THEATRE OF THE ABSURD.

An Advantageous for JRF, NET, GSET, GATE, PG, UG Aspirants.

PARAMAR BHAVESH G.

PhD (PURSUING), M.A. (ENG)

JRF, NET, GSET, GATE 2022/23.

 

Theatre of the Absurd.

 

Absurd literature, also known as "Theatre of the Absurd" in theatre, is a literary and dramatic trend that originated in Europe in the mid-20th century. This movement is distinguished by its investigation of the absurdity and meaninglessness of human existence. The term was coined by critic Martin Esslin in his 1960 essay "The Theatre of the Absurd," which begins by focusing on playwrights Samuel Beckett, Arthur Adamov, and Eugène Ionesco. According to Martin Esslin, their plays share a common denominator: the "absurd," which Esslin describes with  Ionesco quotation: "absurd is that which has no purpose, goal, or objective." In his 1942 essay "Myth of Sisyphus," the French philosopher Albert Camus characterises the human situation as pointless and ludicrous.

Esslin recalls the French philosopher Albert Camus' essay "Myth of Sisyphus" in the first edition of The Theatre of the Absurd, which utilises the word "absurdity" to describe the human situation. In following editions, Esslin added a fifth playwright, Harold Pinter, to the list of the movement's four defining playwrights: Samuel Beckett, Arthur Adamov, Eugène Ionesco, and Jean Genet. Esslin and other critics associate Tom Stoppard, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Fernando Arrabal, Edward Albee, Boris Vian, and Jean Tardieu with this group.

Luigi Pirandello, particularly Six Characters in Search of an Author, is a frequently mentioned antecedent. Pirandello was a well-known theatrical experimenter who aimed to break down the fourth wall implied by the realism of playwrights such as Henrik Ibsen.

The beginnings of the Theatre of the Absurd can be traced back to avant-garde art experimentation in the 1920s and 1930s. At the same time, it was undoubtedly influenced by the traumatic experience of Second World War horrors, which demonstrated the total impermanence of any values, shaken the validity of any conventions, and highlighted the precariousness of human life, as well as its fundamental meaninglessness and arbitrariness. The trauma of living under the danger of nuclear annihilation since 1945 appears to have played a role in the creation of the new theatre.

Characteristics and elements of Absurd literature.

Existentialism: Existentialism is important in the context of absurd literature, particularly in the Theatre of the Absurd. Absurd literature is frequently related with existentialist philosophy, which investigates the individual's effort to find meaning in a world that is essentially meaningless. Existentialist themes like isolation, misery, and the search for one's identity are prevalent in ludicrous works. Existentialist intellectuals, such as Jean-Paul Sartre, have emphasised existential alienation and solitude. Characters in absurd fiction usually experience loneliness, detachment from others, and a sense of being lost or adrift in a world that makes little sense.

Repetition: A prominent stylistic device in absurd fiction is the repetition of acts, sentences, or occurrences. This repetition highlights life's sense of futility and boredom.

Lack of Communication: A lack of communication is a common and frequently repeating issue in ridiculous literature, particularly in the Theatre of the Absurd. Characters in absurd fiction sometimes struggle to communicate. They may engage in useless conversations, misjudge each other, or fail in conveying their thoughts and emotions. Characters in ridiculous fiction frequently engage in discussions characterised by a lack of clarity and meaningful communication. They may talk over each other, misinterpret one other's intentions, or engage in illogical or repetitious conversation that fails to convey actual understanding or information.

Absurdity: The absurdity of life and human existence is the topic of absurd literature. It frequently depicts characters engaging in pointless behaviours and conversations, emphasising the gap between their efforts and any tangible outcomes.

Most Important Writers of Absurd Literature.

Samuel Beckett

Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was a novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator from Ireland. Samuel Beckett is usually considered as one of the Theatre of the Absurd movement's most important and notable absurdist playwrights. His plays, novels, and poetry are distinguished by their investigation of the folly of human existence, the futility of communication, and the search for meaning in an apparently meaningless world.

Beckett's writings are firmly based on existentialist philosophy, which investigates the individual's struggle to find meaning in a meaningless universe. Beckett's characters frequently wrestle with existentialist problems such as life, identity, and the lack of meaning.

Beckett's writings frequently contain minimalist settings with only a few key elements and a small number of characters. This minimalism emphasises the characters' loneliness and desolation, emphasising the absurdity of their situations.

The majority of the plays emphasise the individual's solitude or man's weakness to connect with others. This concept is used in Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot (1952),' the most well-known drama from the absurdist movement. Vladimir and Estragon, the two major protagonists, are both tramps who spend the whole play on the margins of civilization. They have each other, yet they are also distanced from one another.

Harold Pinter

Harold Pinter (October 10, 1930 – December 24, 2008) was a British dramatist, screenwriter, director, and actor. Harold Pinter is widely regarded as a playwright whose work has elements of absurdism, however he is not considered a formal devotee of the Theatre of the Absurd movement. Instead, he is linked with a separate style known as "Pinteresque" or "comedy of menace." Pinter's plays are distinguished by their study of power relations, communication breakdowns, and the dangerous undercurrents that pervade everyday human encounters.

Pinter's plays frequently depict seemingly regular interactions that grow into ludicrous and disturbing settings. The absurdity is frequently caused by the characters' unreasonable or incomprehensible behaviour.

Pinter's characters typically feel alienated and dislocated from their environment and from one another. This subject corresponds with existential and absurdist ideas about the individual's solitude in an indifferent or illogical reality. Some of Pinter's plays contain repeated or ritualistic themes, which can add to the absurdity and existential repetition.

Pinter's plays frequently explore the psychological complexities of human relationships as well as the use of language as a tool for manipulation and control, distinguishing him from the more explicitly existential and philosophical concerns of many absurdist playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco. As a result, while Pinter's work is related to absurdism, he is generally regarded as a separate playwright within the context of twentieth-century drama.

 

Eugène Ionesco

Eugène Ionesco (26 November 1909 – 28 March 1994) was a Romanian-French playwright who worked largely in French and was a key character in 20th-century French avant-garde theatre. Eugène Ionesco is widely regarded as a pivotal figure in the Theatre of the Absurd movement, and he is regarded as an absurdist dramatist. The Theatre of the Absurd was a mid-twentieth-century theatrical movement centred on showing the absurdity, meaninglessness, and existential perplexity of human existence. Ionesco's plays are representative of this movement because they explore the irrational, illogical, and ludicrous aspects of life and communication.

In Ionesco's plays, strange and nonsensical circumstances defy reasonable explanation. In his classic play "The Bald Soprano," for example, people engage in ludicrous conversations that emphasise the absurdity of everyday communication.

Language regularly breaks down or becomes meaningless in Ionesco's works. His characters indulge in wordplay, repetition, and grammatical confusion emphasising language's limits as a means for meaningful communication.

Ionesco's most well-known pieces include "The Bald Soprano," "The Lesson," and "Rhinocéros." These plays are renowned for their study of the absurdity of human existence and their contribution to the Theatre of the Absurd movement, which established Eugène Ionesco as a leading absurdist playwright in the world of theatre.