English Literature- an Episode in the Life of an Author
DRAMA- Absurd Theater
An Episode in the life of an author by P.Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept of English, Sherubtse College, Bhutan
Convention defined by contemporary critic Martin Esslin as “striving to express its sense of senselessness of the rational approach by the open abandonment of the rational devices and discursive thoughts”. Plays in the absurdist tradition attempts to show the irrational and illogical aspects of life through absurd characters, dialogues and situations. The plays of N.F. Simson, Harold Printer, Edward Albee fall within this category, but the form has been most popular in France because of its ties to existentialism and can be seen in the plays of Jean Genet, Eugene Ionesco and Samuel Bucket. In Bucket’s waiting for ‘Godot’ two tramps waits interminably and in great uncertainty for someone who never arrives, who may have specify this meeting place and who may never have promised to appear at all. Four pillars of absurd theater. • • • • Irrational Illogical Non sensical Un consequential
Theme of Absurd Theater • • • Meaninglessness Purposelessness Hopelessness
Features of Absurd Theater Characters • Automaton characters(mechanical) Characters mechanical Humorous, witty, cunning And has no proper reason for laughing • Present unemotional action
Play begins arbitrarily Ends arbitrarily No solution Unreasonable to the audience/readers Unreasonable decisions and actions No coherence Any action takes place Every scene takes place in same place Everybody comes to same place • Minimal story line/plot No beginning (introduction) No middle No end No resolution Climax is at the end • No coherence of communication
No complete conflictNo good conversation No proper reason for their conversation • • Explore the existential theory and the causes of alienation Simple setting No interesting setting • Unconventional works No change in characters Same nature of characters Same behaviour
Every characters remain as same till the end of the drama •
An Episode in the life of an author by P.Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept of English, Sherubtse College, Bhutan
Convention defined by contemporary critic Martin Esslin as “striving to express its sense of senselessness of the rational approach by the open abandonment of the rational devices and discursive thoughts”. Plays in the absurdist tradition attempts to show the irrational and illogical aspects of life through absurd characters, dialogues and situations. The plays of N.F. Simson, Harold Printer, Edward Albee fall within this category, but the form has been most popular in France because of its ties to existentialism and can be seen in the plays of Jean Genet, Eugene Ionesco and Samuel Bucket. In Bucket’s waiting for ‘Godot’ two tramps waits interminably and in great uncertainty for someone who never arrives, who may have specify this meeting place and who may never have promised to appear at all. Four pillars of absurd theater. • • • • Irrational Illogical Non sensical Un consequential
Theme of Absurd Theater • • • Meaninglessness Purposelessness Hopelessness
Features of Absurd Theater Characters • Automaton characters(mechanical) Characters mechanical Humorous, witty, cunning And has no proper reason for laughing • Present unemotional action
Play begins arbitrarily Ends arbitrarily No solution Unreasonable to the audience/readers Unreasonable decisions and actions No coherence Any action takes place Every scene takes place in same place Everybody comes to same place • Minimal story line/plot No beginning (introduction) No middle No end No resolution Climax is at the end • No coherence of communication
No complete conflictNo good conversation No proper reason for their conversation • • Explore the existential theory and the causes of alienation Simple setting No interesting setting • Unconventional works No change in characters Same nature of characters Same behaviour
Every characters remain as same till the end of the drama •