A Study of the Carnival Components of Mikhail Bakhtin in Iranian Delightful Performances

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. in Comparative and Analytical History of Islamic Art, University of Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor, Faculty of Visual Arts, Department of Higher Arts Studies, University of Tehran, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Faculty of Performing Arts and Music, Fine Arts Campus, University of Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Problem statement: Carnivals are popular and folk festivals that are in contrast with formal and dry culture. In the carnival atmosphere, social classes are overthrown. Carnival challenges the laws and values ​​of society by using tools such as criticism, satire, ridicule, and irony. Carnival stands in opposition to formal culture, disrupting the monolithic atmosphere and creating a polyphonic community with diverse conversations. Mikhail Bakhtin (1895-1975), an important theorist of the twentieth century in the field of literary criticism, with the theory of colloquial logic, created a new atmosphere in various fields, including literature. One of the main branches of this theory is carnival. The components of Bakhtin Carnival can also be examined in the category of drama. In the present study, the author intends to critique the delightful Iranian plays in the late Safavid and Qajar periods, citing evidence and examples, based on the ideas of the Bakhtin Carnival.
Research objective: The present study attempts to examine the relationship between this type of play with Bakhtin’s views on carnival and the possibility of applying Bakhtin carnival theory in these plays by examining Iranian happy plays and structural and content analysis of these plays.
Research method: This study is descriptive-analytical. In this research, valid Iranian and non-Iranian sources (in the form of books, articles, notes, and conversations with experts in two categories of text and performance) were used.
Conclusion: Delightful performances in Iran a space as a carnival so that people, regardless of social class, come together and criticize the existing space in the official space of society with fun and happiness together. In freedom and equality, real dialogue is formed and the general public is liberated and calmed in a short period.

Keywords

References

Ahmadi, B. (1991). Text structure and interpretation. Tehran: Markaz.
Alizadeh Birjandi, Z. & Naseri, A. (2016). The links between art and politics in the Qajar era and its consequences. Bagh-e Nazar, 13 (42), 67-87.
Ansari, M. (2005). Democracy-ye Gogetegou-yi [Dialogue Democracy]. Tehran: Markaz.
Bakhtin, M. (2008). Conversational imagination essays about the novel (R. Pourazar, Trans.). Tehran, Ney.
Bakhtin, M. (2018). Dostoevsky’s Poetry Question Books (S. Solhjoo, Trans.). Tehran: Niloufar.
Bakhtin, M. (2020). Aesthetics and novel theory (K. Shahparrad, Trans.). Tehran: Aban.
Baloo, F., Ahmadi, Sh. & Khajeh Nokandeh, M. (2015). Barrasi-ye Romman-e Sang-e Sabour bar Asas-e Engare-ha-ye Karnaval-e Bakhtin-i [A study on “Sang-e Sabour” Based on Carnival theory of Bakhtin]. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on the Promotion of Persian Language and Literature, 67-71.
Beyzai, B. (1965). Namayesh dar Iran [Theater in Iran]. Tehran: Kavian.
Clark, K. & Holquist, M. (1984). Mikhail Bakhtin. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Dezfulian, K. & Baloo, F. (2010). A critical approach to Bakhtin’s opinion on the epic centered on the Shahnameh. Persian Language and Literature Research,  (19), 125-155.
Forough, M. (2003). Namayesh dar Iran [Theater in Iran]. Culture Letter Magazine, (50), 136-159.
Gardiner, M. (2002). Bakhtin Ordinary Imagination (Y. Abazari, Trans.). Arqanoun,  (20), 33-66.
Goldman et al. (2013). An Introduction to the Sociology of Literature (M. J Pooyandeh, Trans.). Tehran: Naqsh-e Jahan.
Haji Molla Ali , M. R. (2018). Explaining the play of Takht Houzi from the perspective of cultural studies based on Bakhtin’s views. (Unpublished PhD thesis). Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares university, Tehran, Iran.
Jannati Ataiee, A. (1954). Bonyad-e Namayesh dar Iran [Theater Foundation in Iran]. Tehran: Sina.
Katritzky, M. A. (2006). The Art Comedia. Amsterdam- New York, NY: Rodopi.
King, Edward. (1875). The Great South. American Publishing Company: Hartford Conn.
Kolodziej-Smith,R (2015). Bahktin and the Carnivalesque: Calling for a Balanced Analysis within Organizational Communication Studies, Kaleidoscope. A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research, 8(13), 85-90.
Makarik, I. R.  (2006). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory (M. Mohajer & M. Nabavi, Trans.).  Tehran: Agah.
Namaghi, M. & Abdi Makvand, I. (2013). Visiting educational humor and carnival atmosphere. Educational and Lyrical Research in Persian Language and Literature, (15), 137-154.
Namvar Motlagh, B.  (2008). Bakhtin, Discourse and Polyphony of Bakhtin Pre-Text Study. Humanities, (57), 397-414.
 Nemat Tavousi, M. (2015). Cast Siyah Bazi play. Theater, (62), 94-108.
Nourbakhsh , H. (1968). Karim Shire-’i. Tehran: Sanai.
Ramezani, A. & Yazdani, E. (2015). Examining the three themes of Bakhtin Carnival, dialogue and chronotope in the play to win or the mistakes of one night by Oliver Goldsmith. Research in Contemporary World Literature, 20 (2), 245-274.
Sadeghi, Q. (1995). Baqal-Bazi, Taqlid az Doran-e Fe’odali-ye Iran [Groceries, imitations of the feudal era of Iran]. Art, (29), 385-390.
Williams, E. A. (2015). Bakhtin and Borat: the Rogue, the Clown, and the Fool in Carnival Film. Philament, Humour, (20), 109-110
The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar
Volume 19, Issue 108
June 2022
Pages 55-68

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics