Antigona Furiosa PDF

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Antigona Furiosa – Gambaro Lectures Lecture 1 Performed in the late 80s, debuted in 1986 Furiosa’s connections with the Dirty War 1976-83 and state sanctioned abductions and murders. Los desaparecidos One of Gambaro’s novels was banned by the government and she had to flee to Barcelona to escape death by the government. She couldn’t write any drama when she was out of Argentina The Dirty War ‘As artists and scholars, it is vital that we understand works from other cultures on their own terms.’ Fleming Export demands fell post WW2, and Argentina was somewhat ostracised due to its refusal to join the allies. There was no true stability until Frondizi was elected in 1958 and he reinstated Peronism but he was then removed by the Junta who were scared by the rebirth of the political movement A coup occurred and aimed to establish a new socio-political order opposed to both liberal democracy and communism, preferring the military to take leading roles in leading the country and adopt the principles of Francoist Spain. Technocracy in effect. He was then overthrown by another military Junta and General Lanusse was put into power – an election then saw far right Peronist Hector Campora take power. Then Peron was re-elected in 1974 but he died of a heart attack soon after, his wife then assumed power. However it was clear that the fascist Jose Lopez Rega was really in charge behind the scenes. In 1976 Isabel Peron was deposed and a three man military Junta was instated headed by General Jorge Rafael Videla. They imposed censorship, banned trade unions and implemented the Process of National Reorganisation (el Proceso) – state sanctioned terror, torture, and murder. This regime saw the subversive tendencies of communism and democracies and sough to suppress them. ‘The repression is directed against a minority we do not consider Argentine… those whose ideas are contrary to our Western Christian civilization’ The disappearances meant that there were no martyrs and kept international critiques to a minimum. The Argentine government framed it as a civil war, although evidence of human rights violations grew. General VIdela was succeeded in 81 by General Viola who was unable to control his military allies and was elbowed aside by General Galtieri who inherited a slumping economy and an

increasing unease at military rule. He was removed from power in 82 by General Bignone, and he allowed parties to resume activities and elections were reinstated. In 1983 Raul Alfonsin won the election and democracy ws resumed. He reversed legislation and planned to prosecute former members of the government and repealed a law granting amnesty to criminals of the Dirty War. Later however Alfonsin pushed two amnesty laws through congress under pressure from the military. Rebellion broke out in 1987 and the military remained discontent over wages and other conditions. Alfonsin resigned in 1989 and was succeeded by Carlos Medem who pardoned General Videla and other top officers convicted of abuses in the Dirty War. However Videla was eventually convicted of kidnapping babies and Supreme Court in 2005 revoked the amnesty laws passed by Alfonsin Lecture 2

Las madres de la Plaza de Mayo – The mothers of May Square – where one finds the Presidential house ‘Antigona Furiosa conjures up the image of the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo in ways that for an Argentine audience would have been immediately recognisable’ Taylor The mothers came together to demand answers from the government about their ‘disappeared’ children. They came together in flagrant defiance of the rules and marched in the face of state sanctioned terrorism. There were only around 12 of them but they marched weekly and launched an antipropaganda campaign to alert the international community. Within a year, hundreds of women joined them. They also petitioned to have bodies returned for burial. They became an emblem for hope of children returning. The state began to claim that the women were nothing more than mad women. Cultural stereotypes of women being over emotional and unreasonable. The junta kidnapped one of the founders of the group Azucena Villaflor – it was believed that this was retaliation for the publication of the names of many of the disappeared on Human Rights Day. Other members of the group disappeared as well. When Argentina hosted the World Cup there was lots of international media in the country, allowing the Mothers to use this extended coverage to get their message to the people. The Madres pioneered the use of DNA in identifying the retrieved bodies towards the end of the Dirty War. This also raised the topic of Argentine women stepping out of their traditional roles and into social and political prominence. When the Madres entered May Square, they politicised their role as mothers and redefined the values associated with politics and motherhood. They didn’t necessarily challenge the hierarchy of Argentina, but they did cross boundaries and paved the way for new forms of civil participation.

Sophocles’ Antigone Gambaro alludes to this text It was written around 441 BC and was a tragedy, it tells of the brothers Eteocles and Polyneices who die in a war for the throne. Their uncle Creon ascends to the throne and deems that Polynices will not receive a proper burial, Antigone is unhappy at the decision and will risk her life to bury her brother. Antigone is caught and brought before her uncle and she denies nothing and enter into a moral debate about the situation. Both sisters are temporarily incarcerated, Haemon Creon’s son, tries to persuade his father to spare Antigone. Haemon refuses to see his father whilst the death sentence is issued, Creon spares Ismene but seals Antigone in a cave. We find Antigone sorrowful asshe can no longer become a wife or a mother. At this point the prophet Tiresias claims Creon has denied the gods, Creon is angered at this. Eventually Creon agrees to bury Polynices and release Antigone, but Creon is too late and Antigone hangs herself. After trying to stab his father, Haemon decides to stab himself instead. In grief Haemon’s mother takes her own life too. Creon is left a broken man and completely blames himself. Creon is seen as having learned a lesson.

The story of Antigone has been very poular in Latin America although each version is slightly adapted for its situation, what makes it so popular? Sophocles’ Antigone exposes the danger of having an absolute ruler/tyrant, the result is that mistakes are made and lives are lost. Creon’s hubris is his downfall. The right of the state against personal freedom The play questions whther there are higher powers to which one should ultimately yield. What might it mean to be a citizen?...