존 궤어의 Chaucer in Rome에 나타난 메타드라마적 장치와 가톨릭적 주제 연구

초록

This paper aims at revealing the metadramatic devices and the Catholic theme in John Guare’s Chaucer in Rome. The metadramtic devices such as the play within the play, the documentary within the play, the talk show within the play, the ceremony within the play, citations, parabases, playing four roles by one actor, and some techniques for the change of scenes are inherent in the play. By the way, the all-inclusive theme of the play is sin and salvation. As for sin, it is not easy to clarify the types of sin of the characters and trace the responsibility for them because recent Catholic theology has shown that social sin is the cause and the result of personal sinful choices. Nevertheless, Matt and Sarah commit the unpardonable sin of disguising themselves as a priest and a nun and violating the seal of confession. From the Catholic viewpoint, salvation achieves completion only in the afterlife. Matt and Sarah shows little possibility of salvation because they achieve a remarkable success at the cost of the betrayal of pilgrims’ confessions. Pete shows the possibility of salvation because he confesses his sin and suffers from the pangs of conscience. After their death, Ron and Dolo must be in Purgatory because they suffered from the serious mental disorder not losing their faith in God. Four pilgrims show the possibility of salvation because they seek absolution from God confessing their sin. Therefore, Chaucer in Rome is a protheatrical metadrama because it induces audiences to examine the characters’ sin and salvation through the metadramatic devices based on Guare’s admiration for the theater and his belief in its power to change the world.

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