Transcript History and development of the Theatre of the Absurd

History and development
of the Theatre of the
Absurd
Definition
Theatre of the Absurd
n. A form of drama that emphasizes the absurdity of
human existence by employing disjointed, repetitious,
and meaningless dialogue, purposeless and confusing
situations, and plots that lack realistic or logical
development.
Introduction
The term "absurd" was originally used by
Albert Camus. Camus described the human
condition as “meaningless and absurd.” The
key element to an absurdist play is that the
main characters are out of sync with the world
around them.
Contents
• Overview of history and development
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from Elizabethan tragicomedies
Freud
The Characteristics of The Theatre of the
Absurd
The Surrealists
Existentialism, etc. and its most
influential figures particularly Albert
Camus
History and development from Elizabethan
tragicomedies
Theatres go as far back as the Elizabethan tragicomedies of
Shakespeare and his contemporaries. The tragic
plays Macbeth and Hamlet offer segments of comedy that
shift the play's perspective, if only for the briefest moments.
For example, Hamlet’s wit and the porter scene
in Macbeth offer moments of comedy to alleviate the
drama's intensity.
However, the largest influence was World War II and its
aftermath. Like Pinter, who was a child during the war, many
Englishmen and women felt disillusioned once the war was
over. They were angry and upset with the world, but found it
difficult to express their collective opinions. In such a
damaged world, it was no longer feasible to use traditional
methods of storytelling on stage. The human condition was
too complex and fragmented, and the old forms of language
were hence inappropriate for exploring it.
The main characteristics of the Absurd Theatre are:
1. Life is essentially meaningless, hence miserable.
2. There is no hope because of the inevitable futility of
man’s efforts.
3. Reality is unbearable unless relieved by dreams and
illusions.
4. Man is fascinated by death which permanently
replaces dreams and illusions.
5. There is no action or plot. Very little happens
because nothing meaningful can happen.
6. The final situation is absurd or comic.
7. Absurd drama is not purposeful and specific as it
solves no problem. It is like an abstract painting
which is supposed not to convey a definite meaning.
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Other influences on the absurdist playwrights include
the work of Sigmund Freud, and the Surrealist
movement of the 1920s and 1930s, which introduced
the avant-garde to mainstream media.
Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologis. His
contributions to psychology are vast. Freud was one of
the most influential people of the twentieth century
and his enduring legacy has influenced not only
psychology, but art, literature and even the way people
bring up their children.
The Interpretation of Dreams (German: Die
Traumdeutung) is a book by psychoanalyst Sigmund
Freud.
Oedipus complex, in psychoanalytic theory, a desire for
sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex
and a concomitant sense of rivalry with the parent of
the same sex; a crucial stage in the normal
developmental process. Sigmund Freud introduced the
concept in his Interpretation of Dreams (1899).
Influenced by the ideas of Sigmund Freud and others,
many artists began to find a psychological approach to
theatre that emphasized the inner dimensions of the
characters onstage. This was carried out both on the
stage in acting styles and outside of the stage in play
writing.
Freud
The Surrealists
Surrealism is a big influence on the Theatre of the Absurd. It certainly
present in The Birthday Party. The Surrealist movement was founded in
Paris by a small group of writers and artists who sought to channel the
unconscious as a means to unlock the power of the imagination.
Disdaining rationalism and literary realism, and powerfully influenced
by Sigmund Freud, the Surrealists believed the conscious mind
repressed the power of the imagination, weighting it down with
taboos.
Surrealist music
Surrealist films/ theatre
Surrealist art
Surrealist humour
Existentialism and its most influential figures
particularly Albert Camus
n.A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience
in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards
human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for t
he consequences of one's acts.
The Theatre of the Absurd is commonly associated with Existentialism, and Existentialism
was an influential philosophy in Paris during the rise of the Theatre of the Absurd;
however, to call it Existentialist theatre is problematic for many reasons. It gained this
association partly because it was named (by Esslin) after the concept of "absurdism"
advocated by Albert Camus, a philosopher commonly called Existentialist though he
frequently resisted that label.
“Absurdism, like methodical doubt, has wiped the slate clean. It leaves us in
a blind alley. But, like methodical doubt, it can, by returning upon itself, open
up a new field of investigation, and in the process of reasoning then pursues
the same course. I proclaim that I believe in nothing and that everything is
absurd, but I cannot doubt the validity of my proclamation and I must at least
believe I my protest.”
ALBERT CAMUS, The Rebel