The Devil as the Other: Opposition to God, Prophet, and Humanity

The WOMARD project led by Professor Elisabeth Dutton at the university of Fribourg, compares the dramatic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Shi’ism—Jewish purimshpil, European biblical drama, and Iranian taʿziyeh plays. It focusses on three main strands of inquiry: female figures; martyrdom and sacrifice; and the presentation and conversion of the religious other. Within this framework, I am conducting my thesis, The Devil as the Other: Opposition to God, Prophet, and Humanity, a comparative study of the Devil in mystery plays and taʿziyeh. Taʿziyeh is a form of Iranian-Shiite passion play that centers on the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the third Imam of Shiites. However, its repertoire also includes many other episodes, ranging from the Creation to the Resurrection.

Focusing on selected religious plays from the Christian mystery and miracle cycles and the Islamic taʿziyeh repertoire, I will study and compare the representation of Satan in these two dramatic forms. Although these traditions developed independently, they share key similarities: a religious foundation, moral purpose, episodic structure, ritualistic nature, and community participation. Both belong to Abrahamic religions and feature similar episodes, such as the Fall of Adam and Eve. These similarities offer a solid foundation for comparison. But why focus on Satan? As a literary comparatist, I believe that comparing Satan involves examining many interconnected aspects. By exploring the similarities and differences in how this figure, shared between Christians and Muslims, is dramatized in popular portrayals of key biblical and Qur’anic episodes we can gain insights into power structures, the rejection of the other, the position of women, sacrifice, sin, and punishment in society.

In three main chapters of my thesis, I examine Satan in opposition to or in conflict with a different entity. The first chapter focuses on the Devil versus God, the second on the Devil versus the Prophet, and the third on the Devil versus Humanity.