Picnic on the BattlefieldPicnic on the Battlefield

• Background InformationBackground Information

• SynopsisSynopsis

• CharacterizationCharacterization

• Play PresentationPlay Presentation

• ThemesThemes

• DevicesDevices

• ConclusionConclusion

What is “Absurd”What is “Absurd”

• Ridiculous, illogical and not sensible

(Oxford Learner’s Dictionary)

• Tragic Comedy (Tragedy + Farce)

• Make fun of human’s sadness– “Life is meaningless.”– “Man’s action is senseless, absurd, useless.”

• Deconstruction– Traditional Play VS. Theatrical Play

PlaywrightPlaywright

• Fernando Arrabal Teran

• Born in 1932, in Spain

• His father was arrested in 1936 because of the Spanish Civil War.

• His father = Scapegoat

• “Half-exiled man”

Social ContextSocial Context

• Bloody civil war in 1936

• Dictatorship of Francisco Franco from

1936 – 1975

• Go through WWII with Spanish soldiers fought on both sides

SynopsisSynopsisZapo

Zapo + Monsieur and Madame Tepan

Zepo

The Two Stretchers

The End

CharactersCharacters

• Zapo• Monsieur Tepam• Madame Tepan• Zepo• 1st and 2nd Stretcher Bearer

Play PresentationPlay Presentation

CharacterizationCharacterization

• No Identity

• Clown Dehumanized

• Innocence

ThemesThemes

• Cruelty of War

• Absurdities of Human’s Life

DevicesDevices

SatireSatire– Laughter

– Intend to correct human’s behavior

ClicheCliche– Meaningless Expression

DictionDiction– The use of language

IronyIrony– Verbal Irony

– Dramatic Irony

– Situation Irony

DevicesDevices

ConclusionConclusion