Thesis (M.A.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Arts - Department of Engilsh

This thesis aims to explore Mikhail Bakhtin{u2019}s theory of the carnivalesque and the grotesque body as discussed in his seminal book Rabelais and his world (1965). This will be applied later to the three selected plays which belong to different cultures and historical periods, Restoration England in Aphra Behn{u2019}s The Rover (1677) , 20th century Syria in Saad Allah Wannus{u2019}The King is the King (1977) , and lastlyBrian Friel{u2019}s Dancing at Lughnasa (1990). The aim is to show that these elements of the grotesque and the carnivalesque have been used by different cultures and in different historical periods. Moreover, it aims to show that besides being used for the sake of sheer entertainment, it was for other more serious objectives; gender, social and political. Thus, the study will examine the different political, cultural, and social backgrounds, which led to the use and manipulation of these elements in the selected plays

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