래티건의 『로스』에 극화된 T. E. 로렌스의 기억, 의지, 정체성

Staging T.E. Lawrence: Memory, Will, and Identity in Rattigan’s Ross

This paper examines Terence Rattigan’s Ross (1960), a previously neglected biographical history play that offers a psychiatric approach to the enigmatic life of T.E. Lawrence. Known as Lawrence of Arabia for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916~1918) against the Ottoman Empire during WWI, Lawrence’s loyalties were divided between British imperialism and Arab nationalism. Feeling that the Arab cause that he had fought for had been betrayed by the British establishment after the conclusion of hostilities, he retreated into anonymity and, in 1922, secretly joined the Royal Air Force under the pseudonym ‘Ross.’ Rattigan’s stage biopic investigates the mystery of this hero, proposing that his actions were driven by his personal will and its destruction by Turkish captors in Deraa, where he was sexually assaulted, causing him to acknowledge his homosexual masochism. This depiction of a crisis of sexual and national identity, leading to withdrawal from public attention, can be seen to mirror Rattigan’s own complex personality and concealed homosexuality. In addition, the playwright’s portrayal of Lawrence’s disillusionment and self-loathing constitute a criticism of Western politicians who saw Lawrence as a dispensable tool of empire-building. Finally, this study finds that Rattigan’s dramatic craftsmanship is at its best in Ross, in which the description of the psychological turmoil of a legendary figure mixes humor and pathos, through an episodic structure featuring seamless dream-sequences and flashback scenes.