Oedipus and Afrikaans Theater

Abstract

Since antiquity Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus has enjoyed the reputation of one of the greatest achievements of Greek dramatic art. (1) The fame of this tragedy must to large extent be due to the regard in which it was held by Aristotle, (2) and in modern times its renown has been enhanced by the widespread knowledge of Freud's theories. In South Africa it is probably the most widely known of the Greek myths among the general public; yet Oedipus has not lent itself easily to political interpretation there. While Aeschylus's Oresteia, Sophocles' Antigone, and Euripides' Medea have been adapted and performed not only to reflect the intricacies of sociopolitical realities in South Africa, but also to raise awareness of injustice and inhumanity, Sophocles' Oedipus has largely preserved its status as the quintessential representative of Greek tragedy. (3) It has stood for what is best, most admirable, and elevated in the Western classical tradition. Productions of Oedipus have thus taken on different political dimension, implicitly declaring that they stand as evidence for equality with the greatest achievements in Western culture. It is in this light that I shall first investigate two different Afrikaans translations of the tragedy made in South Africa in 1927 and 1938, respectively. Then the links between Afrikaner cultural pride, nationalism, and identity, and the role of the theater will be examined in light of their exposure in Exits and Entrances. This 2004 play by Athol Fugard (b. 1932), who made his name in the theater of protest, has for protagonists the greatest exponent of the role of Oedipus in mid-twentieth-century South Africa--the Afrikaans actor Andre Huguenet (1906-61)--and an aspiring, unnamed young playwright. Afrikaans, the that developed in South Africa among the descendants of the Dutch colonists and Malay slaves, was that had received official recognition only in 1925 and its literature was thus at that time in its infancy. A complex web of educational and cultural ideals, nationalistic pride, and rivalry with their former colonial overlords lay behind the translations and productions of plays in Afrikaans. The Afrikaans was key component in the Afrikaner movement that was to be the dominant force in South African politics for most of the twentieth century. The early years of that century were period when Afrikaners, especially those living in the former Boer republics of the Free State and the Transvaal, were embittered against the British. This stemmed not only from their defeat in the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, but also from the harsh treatment that Boer women and children had suffered in concentration camps during the war. Their resentment toward living under British rule intensified in response to the British administration now forcing them to conduct their lives in English. The elevation of Afrikaans to equal status in 1925 meant that it had the capacity to serve in all spheres of public life and was thus significant political and cultural milestone. But the stigma that clung to Afrikaans as kitchen did not disappear overnight. The Afrikaans historian J. C. Steyn stresses how important it was to create body of literature in order to enhance the regard in which the new was held by both English and Dutch. He quotes numerous examples of contempt for the so-called language that was dismissed as not really language, but a jargon without literature, which did not have the capacity to produce finer shades of meaning. (4) It is thus understandable that the intellectual elite among the Afrikaners desired their to develop its literature. Therefore it was important not only that Afrikaans poets, novelists, and playwrights should create new works, but also that great works of world literature should be translated into Afrikaans. This attitude is exemplified in the review of an Afrikaans translation of Shakespeares Hamlet in which the critic remarked that it was noteworthy that in every period of great creative writing in world literature the translation of masterpieces from other literatures had always been an important means for poets to enrich themselves, their language, and their literature. …