육식과 식인행위의 사이클: 귀네스 루이스의 『클리템네스트라』

Abstract

Rewriting the Greek play, Agamemnon, into Clytemnestra, Gwyneth Lewis reminds the audience of the role of the Greek theater as a medium to debate the contemporary social issues. She responds to the issues of honor killings and food scarcity in her adaptation. Clytemnestra, whose death by her son was not revenged, is given a chance to speak for herself, while the Trojan War is described as a campaign for Agamemnon to acquire food for his tribe. This paper attempts to interpret the characters’ desire for meat in Clytemnestra in relation with the Greek mythology. The play warns about the dehumanizing effects the lack of food, or more specifically the lack of meat, may bring. The play also describes the characters victimized by the patriarchal society through the metaphor of man eating the flesh of children or woman. Thus the play is connected to the cannibalism in Greek mythology, while dealing with the theme of food scarcity and people’s desire for meat.