an analysis of foucauldian power and prison-society in caryl churchill’s softcops

the essence of british political theatre of the 1970s and1980s might be re-read with regard to its resistance to the ideologicaldiscourses of the dominant power—especially those of the neo-conservatism ofmargaret thatcher. english dramatists, who were under the substantial influenceof foucauldian subversive view on power and ideology, through dramatizing thehistorical events, attempted to stand against the ideology and idealism of theruling power. they began to subvert the literary figures of the past in anattempt to create a new mentality. among them, caryl churchill in her softcops(1984) dramatised foucault’s discipline and punish (1975) along with thefrench revolution in order to depict the hegemony and domination of bourgeoispower from the nineteenth century to the present. this paper is an attempt toillustrate churchill’s anti-thatcherite policy in the mentioned play and hercoping with the how and why the ruling power substituted its explicit andviolent strategies with soft and disciplinary strategies of surveillance formaking obedient subjects to confront and suppress any potential civilobjection.