Awareness of man’s propensity to evil and conscience of the destructive power of scientific knowledge. 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.
Existentialism saw man trapped in a hostile world. 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 = ABSURD The main exponent of this philosophical current was the French Jean Paul Sartre.
During the 1950’s= REVIVAL of DRAMA in Britain showing REJECTION of TRADITIONAL VALUES TWO MAIN TRENDS in new post-war drama: ANGER and ABSURD
EDUCATED middle class or working class playwrights (left-wing ideas) EDUCATED middle class or working class playwrights (left-wing ideas) Also called the KITCHEN-SINK DRAMA (squalid setting) Formally NOT innovative plays REALISTIC PLAYS Frustration of the younger generation who rejected their parents’ middle class values and wanted to expose their unfair situation Direct/real language of the working class Attacks against the establishment (the ruling classes and their values) main exponent = John Osborne – Look back in Anger (1956)
Influence of Camus and Sartre (existentialism) Influence of Camus and Sartre (existentialism) pessimistic view of man’s existence= no purpose at all in man’s life, totally absurd = After 2 world wars, in a world with no religion, with no belief Man is lost ? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE?
NO MEANING AT ALL NO MEANING AT ALL A tragic situation Beckett’s plays want to represent just this The absurdity and Irrationality of Human Existence To represent this … …he could not follow a realistic form of drama INNOVATIVE FORM
The sense of man’s alienation. The sense of man’s alienation. The cruelty of human life. The absence or the futility of objectives. The meaninglessness of man’s struggle
Term applied to a group of dramatists: Term applied to a group of dramatists: Rumanian Ionesco, Russian Adamov (Beckett met them in Paris) Beckett (the most representative) but not a “school” (each worked on his own)
First written in French and performed in Paris En Attendant Godot (1953) (written in a foreign language to maintain the language as simple and detached as possible) First written in French and performed in Paris En Attendant Godot (1953) (written in a foreign language to maintain the language as simple and detached as possible) Then translated (by Beckett himself) into English (1954) and performed in London Waiting for Godot (1955) General situation of B’s plays All of his characters ARE TRAPPED by a situation from which they can not escape (buried in earth, in dustbins)
TRADITIONAL DRAMA TRADITIONAL DRAMA There is a story developing in time Portrait of society through realistic characters who move in a definite period of time the audience can identify themeselves with the characters
TRADITIONAL
TRADITIONAL DRAMA TRADITIONAL DRAMA = Realistic setting and scenery
Two tramps ESTRAGON (gogo) and VLADIMIR (didi) Two tramps ESTRAGON (gogo) and VLADIMIR (didi) Other two tramps POZZO (the boss) and LUCKY (the slave) The boy announcing the arrival of GODOT (that never comes) Who is godot? It may recall the idea of God (In French= Little God) Go + . (dot) (they want to go but they do not move) N.B.: Beckett never said it was God This is what the characters do: just WAITING FOR GODOT (main theme) Godot = something/someone that could relieve man from an unbearable situation But…… GODOT NEVER COMES
TRADITIONAL TRADITIONAL DRAMA Realistic characters with their personalities Belonging to a specific social class
TRADITIONAL DRAMA TRADITIONAL DRAMA Realistic, Characters speak to communicate
It is pervaded by a grotesque humour (irony about everything because everything is equally meaningless) It is pervaded by a grotesque humour (irony about everything because everything is equally meaningless) It may be considered a Tragi-comedy Tragedy= they would like to commit suicide to put an end to their absurd, desperate situation Comedy= There is no tragic end, they fail, they cannot escape their existential situation Its tone is tragic and desperate.
IRISH - Born in Dublin (Anglo-Irish parents) IRISH - Born in Dublin (Anglo-Irish parents) Graduated in Modern Languages (French, Italian) at Trinity College, Dublin 1928 Paris (lecturer at Ecole Normale) Influenced by EXISTENTIALISM (Camus, Sartre) Met Ionesco and Adamov in Paris Back to Ireland: Teacher at Trinity College Dublin 1931 (25 years old) vagabond years across Europe finally Paris (1936)
World War II fought in the Resistance Movement World War II fought in the Resistance Movement 1945 definetely in Paris (met Joyce) Wrote in French and English, indifferently En Attendant Godot = Instant success He wrote other plays (Endgame, Happy days), critical essays, radio plays. 1969 NOBEL PRIZE for LITERATURE
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