Argonautika Play Analysis

Mary Zimmerman’s play, Argonautika, synthesizes elements of Greek Mythology and modern pop culture to create an engaging and humorous production while maintaining the conclusion of a classic tragedy. The play uses plot components from the traditional Greek myth of Jason, leader of a boat named the Argo, who has been charged with the quest of retrieving the Golden Fleece from a distance land for his uncle the king. Upon success of the quest, Jason will be crowned ruler of his uncle’s land. However, many dangerous and seemingly impossible tasks lie between the Argo’s crew of heroes and their prize. They must battle sea monsters, harpies, fire-breathing rams and kings or demi-gods along the wat. Nonetheless, the crew has been blessed with the presence of Hera, Queen of Olympus, and Athena, Goddess of Wisdom to help and guide them on their voyage. In Zimmerman’s interpretation of the show, Jason and his crew are played by an ensemble cast who drift on and off stage to portray other characters and obstacles. Female members of the cast also portray multiple characters except for Hera and Athena who remain almost constantly on stage and give …show more content…
The script’s modern flare included that many of the gods/goddesses appeared with a modern twist while the crew members remained in ancient times. This was not only perpetuated by the costumes, but required different vocals and movement from the actors to show the distinct differences between the gods and the mortals. For example, the actress of the 1st woman of Lemmos, an ancient Greek character, was also the actress of Aphrodite with a modern Jersey girl accent and high heeled walk. Although not all the actors reached the same fluidity of character and time, the constant movement between characters made the show engaging as new characters made appearances and current culture mentions were