Dulcinea del Toboso à l’origine de la vie

Réécriture du mythe cervantin dans une pièce de théâtre sublime, satirique et féministe

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study, from a comparative perspective, the revision of the character of Dulcinea del Toboso in the play La complainte de Dulcinée, written by Dulcinée Langfelder (an artist living in Montreal). The aim is to identify the elements of such a revision. After having introduced the methodological frame, the analysis will show that the play writer, who follows the Cervantes’ novel, is able, not only to subvert some of the fundamental characteristics of Don Quixote and her muse, but moreover, she is able to surpass them, especially those referring to the creation of the new Dulcinea. Langfelder decides to give the floor to Dulcinea, who takes a way, which corresponds to the quest of her own identity. This search leads her to the encounter of several feminine symbols and figures, as well as a large amount of goddesses, which belong to old religions and civilizations. For the first time in a dramatization Dulcinea is given such a high status; she is represented as an image of the Mother Earth myth. This identification means a turning point in the relationship between Dulcinea and Don Quixote and, by extension, between men and women. Besides, this play can be considered as a feminist one, due to the defense of women’s rights and the parity between men and women, which becomes the motto of the new Dulcinea. The last part of this paper is about some elements that make up this play and which help to define the understanding of theatrical art of Langfedler, an all-around artist: an inclusive sense of feminism, satire and sense of humor