EXISTENTIALIST FREEDOM AND ESSENTIALIST DETERMINISM IN TAWFIQ AL-HAKIM AND WOLE SOYINKA'S 'DRAMA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY
Keywords:
Existential; Essential; Freedom; Determinism; Arabic DramaAbstract
This study undertakes a comparative analysis of Tawfiq al-Hakim's 'Fate of a Cockroach' and Wole Soyinka's 'Death and the King's Horseman', exploring the philosophical dichotomy between existential freedom and essentialist determinism. Through a close reading of these works, we examine how al-Hakim's absurdist drama and Soyinka's heartbreaking play engage with the pressure between human intervention and external forces influencing individual destiny. The analysis of the two plays reveals that Tawfiq al-Hakim's play "Fate of a Cockroach" and Wole Soyinka's "Death and the King's Horseman" both explore the tension between existential freedom and essentialist determinism through the lens of individual agency and societal expectations. However, while al-Hakim's cockroach protagonist embodies the existential struggle for freedom, Soyinka's characters are trapped in a web of essentialist determinism, highlighting the complexities of human existence and the quest for autonomy. This contrast highlights the complexities of individual survival, where human beings grapple with both internal desires and external forces influencing their fate. The absurdist tone of 'Fate of a Cockroach' highlights the vainness of human existence, while the tragic play of 'Death and the King's Horseman' emphasizes the inescapability of fate. This study contributes to the field of Arabic drama, offering a unique literary perspective on the philosophical conundrum of existentialism and essentialism.
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