The Theatre of Absurd and Samuel Beckett 1906

The Theatre of Absurd and Samuel Beckett (1906 -1989) Samuel Beckett

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 1. Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett HISTORICAL BACKGROUND NEW MEANING OF EXISTENCE FRENCH EXISTENTIALISM Only Connect. . . New Directions SAMUEL BECKETT

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 2. Historical background • The aftermath of World War II increased by the Cold War. • The atrocities of the Nazi concentration camps. • The Allies’ atomic bomb. • Disillusionment coming from the realization that Britain had been reduced to a second-class power. The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, 1945 The infamous entrance to Auschwitz. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 3. New meaning of existence • Awareness of man’s propensity to evil and conscience of the destructive power of scientific knowledge. • The lack of moral assurance and the decline of religious faith. • The disillusionment with both the liberal and social theories about economic and social progress. • Mistrust in the power of reason. Only Connect. . . New Directions A sense of anguish, helplessness and rootlessness developed especially among the young

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 4. French existentialism • Existentialism saw man trapped in a hostile world. • Human life was meaningless and this created a sense of confusion, despair and emptiness. • The universe was not rational and defied any explanation. Only Connect. . . New Directions Jean Paul Sartre (1905 -1980)

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 4. French existentialism • The main exponent of this philosophical current was the French Jean Paul Sartre. • Existentialists presented the absurdity of human condition by means of a lucid language and logical reasoning. Only Connect. . . New Directions Jean Paul Sartre (1905 -1980)

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 5. Theatre of the Absurd: main features • Absence of a real story or plot. • No action since all actions are insignificant. • Vagueness about time, place and the characters. • The value of language is reduced; in fact, what happens on the stage transcends, and often contradicts, the words spoken by the characters. • Extensive use of pauses, silences, miming and farcical situations which reflect a sense of anguish. • Incoherent babbling makes up the dialogue. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 6. Theatre of the Absurd: main themes • The sense of man’s alienation. • The cruelty of human life. • The absence or the futility of objectives. • The meaninglessness of man’s struggle. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 7. Samuel Beckett (1906 -1989) Main works • Waiting for Godot (written in French in 1952 and translated into English in 1954) • Endgame (1958) • Krapp’s Last Tape (1959) • Happy Days (1961) • Breath (1970) Samuel Beckett Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 8. Waiting for Godot • No Setting: a desolate country road and a bare tree. • Time: evening. • Characters: two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, bored by a day of nothingness; Pozzo and Lucky. Poster for a staging of Waiting for Godot. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 8. Waiting for Godot • Theme: the static situation of waiting. • Plot: the two tramps are waiting for a mysterious Godot who never turns up. Poster for a staging of Waiting for Godot. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 9. Waiting for Godot: characters • Vladimir and Estragon are complementary. • Lucky and Pozzo are linked by a relationship of master and servant. • Vladimir and Lucky represent the intellect. Waiting for Godot, London, Peter Hall Co. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 9. Waiting for Godot: characters • Estragon and Pozzo stand for the body. • The two couples are mutually dependent. • The character the two tramps are waiting for is Godot Biblical allusions in this name. Waiting for Godot, London, Peter Hall Co. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 10. Waiting for Godot: structure • The play has a circular structure it ends almost exactly as it begins. • The two acts are symmetrically built the stage is divided into two halves by a tree, the human races into two, Vladimir and Estragon. • It is pervaded by a grotesque humour. • Its tone is tragic and desperate. Waiting for Godot, London, Peter Hall Co. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 11. Waiting for Godot: themes • Human impotence in the face of life’s meaninglessness. • A static world where nothing happens. • Absence of a traditional time there is no past, present and future, just a repetitive present. • Disintegration of language absurd exchanges, broken and fragmented dialogues. • The lack of communication use of para-verbal language: mime, silences, pauses and gags. Only Connect. . . New Directions

The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett 12. Beckett vs. Osborne Beckett Osborne Plot Obscure, non consequential True-to-life, consequential Setting Symbolic, bare Realistic, related to working class Theme Meaninglessness of human experience Social critic against middle-class values Stage Directions Repetitive, frequent Detailed, informative, clear Language Everyday, meaningless Everyday, simple, clear Only Connect. . . New Directions