Dario Fo's Game Of Power

Dario Fo, the Nobel literature prize winner in 1997 is a disputed writer. Some people do not see any aesthetical value in his works, while some people consider him as an actor instead of a writer. There are not enough chinese resources about him, plus not many chinese readers who are interested in plays, thus chinese audience, readers and scholars know very little about him. We may gain a brave new insight in his revolutionary works If we review his plays according to Walter Benjamin's opinions in the writer as a producer.The Dario Fo study in China just began, most of essays are introductions or translations, while a few essays which focus his value are based on Bahkin's carnival theory. Dario Fo is much richer than what we have discussed. Bahkin's carnival theory has certain historical features since it comes from analysis of a Renaissance novel——Gargantua and pantagrel by french author Fran?ois Rabelais. However, Dario Fo's plays are intended to be avant-garde which reflect post-modern society and develop new expressions. And theatre belongs to multi-media arts which is more complicated than text. Hence, Bahkin's theory is not effective when it is used to explain Fo's theatre.Besides, Dario Fo regards arts as a weapon against capitalism instead of seeing it only for arts'sake. From destroying the capitalist ideology to practising theatre as a political activity , he made his arts into a kind of arts of politics. This thesis focuses on to what degree such arts can renew the tradition and how it can get rid of the limit of commercial society. Dario Fo's theatre can be seen as a game with power which suggests that his plays have features of game, also refers to a tool used in social power gaming.By close reading the texts and watching videos, the author attempts to analyse Dario Fo's theatre as a multi-layer and multi-media arts. And the author insists to display opinions according to Walter Bejamin's theory and examine Fo's works in global environment.In Introduction, the thesis first introduces the general information of Dario Fo and his plays, explains the reasons why this topic was chosen, the value of this study and its goal, also reviews other experts'study on this topic.In the first chapter, the author points out that"game"is an important feature in Dario Fo's plays.In the second chapter, by comparing Fo and other dramatists, it reveals that Fo's plays have been influenced by futurists and other avant-garde drama. The characters and lauguage in his plays suggest his attempt against capitalist ideology. The concept of"Body"shows the difference between Fo and Rabelais.In the third chapter, according to Walter Benjamin's opinion, it analyses Fo's design in theatre space and explains the significance of being a producer.In conclusion, it advises that it is possible to combine politics and arts, furthermore, such combination may bring life to both politics and arts.