Ploja e mbrame – The Final Slaughter

Novel, written as a play, Barleti 1994 Pages 172 “Ploja e Mbrame” (The Final Slaughter), a novel in dramatic form which reworks the Oedipus legend in an allegory of power, (published in Tirana in 1994). Note: this work has been written in Burrel prison in 1989 – 1989 in cigarette papers in order to be kept hidden. The Final Slaughter by Fatos Lubonja is a profound and chilling novel that blends the local and the universal, offering a timeless exploration of power, tyranny, and the human condition. Drawing from the depths of Greek mythology, Lubonja reimagines the myth of Oedipus in the context of a totalitarian regime, creating a brutal narrative that mirrors the stagnation and terror of Communist Albania. In this dark retelling, Oedipus, rather than surrendering in the face of his guilt, embarks on a violent reign, perpetuating a cycle of destruction in his desperate grasp for power. Lubonja’s Oedipus is a ruler driven by hatred, violence, and a tyrannical desire to eliminate truth, reflecting the political atmosphere of a country where corruption and fear are used to maintain control. The novel’s exploration of a dictator’s psyche and the consequences of unchecked power offers a stark and prophetic warning about the aftermath of political collapse. With its vivid, mythological imagery and its incisive commentary on the nature of power, The Final Slaughter is a haunting reflection on the intersection of personal and political destruction. Written as a prophecy of the post-Communist era, this work is both a deeply local narrative and a universal cautionary tale about the dangers of authoritarianism.