Costumes/Colors in Sicilia

The colors of the costumes that each character will wear will communicate their personalities and how they relate to others in the play. I will be using Hinduism’s seven major chakras for the Sicilian experiment in color theory.

The costumes for all of the Sicilians will show them to be members of a financially elite, educated class. High-end business attire is mandatory in Leontes’ court/Paulina’s Gallery.

Leontes will wear a charcoal or black 3-button suit with a dark yellow/mustard vest and tie. The color yellow represents the Manipura chakra, which governs the adrenal glands and “issues of personal power, fear, anxiety, opinion-formation, introversion, and transition from simple or base emotions to complex” (Mercier 167).

Hermione will wear a white silk blouse with a violet A-line skirt. The color violet links with the Sahasrara chakra, which deals with issues such as death of the body, and linking meditation to physical movement. The white chakra, Ajna [also indigo] corresponds on the human body to the pineal gland, which regulates sleep and waking up. It controls a person at their “intuitive level” (Mercier 267).

Paulina will be dressed in a green pencil skirt, black jacket, and pink scarf. Anahata, the green or pink chakra, is located at the thymus, which is responsible for warding off disease. “Emotionally it governs unconditional love…mentally it governs passion, and spiritually it governs devotion” (Mercier 199).

Antigonus and Camillo will also be wearing business suits.

• Antigonus’ will be grey with light blue accessories to correspond with Vishuddha—the chakra that governs fluent speech and thought, and security. It is Antigonus’ communication with Leontes’ that convinces him to not kill the baby Perdita.
• Camillo’s suit will be navy blue, which is another representative color of Ajna. The image for Ajna is a lotus with two petals. Throughout the course of the play, Camillo serves two kings.

Mamillius’ costume will be khaki pants and a red polo shirt. While Muladhara (the red chakra) is commonly associated with sexuality and survival, it is also related to basic human potentiality. Mamillius’ life ended before he was able to achieve his potential.