How does Athol Fugard present personal and political conflict in the opening scene of the Island?

Authors Avatar

How does Athol Fugard present personal and political conflict in the opening scene of the Island?

Athol fugard presents the opening scene in a number of ways. The play is all about contrasts in personal and political conflict. The Island was written by Fugard to show the situation between whites and blacks in South Africa. When the play was first preformed it was more like a political play, but audiences see it as based more on the human spirit. After the apartheid had finished the play was more about how people overcame pressure and stress. The play was written around the 1970’s when there was Apartheid in South Africa. This meant that the white people were in control of the black people. The black people were treated as slaves and were said to be like animals, if the black people were to disobey the rules then one of the punishments was to be thrown into prison, which was where this play was set. These plays were against the law, because they were a form of rebellion, so if the actors and audience were caught they would be severely punished.

Join now!

 The setting and staging are presented in different ways to show the isolation and confinement in the cell. Fugard does this by the centre of the stage being raised to represent a cell on Robben Island. In the cell everything is neat and tidy, blankets are all folded and this is because mess would take up more room. The black prisoners are trying to maintain standards and not act like animals even though they are treated like them. There is ‘a moat of harsh, white light’ representing a cell, from which they cannot escape. John and Winston, who are ...

This is a preview of the whole essay