The Parable of the Hero-Refugee and the Narrative of the Deserving Migrant on the Italian Stage

Abstract

Over the last two decades, on the Italian scene, the representation of migration has often drawn upon classical myths, particularly that of Aeneas. Productions portray migrants as heroic figures (males) undertaking perilous sea voyages to reach a welcoming land where their worth is eventually recognised. By drawing parallels between Aeneas’s epic exile and contemporary refugees, these creations aim to foster empathy and counteract xenophobic sentiments. However, this mythological framing reveals controversial and problematic aspects that ultimately confirm and reinforce the nationalist and exclusionary ideologies they attempt to combat. The mythologisation of the migrant reproduces a paradigm of ‘exception’ that perpetuates narratives of conditional acceptance, far more akin to the contested notion of ‘deserving migrant’ than to a transformative critique of exclusionary policies. The article critically analyses these theatrical tropes, tracing their links to the enduring fascist and nationalist mythopoesis, to post-colonial Eurocentric narratives, and to the contemporary debate on the ‘deserving migrant’. By highlighting the complex dynamics underlying these representations, the analysis contributes to understanding how theatrical productions can unintentionally reproduce or reinforce certain imaginaries, vocabulary, and stereotypes that are functional to nationalist rhetoric.