READING GÜNGÖR DİLMEN’S PLAY NAM READING GÜNGÖR DİLMEN’S PLAY MİDAS’ EARS IN THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC OPINION INFLUENCE

Abstract

The awareness of how the environment a person belongs to will evaluate the behavior when he/she performs any behavior is researched by many scientific disciplines. The most important danger that awaits a person who is obliged to socialize by nature in the socialization process is losing his/her originality. At this point, the problem we encounter in the context of a person's originality and freedom is how social views or public opinions affect a person. The concept of public opinion, which we can call the sum of the opinions that are constantly changing in our environment and can affect a person's attitudes and behaviors, is tried to be based on the effects of social norms on people's thoughts and behaviors. The reason for this is that a person is sensitive to the general opinions of the environment he/she lives in. In the socialization process, where emotional needs such as love, success, and being cared for are met, a person needs to make sacrifices in order for the communication with the environment to be balanced. The most important element that the environment expects from a person while meeting his/her emotional needs is to act in accordance with social opinions. The fact that the concept of public opinion has significant effects on people brings up the discussion that the masses can be directed by means of artificially created public opinion. In this context, it is possible to say that throughout history, those in power have managed to direct society by using force or by means of produced public opinion. In the context of power and public opinion effects, one of the most well-known truths of the science of communication, the information that people act in accordance with public opinion, is sought in the play called Midas's Ears. In this article, the effects of public opinion effects on the characters of the play will be conceptually discussed in the selected text connection focuses from the play text, which narrates in a fairy-tale language that even gods and kings have to comply with public opinion. Since the concept of public opinion is of interest to many academic disciplines, each discipline has its own definitions. Since there is no agreed definition, information will be given about the etymology of the word public opinion.