Tragedy beyond the grave : the function of Greek tragedy in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract

In this dissertation, I endeavour to examine the adaptation of Classical tragedy in the context of apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, focusing on Athol Fugard’s ‘The Island’ and Yaël Farber’s ‘Molora’. By dividing this dissertation into two chapters, I examine each play against its respective influences, socio-political situation, and contribution to try and extrapolate how an adaptation of the Classical tragic genre can evolve in response to a social and political event. The first chapter delves into Fugard’s ‘The Island’, examining its adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone and its potential adaptation of the tragic form to critique and offer resistance against the oppressive colonial regime in apartheid South Africa. I explore themes of dehumanisation, resistance, and spiritual rebellion to understand ‘The Island’ within its historical context. In the second chapter, I shift my focus to Farber’s ‘Molora’, an adaptation of Aeschylus’ Oresteia, so as to track how the tragic form is reimagined in the post-apartheid milieu. I consider the audience’s role as witnesses, the portrayal of the characters, and the potentiality of an ending with reconciliation. Through closely examining both plays, I hope to highlight the significance of the tragic genre as a versatile tool for dramatists, be it to inspire change or promote cross-cultural understandings. Ultimately, I aim to offer an insight into how two playwrights from the same country react distinctly to a shared but different socio-political situation and how the role of the tragic identity can serve as a vehicle to reflect that situation.