting disability.
Ironically, Varys always runs with the theme of how cowardly and feeble men in power are (despite being a court-appointed eunuch himself) Much like how Teiresias' lack of eyesight translated to a recurrent theme of the metaphorical blindness of those who refuse to believe the truth about themselves when they hear it spoken.
And unto thee a cast is born!
Until next time,
Liza.(Lysa :0 Nooooooo)
This post first appeared on Everyday Epiphanies With Liza Aira, please read the originial post: here
