@article{ART003197294},
author={Kang, Hyeong-min},
title={Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo},
journal={Journal of Modern English Drama},
issn={1226-3397},
year={2025},
volume={38},
number={1},
pages={7-36}
TY - JOUR
AU - Kang, Hyeong-min
TI - Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo
JO - Journal of Modern English Drama
PY - 2025
VL - 38
IS - 1
PB - 한국현대영미드라마학회
SP - 7
EP - 36
SN - 1226-3397
AB - This article examines how J.T. Rogers’ play Oslo (2017) dramatizes the clandestine peace negotiations known as the Oslo backchannel, culminating in the 1993 Oslo Accords between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel. By analyzing the dramaturgical reconstruction of historical events, the study explores how the play not only recounts the political process but also interrogates the psychological and interpersonal dimensions of diplomacy. It argues that Rogers identifies five interrelated factors as critical to the success of the negotiations: the exclusion of the United States, which allowed for direct and independent dialogue; the voluntary nature of participation, fostering mutual ownership; a gradualist, step-by-step approach; Norway’s evolving role from discreet facilitator to active mediator; and a pragmatic, future-oriented vision centered on coexistence. At the heart of these efforts lies a historic act of mutual recognition, which the play presents as both a political and emotional breakthrough.
While acknowledging that the long-term outcomes of the Oslo Accords have been undermined by subsequent violence and political impasse, this paper contends that Rogers’ dramatization of the process invites renewed reflection on the Oslo model as a potentially instructive framework for contemporary peace efforts. In doing so, the play reanimates the possibility of diplomacy grounded in human connection and incremental trust-building, even amidst intractable conflict.
KW - J.T. Rogers; Oslo; The Oslo Accords; The Oslo backchannel;Palestine;PLO;Israel;Norway
DO -
UR -
ER -
Kang, Hyeong-min. (2025). Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo. Journal of Modern English Drama, 38(1), 7-36.
Kang, Hyeong-min. 2025, "Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo", Journal of Modern English Drama, vol.38, no.1 pp.7-36.
Kang, Hyeong-min "Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo" Journal of Modern English Drama 38.1 pp.7-36 (2025) : 7.
Kang, Hyeong-min. Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo. 2025; 38(1), 7-36.
Kang, Hyeong-min. "Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo" Journal of Modern English Drama 38, no.1 (2025) : 7-36.
Kang, Hyeong-min. Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo. Journal of Modern English Drama, 38(1), 7-36.
Kang, Hyeong-min. Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo. Journal of Modern English Drama. 2025; 38(1) 7-36.
Kang, Hyeong-min. Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo. 2025; 38(1), 7-36.
Kang, Hyeong-min. "Making Peace between Mortal Enemies in J.T. Rogers’ Oslo" Journal of Modern English Drama 38, no.1 (2025) : 7-36.
