The Concept of Self and the Other

Tel Aviv University The Yolanda and David Katz Faculty of the Arts Department of Theatre Studies The Realm of the Other: Jesters, Gods, and Aliens in Shadowplay Thesis Submitted for the Degree of “Doctor of Philosophy” by Chu Fa Ching Ebert Submitted to the Senate of Tel Aviv University April 2004 This thesis was supervised by Prof. Jacob Raz TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF ILLUSTRATIONS................................................................................................vi INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................... 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... 7 I. THE CONCEPT OF SELF AND THE OTHER.................................................................... 10 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 11 The Multiple Self .................................................................................................................... 12 Reversal Theory...................................................................................................................... 13 Contextual Theory ................................................................................................................. 14 Self in Cross‐Cultural Perspective ‐ The Concept of Jen................................................... 17 Self ........................................................................................................................................... 20 The Concept of the Other..................................................................................................... 20 Liminality Social Drama...................................................................................................................... 22 Liminality........................................................................................................................... 24 Liminality in Rites de Passage........................................................................................... 25 Beyond the Rites de Passage.............................................................................................. 26 The Emergence of the Other ................................................................................................. 28 II. THE OTHER IN SHADOWPLAY The Other in Theatre.............................................................................................................. 30 Shadowplay’s Place in the Theatrical Arts ......................................................................... 31 III.THE OTHERNESS OF GODS, JESTERS, AND ALIENS God as Other Introduction....................................................................................................................... 34 Origins................................................................................................................................ 35 God’s Attributes – Otherness.......................................................................................... 37 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 40 ii The Jesterʹs Otherness Introduction....................................................................................................................... 41 The Natural and Artificial Fool....................................................................................... 43 Clowning Genres .............................................................................................................. 44 The Jester............................................................................................................................ 45 The Jester’s Otherness ...................................................................................................... 46 Aliens as Others Introduction....................................................................................................................... 48 Attitudes towards the Aliens .......................................................................................... 48 Intentional and Existential Outsiders ............................................................................ 50 The Other Within and Without....................................................................................... 52 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 53 General Conclusion................................................................................................................ 54 IV. THE SHADOWPLAY TRADITION Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 56 Shadowplay in India.............................................................................................................. 60 Shadowplay in China ............................................................................................................ 66 Shadowplay in the West: The Chat Noir Cabaret............................................................... 75 Conclusion............................................................................................................................... 78 V. WAYANG KULIT: JAVANESE SHADOWPLAY Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 82 Origins ..................................................................................................................................... 83 The Stage ................................................................................................................................. 84 The Dalang .............................................................................................................................. 86 Wayang Puppets: Iconography and Characterization...................................................... 88 The Wayang Plays – Lakon.................................................................................................... 92 The Structure of the Wayang Performance ........................................................................ 94 Wayangʹs Meaning ‐ Some Interpretations ........................................................................ 98 Wayang Today...................................................................................................................... 101 The Other in Wayang Jesters in Wayang: the Punakawan Introduction..................................................................................................................... 102 The Punakawan .............................................................................................................. 103 iii The Otherness of the Punakawan................................................................................... 111 The Wayang Gods Introduction..................................................................................................................... 116 The Javanese Pantheon .................................................................................................. 116 The Principal Gods ......................................................................................................... 120 The Significance of the Gods in the Wayang World.................................................. 126 The Otherness of the Gods ............................................................................................ 128 Aliens in Wayang Introduction: Origins...................................................................................................... 129 The Aliens’ Characteristics and Significance .............................................................. 130 The Aliens’ Otherness .................................................................................................... 136 VI. KARAGÖZ ‐ THE TURKISH SHADOWPLAY Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 137 Origins ................................................................................................................................... 140 Occasions and Locations of Performance ......................................................................... 145 The Play’s Structure............................................................................................................. 146 Characters.............................................................................................................................. 153 The Repertoire ...................................................................................................................... 170 Performance Elements: Comedy and Language.............................................................. 179 The Puppeteer....................................................................................................................... 183 Stage and Puppets................................................................................................................ 184 Music and Instruments........................................................................................................ 187 Mystical and Satirical Character .......................................................................................

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