TY - JOUR
T1 - The Arab Oedipus
T2 - ancient categories, modern fiction
AU - Kennedy, Philip F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2017/1/2
Y1 - 2017/1/2
N2 - This article examines the use of anagnorisis in five Arab adaptations of Oedipus Rex from the 1940s to the early 21st century. The article traces the progressive erosion of the force of anagnorisis in four of these plays—a reflection of a modernist and postmodernist move away from certainty, as well as the specific concerns of the Arab adaptors. The fifth play, Wajdi Mouawad’s Incendies/Scorched, is described as a return to the classical structure of anagnorisis with powerful effect. While this loose adaptation of Oedipus Rex explores universal themes, it is an undoubtedly Arab work and demonstrates that the role of anagnorisis is in large part culturally dependent on who or what we recognize.
AB - This article examines the use of anagnorisis in five Arab adaptations of Oedipus Rex from the 1940s to the early 21st century. The article traces the progressive erosion of the force of anagnorisis in four of these plays—a reflection of a modernist and postmodernist move away from certainty, as well as the specific concerns of the Arab adaptors. The fifth play, Wajdi Mouawad’s Incendies/Scorched, is described as a return to the classical structure of anagnorisis with powerful effect. While this loose adaptation of Oedipus Rex explores universal themes, it is an undoubtedly Arab work and demonstrates that the role of anagnorisis is in large part culturally dependent on who or what we recognize.
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U2 - 10.1080/1475262X.2017.1305219
DO - 10.1080/1475262X.2017.1305219
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85021414577
SN - 1475-262X
VL - 20
SP - 64
EP - 77
JO - Middle Eastern Literatures
JF - Middle Eastern Literatures
IS - 1
ER -