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Comparative Study of Oh TaeSuk’s Baengmagang Dalbame and Yonghosangbak-With Emphasis on the Dramatic Use of Gut

Suk Kyung Kim 1

1경성대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The rising interests in tradition after the 1970’s has given birth to many plays that were motived by Gut. Gut has been considered a very effective dramatic motif to express Korean identity due to its originality, amusing and entertaining character, and Korean mentality. The dramatic use of Gut takes completely different forms in each piece according to type of Gut, deployment of Gut, its relationship with the plot, its role in the play, and theme. This study compared and examined the dramatic use of Gut in Oh Taesuk’s Baengmagang Dalbame and Yonghosangbak to discuss the positive use of Gut. Oh is the leading playwright of Korea who has experimented with the modernization of tradition and uses Gut in several plays he wrote. Above others, Baengmagang Dalbame and Yonghosangbak have been recognized for the originality and superiority of Gut’s dramatic use. Baengmagang Dalbame deploys Eunsan-Byeolsin-gut throughout the plot, which follows the preparation and progress of Gut in order. On the other hand, Yonghosangbak repetitively deploys Gangsari-Beom-gut several times in the plot. The repetition of Gut that must not repeat serves as an important dramatic motif in the piece. Also, the dramatic function of Gut is clearly contrasted in these two pieces. Gut functions as a medium of solution in Baengmagang Dalbame, whereas it functions as a medium of conflict in Yonghosangbak. Lastly, there is an interesting difference between the two pieces in terms of relativity between the deified thing and the theme. Baengmagang Dalbame deifies a historical character based on the origin of Eunsan- Byeolsin-gut to approach the theme from a historical and macro perspective. On the other hand, Yonghosangbak deifies tiger to be strongly dominated by the root of folk religion and a mythical worldview. As discussed above, the two pieces acquires the dramatic inevitability of Gut in different ways. Each piece uses Gut differently to achieve dramatic inevitability. Baengmagang Dalbame and Yonghosangbak are significant examples of positive achievement of dramatic inevitability.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.