드라마, 의료인문학의 살아있는 텍스트 - 희곡 <위트W;t>에 담긴 질병의 체현과 죽음에 대한 성찰－

Abstract

Drama lets people experience life and observe human relationships. Furthermore, as “living text,” theater has the potential as a creative textbook for medical humanities that can be a vehicle of holistic identification and communication to medical professionals and patients. Margaret Edson’s Wit depicts how Vivian Bearing, diagnosed with ovarian cancer, deals with her illness as juxtaposed with John Donne’s Holy Sonnets. The irony and paradox, that she only learns the wit behind the Sonnets when she faces death herself, stands out in Wit. Wit’s originality lies in its narrative and characterization that demonstrate the power of literature to overcome illness and death. The distinctive feature of Wit’s narrative structure is its use of epic theater which provides direct introspection into the protagonist. What stands out in characterization is the contrast between medical personnels who deal with physical ailments and the literary experts who pursue spiritual/mental salvation. Thematically, salvation of the soul through deterioration of the body completes the aesthetic paradox. Produced as a play and film, Wit received a turnaround as a training text for medical professionals. The play’s depiction of a cancer patient’s pain and how she subsequently overcomes her fear of death show the symbiotic relationship between medicine and the arts. I hope that the case can be illuminating to playwrights and educators who pursue the creative fusion of the arts and medicine.