waiting for godot- as an absurd theatre
TRANSCRIPT
Name : Kubavat Kishan
Roll No : 11Semester : 3Paper no : 9Paper name : The Modernist Literature Year: 2015-16PG Enrollment No:14101021Submitted to: Department of English M. K. Bhavnagar University
Topic: “Waiting for Godot – As an Absurd Theatre”
What is the “ Theatre of the Absurd”?
Examples of ‘The Theatre of Absurd’
Main Features of “ The Theatre of the Absurd”
These Features through justify a play “Waiting for Godot” as Absurd Play
Index
The “ Theatre of the Absurd” is also known as a “ New Theatre”.
“Theater of Absurd” is a term or particular movement started in late 1950s.
The word “ Absurd” means foolishness , senseless , opposed to reason , something silly and ridiculous.
The Theatre of the Absurd commonly associated with “Existentialism”.
Critic Martin Esslin coined the term in his 1960 essay “Theatre of the Absurd”.
What is the “ Theatre of the Absurd”?
Which presented on the stage the philosophy articulated by French philosopher Albert Camus in his essay The myth of Sisyphus.
In which he defines the human condition as basically meaningless.
Sisyphus defied the god and put death in chains so that no human needed to die. When god decide on his punishment for all eternity. He would have push a rock up a mountain upon reaching the top the rock would roll down again.
The myth of Sisyphus
“ What is called a reason for living is also an excellent reason for dying. ”
Albert Camus, Myth of Sisyphus
“The mod of “absurdist play” is tragicomedy. Nothing is funnier than unhappiness…it’s the
most comical thing in the world”
“Endgame” by Samuel Beckett Esslin cites William Shakespeare as an influence on this aspect of “Absurd drama’’.
Examples of ‘The Theatre of Absurd’
Harold Pinter
Edward Albee
Jean Genet
Tom Stoppard
Meaninglessness of life No wonder No Organized movement Lack of plotElements of “ Existentialism “ Very hard contain Puzzled dialogues Nonsense language Characters are stereotypical and archetypal Importance of Repetition. Absurd or unexplained ending Comic Scenes Different from Traditional drama
Characteristics of ‘The Theatre of the Absurd’
“Waiting for Godot “ as “The Theatre of the Absurd”
Theatre of the Absurd presented the life as meaningless and one that could simply end in casual laughter. This was reflected in the society of the time. It was because of the following reasons:
(A) Mechanical nature of Man of the Life
(B) Alien worlds(C) Time (D) Isolation In the play waiting for godot we can see the Senseless activity of Vladimir and Estragon .
Meaninglessness of life
No beginning , climax and ending. Same place and time Unexplained story Nothingness and emptiness
Lack of Plot
Song of “ death of a dog “ by Vladimir : A dog came in the kitchenAnd stole a crust of bread.Then cook up with a ladleAnd beat him till he was dead.Then all the dogs came runningAnd dug the dog a tomb–
Changing hats scene
Comic Scenes
The absurd dramatist felt that conventional language had failed man and it was inadequate means of communication. The uselessness of language was used by the characters constantly, they speak in clichés ,overused, tired expressions.
Ex. Lucky’s speech in Act-1 (quaquaquaquaqua)
Dialogues of Vladimir and Estragon make misunderstanding.
Nonsense Language
Absurd play has a repetitive cyclical structure. Similar setting- DebrisTiming- day to moon riseActions- hat Swapping scene Similar Acts structureSame acts ending Same dialogues :-
ESTRAGON:What do we do now? VLADIMIR:Wait for Godot. ESTRAGON:Ah!Silence.
Importance of repetition
Who is Godot ? God or Man ?
Act 1 : Pozzo - Master Lucky – Slave
Act 2 : Pozzo – Slave Lucky - Master
No female character
Complexity of Characters
a) Absurd theatre question the existence of man.
Absurdist believe in the godless world.(World war-2)
“The air is full of our cries’’ b) Human existence has no meaning and
purpose.
“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for’’
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Element of “ Existentialism ”
No use of interesting plot.
No sense of story
No use of dream , fantasy and poetic language.
Different from Traditional drama
Absurd play has unexplained,Hope ,religion nothingness, forgetfulness, purposelessness' of manEnding is not Conclusion……………
Absurd ending
Works Cited
Nikunj Bhatti’s Assignment : http://nikunjbhatti2014-2016.blogspot.in/2015/10/what-is-theatre-of-absurd-waiting-for.html
The Myth of Sisyphus Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus
Thank You