Introduction

Abstract

At the origins of this inquiry lies a text, written for the theatre. Its narrative, which employs mythological figures of men, women, and gods, is supposed to be familiar. Yet it is not. Instead, it surprises by its detours and raises unsettling questions concerning its use of myth and fantastic elements, contemporary slang, and the theatre as a public cultural institution. This is why a different reading was required. The text is The Infernal Machine (La Machine Infernale), Jean Cocteau’s interpretation of the tale of Oedipus.¹ That the hypnotic unease experienced when reading or listening to the chant of the Sphinx in Act II is the effect of its rhythmic structure, does not entirely explain the emotional response the chant elicits. To fully understand this response, one has to look where the chant comes from. Likewise, to understand the reason of the recurrent use of the monster, both as a trope and as an actant, one has to comprehend not only what a monster represents but also what a monster is, not only its semiotic value but also its phenomenological impact. The Sphinx is a visible monster and so is Anubis, while many others were still to be uncovered. The monster belongs to the realm of the fantastic, as do the Sphinx, Anubis, Laius’ ghost or Jocasta’s ghost. As a male who was briefly a female, so does Tiresias. Other monsters, metaphorical this time, would emerge in due course during my investigation.