Title: The Apollo
Log line: A man who can predict the future was trying to change the life of a child.
Genre: Drama/Tragedy/Family
Myth used: Oedipus the King
Original myth summary
Summary The King of Thebes was Laius,and an oracle predicted, before the birth of his son, that this son would one day be his father’s murderer. When born, Laius gives the child to a herdsman and orders him to take him out beyond the city and kill him. Out of pity for the child, the herdsman gave the baby to another herdsman.
The child is rescued, by the King of Corinth, Polybus and raised as their own son. When Oedipus learns of a prophecy foretelling that he will kill his father and marry his mother, he leaves Corinth believing that his now parents are his true parents.
On the road to Thebes, Oedipus meets Laius, his biological father, and kills him after an argument. Later Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx. For freeing the kingdom of Thebes from the Sphinx’s curse Oedipus is rewarded with kingship and marriage to queen Jocasta, who is his biological mother. When they discover what they have done, fulfilling the prophecy, Oedipus blinds himself and Jocasta commits suicide.
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Character:
Apollo (40) / A lecturer in university who has a special ability that can see through people’s future. A helpful person full with compassionate, always use his speciality to help the people who will have the tragic encounter.
Oedipus (21) / A boy who has a set of tragic encounter since young. Being helped by his lecturer, Apollo.
Lauis (42) / Oedipus’s biological father.
Jocasta (39) / Oedipus’s biological mother, who has strong capacity in her career. Oedipus was fascinated by her.
Oedipus’s foster parents (46 & 43 ) / They are merciful, were willing to accept Oedipus as their own son.
Synopsis:
Apollo was a lecturer and he can know everything, even the future. He knew that Oedipus, who was an orphan and also was his student of foundation year in NTU University, will have a tragic future through the dream, he sympathised with this child that who will kill his father and married with his mother.
Apollo decided to save this student who was abandoned by his biological parents to met his foster parents. Oedipus’s foster parents treat him as their own son. Apollo thought that, he is helping Oedipus.
One day, Oedipus received a call from stranger said he was not the biological son of his current parents and he would do outrageous things, Oedipus was fear to accept the truth, so he escaped from the home.
However, Apollo wanted to help the child back to his home where originally belonged to him, so he guided Oedipus to meet his biological father, Lauis, but did not expect Oedipus would go for a joyride due to he can’t accept the fact of he was an abandoned child. Accidentally, Oedipus killed a man in the car accident. The victim in the car accident was actually his biological father, Oedipus still didn’t know it.
After that, Oedipus was thrown into a reformatory school because of driving recklessly. Apollo was unwilling let Oedipus be alone, so he saved Oedipus from the reformatory school and gave him a new job. While he was working, Oedipus fell in love with a competent career woman, Jocasta and married with her. But he never expected that this woman was his mother. Finally, Oedipus knew the truth about he killed his father and married with his mother. His wife and also his mother hanged herself, Oedipus felt sad so that he blinded his eyes, living a painful life.
Apollo looked at the staggering figure of Oedipus, he feel very sad, was it his fault? If in the beginning he didn’t give a helping hand to Oedipus, maybe the ending would not be like that.
He realised that other’s fate should be in their own hands.
Now, Apollo knew that what he can do was only see the future of others’, not changing.
Reflections:
The title of this original myth is called Oedipus the King, it had a lot of unexpected turning point, gave me some inspiration that how to rewrite this myth. I feel interesting when I am reading because you really can’t expected what will happen in the next.
We all know about in the ancient Greek society, apollo is a god that greeks used to worship. They think that whatever happens in the world always connected to God’s willing, but this only the tragedy was caused by the aberrant society.
Apollo is selected to be another character because from the perspective of God, we can see the weakness of humanity more clearly, and even the cowardice of human. Whether past or present, human still cannot overcome from the fear of unknown future. This let us be afraid.
This story retell from the perspective of apollo, brought out the merciful characteristic of God, God is very concerned about everything in the world, thus he made something which is good for oedipus, even to protect him. But this has created a paradox and also affect the whole story. For example, if apollo don’t know in advance what will be happen in the oedipus future, he would not go to prevent, or try to change anything. So,Apollo seem very importance in this story. For this, I can summarize that because we already know what will happen in the next so we will be careful and take prevention, will not dare to do what we actually want to do.
And also another want to bring out is OUR FATES ARE IN OUR HANDS ,we are the hero of our own life, we should not let anyone or any unknown force change the road of life that is our own to explore.
Poster Inspiration
The poster I photoshop with this effect in the fire is supposed to show apollo although is an ordinary person, but he has the special ability which is different as others.
