The Revolutionary Spirit in the Drama of fCaryl Churchill

Title: The Revolutionary Spirit in the Drama of Caryl Churchill: A Post-Colonial Study Degree: Ph.D. Degree Specialization: English literature, Drama Name of the student: Samah Mahmoud Khalil Name of the supervisor: Prof. Ahmad A. Elsheemi Abstract Caryl Churchill wrote a number of plays from which only three reflect the spirit of revolution. The plays are: The Hospital at the Time of Revolution (1972), Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (1976) and Mad Forest (1990). The three dramas portray the spirit of revolution in three different countries. They take place in Algeria, England and Romania respectively. Through writing these plays, the playwright sheds light on issues that can be best analyzed through post-colonialism. This proposed study is intended to attempt an analysis of how Churchill portrays the revolution in some selected full-length plays. It will examine the similarities and differences between the societies in their way of tackling the rough realities from which they suffer. Moreover, the study is intended to analyze each play as a separate phase. In fact, the thesis will adopt the postcolonial perspective in examining Churchill’s three major works: Hospital at the Time of Revolution (1972), Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (1976), and Mad Forest (1990). The selected works of Churchill examine the political and social oppression from which peoples have suffered for a long time. The research is intended to follow an analytical method derived from post-colonialism into the following order: an Introduction to explain the objective, state the problem, and introduce the research method. The first chapter will review Post-Colonialism as a theory and how it can recently be applied to many literary works. In addition, the chapter will elaborate on the key concepts and it will provide the theoretical framework through which the plays will be analyzed. The second chapter will analyze the key concepts of Fanonism and the Subaltern in A Hospital at the Time of Revolution (1972). The third chapter will examine the key concepts of Religion, Hegemony and Imperialism in Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (1976). The fourth chapter will explore the key concept of Dictatorship in Mad Forest (1990). All these key concepts will be examined with regard to the sense of revolution. The conclusion will be a summing up of the findings of the research.