The aim of this study is to analyze the cultural and literary relationship between Ireland and the classical Greece, through one of the numerous rewritings produced on Emerald Isle during the last century. The reference is The Bacchae. After Euripides (1991) by Northern Irish poet and dramatist Derek Mahon (1941). Three aspects are taken into account in decoding the text. The first aspect, perhaps a common one within the area of the classical reception, revolves around the question of how and according to which needs Greek dramaturgy and Irish literature came into contact, establishing a cultural, historical and literary relationship. Or, even better, why some Irish writers looked at such a distant genre to define their own ideological, dramaturgical and performative physiognomy. It will also also be investigated why this interest was confined to a specific timeframe, namely, the second half of the twentieth century, whose particular "climatic" conditions favored the bloom and the deflation of these experiences. Secondly, it will be clarified in which sense this line of work can be defined post-colonial, a claim derived from the belief that although Ireland is a European country, it is perceived as a post-colonial reality. Finally, it will be explains why Mahon's production represents an anomaly within the postcolonial landscape, imposing itself not as an act of protest or a political statement, but as a tragic comedy with an apocalyptic epilogue claiming the strength of poetry and theater.

Scopo di questo studio è stabilire la relazione culturale e letteraria tra l’Irlanda e la Grecia classica, attraverso una delle numerose riscritture prodotte nell’isola di Smeraldo, durante il secolo scorso. Il riferimento corre a The Bacchae. After Euripides (1991) del poeta e drammaturgo nordirlandese Derek Mahon (1941). Per la decodificazione del testo vengono presi in considerazioni alcuni aspetti. Tre per l’esattezza. Il primo è anche il più banale e ricorrente all’interno di quel fenomeno specifico che è la ricezione dell’antico, ovvero in che modo e per quali bisogni la drammaturgia greca e la letteratura irlandese entrarono in contatto, stabilendo una relazione culturale, storica e letteraria. Forse sarebbe meglio dire perché alcuni scrittori irlandesi guardarono a una forma così lontana per definire la propria fisionomia ideologica, drammaturgica e performativa. Vengono altresì verificate le ragioni per cui tale interesse venne circoscritto a un lasso temporale specifico, la seconda metà del Novecento, le cui particolari condizioni “climatiche” favorirono la fioritura, anzi la deflagrazione di queste esperienze. In seconda istanza viene chiarito il motivo per cui tali prodotti possono essere definiti postcoloniali, una constatazione derivata dalla convinzione che l’Irlanda, pur essendo un paese europeo, sia una realtà postcoloniale. Infine, viene spiegato il perché la produzione di Mahon rappresenti un’anomalia all’interno del panorama postcoloniale, imponendosi, non come un atto di protesta e rivendicazione politica, ma come una commedia tragica con un epilogo apocalittico reclamante la forza della poesia e del teatro.

fabio la mantia (2017). Le Baccanti dell’Ulster. Tra commedia e tragedia. DIONYSUS EX MACHINA, 8, 104-135.

Le Baccanti dell’Ulster. Tra commedia e tragedia

fabio la mantia
2017-01-01

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the cultural and literary relationship between Ireland and the classical Greece, through one of the numerous rewritings produced on Emerald Isle during the last century. The reference is The Bacchae. After Euripides (1991) by Northern Irish poet and dramatist Derek Mahon (1941). Three aspects are taken into account in decoding the text. The first aspect, perhaps a common one within the area of the classical reception, revolves around the question of how and according to which needs Greek dramaturgy and Irish literature came into contact, establishing a cultural, historical and literary relationship. Or, even better, why some Irish writers looked at such a distant genre to define their own ideological, dramaturgical and performative physiognomy. It will also also be investigated why this interest was confined to a specific timeframe, namely, the second half of the twentieth century, whose particular "climatic" conditions favored the bloom and the deflation of these experiences. Secondly, it will be clarified in which sense this line of work can be defined post-colonial, a claim derived from the belief that although Ireland is a European country, it is perceived as a post-colonial reality. Finally, it will be explains why Mahon's production represents an anomaly within the postcolonial landscape, imposing itself not as an act of protest or a political statement, but as a tragic comedy with an apocalyptic epilogue claiming the strength of poetry and theater.
2017
fabio la mantia (2017). Le Baccanti dell’Ulster. Tra commedia e tragedia. DIONYSUS EX MACHINA, 8, 104-135.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/624664
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