Bartha Smit se Don Juan onder die Boere binne die raamwerk van die Don Juan-makroteks

Abstract

The Don Juan story and its many metamorphoses have been extensively studied and described in the form of a thematic history. Any modern author who attempts to add his own version of the well-known theme is confronted with what is called here a macro text, i.e. the synchronic coexistence of texts coming from different countries and times. Accord­ing to Gerard Genette's Palimpsests, the Don Juan macro text is envisaged as a hypertext, to which Bartho Smit's text is hypertextually related. The meaning of a new Don Juan version is generated, to a certain extent, by the knowledge which the reader/spectator has of the pre-existing versions of the Don Juan story.

Opsomming
Die Don Juan-fabel en sy talryke metamorfoses is breedvoerig ondersoek en as 'n tema­geskiedenis beskryf. 'n Moderne outeur wat sy eie weergawe van die bekende fabel uitwerk, word gekonfronteer met wat hier 'n makroteks genoem word, nl. die sinchroniese naasmekaar bestaan van tekste uit verskillende lande en eras. Volgens Gerard Genette se Palimpsestes, word die Don Juan-fabel hierna verstaan as 'n hipoteks, waarmee Bartho Smit se teks in 'n hipertekstuele verband staan. Die betekenis van die moderne teks word, in 'n mindere of meerdere mate, geskep deur die kennis wat die leser/toeskouer van die vroeere weergawes van die Don Juan-fabel besit.