beckett (1).ppt
TRANSCRIPT
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I. Introduction
A. Becketts Life
1. His Irish ness
2. His novels and early writing
3. His work with Joyce
4. After the WarHis Plays
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B. Becketts Ideas
1. The absurdthe illusion of reason
2. The Voidthe illusion of faith
3. Humor and the dignity of humanity
4. Loneliness and love
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C. Philosophical Background to
Waiting for Godot
1. Effects of World War II (62 millionpeople killed [37.5 million in WWI]; 12million in concentration camps; atomicbomb and the promise of annihilation)
a. Shock and disillusion
b. Alienation and anxiety
c. Loss of faith
d. Pessimism
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theatre_journal/v051/full/51.2pr_beckett_fig01f.jpg -
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C. Philosophical Background
2. Existentialism4. Humanitys only chance at dignity lies in:
the courage to face the truth, that we are alonein an uncaring universe
the courage to face the fact / possibility thatlife is meaningless and yet to still go on
--I cant go on; I must go on; Im going
on.
-- the courage and dignity of Sisyphus when at thetop of the hill he sees the rock roll back and realizeshis meaninglessness and yet still goes down to set towork again.
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3. The Paradox of Consciousness
There are two possible interpretations of theexistence of human consciousness:
a. A divine gift, fire of the gods, part ofthe divine plan, consciousness brings usall our joy (love, art, etc.)
b. A cosmic joke, consciousness was
never intended for humans and brings usonly suffering, pain, and the existence ofevil.
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D. Theatre of the Absurd
1. Existentialist Theatre
(No Exit by Sartre)
absurd content but
rational form orpresentation
2.
Theatre of the Absurdform and content merge
to form a truer art
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A. Major Themes (cont)
4. Passing the
time
5. the world
as waste-
land
6. Lack of communicationnothing is
worth communicating or can becommunicated, but we cant stop talking
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A. Major Themes (continued)
7. The social theme (Pozzo and Lucky=theoppressed and oppressor;
Lucky carries his own whip)
8. Psychological Theme
a. loss of memory=loss of meaning
b. lack of self-awareness
c. our cosmic insignificance
d. the pain and curse of consciousness
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A. Major Themes (continued)
9. The Religious Theme
a. No personal god
b. No Savior
c. No Redemption
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B. Characters
1. Vladimer (Didi)
2. Estrogon
(Gogo)
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B. Characters (continued)
3. Pozzo
4. Lucky
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B. Characters
5. the boy
6. Godot
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C. Setting
1. The place
2. The time
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D. Symbols, Style, Literary
Techniques
1.
2.
3.
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D. Symbols, Style, and Literary
Techniques
4.
5.
6.