2022 •
Ghosting the past: exploring Mark Antony’s ghost as an allegory on history in Jodelle’s Cléopâtre captive
Authors:
Anastasia Ladefoged Larn
Abstract:
This paper explores how Antony as a ghost in Act I of Étienne Jodelle’s Cléopâtre captive (1553) engages spectators in a reflection on history. By drawing on Walter Benjamin’s discussion of the ghost figure in the German mourning play, the paper reinterprets Antony’s ghost as a borderline figure both caught up in the dramatic action and a figure apt to reflect on the nature of history. This is done by firstly re-examining Jodelle’s creative merging of the protatic ghost found in Seneca’s Thyestes and Agamemnon and the ghostly drea (...)
This paper explores how Antony as a ghost in Act I of Étienne Jodelle’s Cléopâtre captive (1553) engages spectators in a reflection on history. By drawing on Walter Benjamin’s discussion of the ghost figure in the German mourning play, the paper reinterprets Antony’s ghost as a borderline figure both caught up in the dramatic action and a figure apt to reflect on the nature of history. This is done by firstly re-examining Jodelle’s creative merging of the protatic ghost found in Seneca’s Thyestes and Agamemnon and the ghostly dream vision from Pseudo-Seneca’s Octavia, and secondly by paying attention to Antony’s treatment of concepts such as God-given order and vicissitude. L’article explore comment le spectre d’Antoine à l’acte I de Cléopâtre captive d'Étienne Jodelle (1553) engage les spectateurs dans une réflexion sur l’histoire. En prenant Walter Benjamin et sa discussion du spectre dans le Trauerspiel comme point de départ, l’article réinterprète le spectre d'Antoine comme une figure à la fois prise dans l'action dramatique et invitant une réflexion sur l’histoire. L’auteur procède en réexaminant, en premier lieu, la fusion créative par Jodelle du spectre protatique chez Sénèque dans Thyeste et Agamemnon et la vision fantomatique dans Octavie de Pseudo-Sénèque puis, dans un deuxième temps, en s’intéressant au traitement par Antoine de concepts tels que l'ordre divin et la vicissitude. (Read More)
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