The presentation of law and legal system in Athol Fugard plays Azeemah Jaulim 12th Grade

Athol Fugard’s plays often depict the ferment of ideas and the tenor of township lifestyle in the late twentieth century. Like he had experienced first-hand during his time in South Africa, he portrays an explosive mix of Sophia town culture, personalities, politics, and legal system- englobing the black realities in 1958 and showcasing the various legal injustices in the panorama of South African history. Indeed, through dramatic verisimilitude, his plays focus on a historical perspective of ordinary people caught up in a pernicious and universally debilitating legal system.

The recurring episodes of injustices in the upward mobility of the black men in the plays convey the bigotry of the legal system. The audience understands black men’s difficulties in rising from the gutter and living a compromising lifestyle. Indeed, the law acts as a barrier to the ebbs and flow of dreams for the people in Sophia town. For instance, in ‘No-Good Friday’, the dramatis personae struggle to earn a living. Willie has an education. Guy has talent. Yet, they are both unable to live comfortably. Fugard’s dramatic, thematic use satirically epitomises this aspect: “Friday Night Blues. Inspired by an empty pocket”- music poignantly acts as a symbol...