Latinx Reception of Greek Tragic Myth: Healing (and) Radical Politics

296 Pages·2020·2.318 MB·English

by  Aikaterini Delikonstantinidou

Latinx Reception
of Greek Tragic Myth:
Healing (and) Radical
Politics
Dramaturgies
Texts, Cultures and Performances
Vol. 41
This series presents innovative research work in the dramaturgies of the twentieth
and twenty-first centuries. Its main purpose is to re-assess the complex relation-
ship between textual studies, cultural and/or performance aspects at the dawn
of this new multicultural millennium. The series offers discussions of the link be-
tween drama and multiculturalism (studies of “minority” playwrights — ethnic,
Aboriginal, gay, and lesbian), reconsiderations of established playwrights in the
light of contemporary critical theories, studies of the interface between theatre
practice and textual analysis, studies of marginalized theatrical practices (circus,
vaudeville, etc.), explorations of emerging postcolonial drama, research into new
modes of dramatic expressions and comparative or theoretical drama studies.
Series editor
Marc Maufort, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Editorial board
Christopher Balme, University of Munich
Franca Bellarsi, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Judith E. Barlow, State University of New York-Albany
Johan Callens, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Jean Chothia, Cambridge University
Birgit Däwes, Europa-Universität-Flensburg
Harry J. Elam, Stanford University
Albert-Reiner Glaap, University of Düsseldorf
André Helbo, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Ric Knowles, University of Guelph
David O’Donnell, Victoria University of Wellington
Alain Piette, Université de Mons
John Stokes, King’s College, University of London
Joanne Tompkins, University of Queensland-Brisbane
Editorial assistants
Jessica Maufort, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Samuel Pauwels, Bruxelles
Aikaterini Delikonstantinidou
Latinx Reception
of Greek Tragic Myth:
Healing (and) Radical
Politics
Dramaturgies
Vol. 41
Bibliographic information published by “Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek”.
“Die Deutsche National Bibliothek” lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at
<http://dnb.de>.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for
at the Library of Congress.
The research on which this publication is based was funded by the Hellenic State
Scholarships Foundation (IKY) and the Research Committee of Aritstotle Universi-
ty of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Cover image: © 2020 Konstantinos Chatzipapatheodoridis
ISSN 1376-3199 • ISBN 978-2-8076-1524-3 (Print)
E-ISBN 978-2-8076-1521-2 (ePDF) • E-ISBN 978-2-8076-1522-9 (EPUB)
E-ISBN 978-2-8076-1523-6 (MOBI) • DOI 10.3726/b17033
D/2020/5678/03
This publication has been peer reviewed.
© P.I.E. PETER LANG S.A.
International Academic Publishers
Brussels, 2020
1 avenue Maurice, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photocopy,
microfilm or any other means, without prior written permission from the
publisher. All rights reserved.
www.peterlang.com
Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ......................................................................... 11
Prolegomena: Mestizx Mythopoesis .............................................. 15
I. In Lieu of a Preface ................................................. 15
II. From Pre-colonial Myths to Post-colonial Mitos and
Beyond ................................................................... 18
III. The Greek Mythos of the New Mitos ........................ 25
IV. Latinx Mythoplays and the Tragic Mode ................. 34
V. Setting Down Methodological Caveats ................... 37
VI. Overview of the Chapters ....................................... 39
Chapter 1 The Tragic Mode: Modus Politicus, Modus Vivendi ... 41
I. Introduction to the Tragic ....................................... 41
II. Building on the Tragic Opus ................................... 42
III. The Tragic and the Political ..................................... 51
IV. The Tragic and the Therapeutic ............................... 59
V. In Lieu of a Conclusion .......................................... 66
Part One Mestizx Medeas
I. The Tragic Myth of Medea ...................................... 69
II. Toward Medea’s Latinx-ization ................................ 76
Chapter 2 La Malinche ................................................................. 79

I. Setting the Stage 79
II. La Malinche: Medea as an Aztec Vigilante ............... 81

III. Uncovering/Recovering from the Colonial
Wound ................................................................... 89
6 Table of Contents
Chapter 3 The Hungry Woman: A Mexican Medea ..................... 95

I. Setting the Stage ..................................................... 95
II. The Hungry Woman: Medea as a Mexican

“Huerfana Abandonada” ......................................... 98
III. Acts of Birthing/Acts of Killing as Acts of
Healing ................................................................. 109
Chapter 4 Mojada ....................................................................... 115

I. Setting the Stage ................................................... 115
II. Mojada: Medea as a Traumatized “El Guaco” ......... 118

III. Mojada as Social Theatre and as Therapy ............... 132

Part twO Mestizo OediPus
The Tragic Myth of Oedipus ........................................ 137
Chapter 5 Oedipus el Rey .......................................................... 149

I. Setting the Stage ................................................... 149
II. Oedipus: Oedipus as a “Destined./ To be./
Destined” Homeboy ............................................. 153
III. Oedipus el Rey as Social Theatre and as Therapy ..... 175

Part three tragic daughters i: Mestiza electra
The Tragic Myth of Electra ........................................... 183
Chapter 6 Electricidad ................................................................ 193

I. Setting the Stage ................................................... 193
II. Electricidad: Electra as a Barrio-Bound

“Old School Chola” .............................................. 198
III. Electricidad as Social Theatre and as Therapy ......... 211

Part FOur tragic daughters ii: Mestiza iPhigenia
The Tragic Myth of Iphigenia ....................................... 217