Antigone sous les soleils d’Afrique: trois exemples d’adaptation

The article investigates the relationship between Greek tragedy and African literature through the analysis of three 20th century adaptations of Antigone : The Island by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona, Noces posthumes de Santigone by Sylvain Bemba, Tegonni : An African Antigone by Femi Osofisan. Starting with an overview of the interpretative models elaborated within the theoretical framework of the classical reception studies, such as Black Dionysus and Black Aegean, the article proceeds to highlight the stylistic and thematic choices that enable the authors to address specific cultural, political and sociological issues relevant to their own context of origin through the filter – or magnifying glass – of Antigone. A striking feature of these adaptations is their metatheatricality, through which the authors both call into question and reaffirm the universality of the myth of Antigone. The reader is therefore provided with a non-Eurocentric take on the relevance of Greek tragedy.