Concetti Chiave
- The Theatre of the Absurd emerged in the 1950s as an international movement, gaining its name from a book by critic Esslin.
- Samuel Beckett is recognized as the founding father of the Theatre of the Absurd, with "Waiting for Godot" being a seminal work.
- This theatrical style is influenced by French Existentialism, reflecting a belief that life is meaningless and repetitive.
- The Theatre of the Absurd abandons traditional plot and language, using minimal sentences, silence, and mime to convey its themes.
- Language in Absurd Theatre is simplistic and often fails to communicate effectively, highlighting human communication's limitations.
What are the origins of the Theatre of the Absurd?
The first trend in the British theatre of the 1950's is the international phenomenon of Theatre of the Absurd. The name come from the title of a book by the critic Esslin.
The Theatre of Absurd recognize in Samuel Beckett its founding-father and master. He won international fame with Waiting for Godot, a play in which two old tramps are shown while waiting for a Mr Godot who never comes.
Philosophy of the Theatre of the Absurd
The play perfectly exemplifies Theatre of the Absurd’s philosophy, according to the French Existentialism: life is meaningless, nothing really happens, there is no past or future but rather a series of repetitions, all exactly alike and without any purpose.
A lack of moral security was due to the decline of religious faith that had started with the Enlightenment first and Positivism later, to the disillusionment with both liberal and socialist theories of economic and social progress. The Western world seemed to have lost its orientation, leaving man with a sense of helplessness and with a feeling that all human efforts towards progress are futile.
Characteristics of the Theatre of the Absurd
Absurd Drama makes all this explicit by renouncing the traditional resources of plot and language, replaced by minimal sentences, silence and mime. Stage effects and properties are similarly kept to a minimum.
Therefore the Theatre of Absurd uses simple, almost basic language, characterized by a few recurrent devices: short and mainly principal sentences without secondary clauses; a common pattern is question/answer or question/question; question are often meaningless and answer are unsatisfactory, incomplete or out of mark, to enhance the inability to really communicate; repetition of words is common; and pauses and silence recur in the characters’ speeches.
Therefore the Theatre of the Absurd represents a fundamental lack of belief in the capacity of language to help people communicate.
Domande da interrogazione
- What is the origin of the term "Theatre of the Absurd"?
- What are the key characteristics of the Theatre of the Absurd?
The term "Theatre of the Absurd" originates from a book title by critic Esslin, describing a trend in British theatre during the 1950s.
The Theatre of the Absurd is characterized by minimal plot and language, using short sentences, silence, mime, and repetitive dialogue to highlight the futility of communication and the meaningless nature of life.
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