Marivaux The Island of Slaves beyond Borders A Theatre Utopia on the Portuguese Stage

Marivaux’s comedy Slave Island opens the way to a school of humanity intended to renovate the theatrical art. Marivaux does not hesitate to modulate a foreign model to his advantage, by bringing to life on the stage theatrical archetypes, such as Harlequin, on a distant and insular space, to illustrate through an “upside down world” a reversal of utopian thought. Among Portuguese artists of the 20th century, how is this reversal of social roles brought about by the island space perceived?