Ithaka By Botho Strauss Essay, Research Paper

The play Ithaka, by Botho Strauss is an example of a postmodern play. In this paper I will discuss the relationship between the play and the times that the author has written this play with the emphasis of the director and costume designer in mind. To discuss this notion I will comment on the design elements, such as sound, lighting, stage, and costume design. Then I will discuss how all the design elements combined lead to the notion of a benevolent dictator as it is presented in Ithaka.

The author, Botho Strauss wrote Ithaka soon after the reunification of Germany. Knowing this background information is important in understanding how Ithaka comes together with respect to the design elements. The first of the design elements I am going to discuss is the sound. The sound as it is presented in the play was boldly loud and haunting at times. Most of the sound was represented by loud noises such as the banging of doors and when the spears were thrown on the ground. I believe this is related to some of the bombings that took place during World War II. In the play the sound was used to make the audience feel frightened very much like how the people in Germany felt who were put into concentration camps. In Ithaka I think the sound symbolizes how the country was once peaceful when Odysseus was in power compared to the country when Odysseus was away fighting in the Trojan War. During this time, with Odysseus away the country was left without a dictator which led to an unharmonious society full discord.

In consideration of all the design elements I think that Odysseus was presented as a benevolent dictator because without him the country and homeland along with everything in it was falling to ruin. With Odysseus the country ran smoothly, his wife Penelope was beautiful