Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism

8/18/2019 Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism

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THEATRE

OFTHE

ABSURD


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The term (now genre)Theatre of the Absurd was

coined b critic !artin Ess"in to bring attention to a

grou# of #"awrights whose #"as con$eed a common

sense of an%iet& confusion and ho#e"essness in

reaction to an une%#"ainab"e& un#redictab"e and

absurd uni$erse'


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Two maor contributing factors to this genre were the

atrocities of or"d ar ** and the #hi"oso#hica"

+uestions regarding the meaning of "ife raised

b E%istentia"ists'


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ithin the word existentialism is the word exist.

e are thrown into e%istence without a choice'


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Howe$er& once we e%ist& we ha$e the

freedom to choose how to e%ist'

e ha$e the freedom to choose to create

meaningfu"& $a"uab"e "i$es'


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With that freedom of choice,comes

an%iet and fear.

An%iet that we may make the

,RO-./choices!

Fear that we may die before

we find meaning

in our lives!


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!ere e%istence has no #ur#ose'

Des#ite the fear and an%iet&

we can choose our #ur#ose

and define it'

U"timate"& we decide if our "i$es ha$e $a"ue'


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Perhaps the best-know existentialist, Jean-Paul artres works

included essays, novels and plays such as "o #xit.


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$lbert %amus, wrote &he 'yth of

isyphus, among other works with

existential themes. (sing the )reek

myth to show the futility of

existence, isyphus is eternally

condemned to roll a rock up a hill

and every time he reaches the top,

the rock rolls back down and he

has to start over. #xistence seems

pointless, but perhaps isyphus

finds purpose and meaning in his

eternal task by never giving up and

continuing to push the rock up

every time it rolls back down.


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&he father of &heatre of the $bsurd amuel *eckett wrote,

among others,Waiting for )odot, +appy ays,

and $ct Without Words,


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#ugene onescos plays include &he eader , &he /hinoceros,

&he *ald oprano, 'acbett, &he 0illing )ame, and &he %hairs.


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&om toppard wrote, among others, /osencrant1 and

)uildenstern $re ead, &he /eal &hing, Jumpers, andhe co-wrote the screenplay for hakespeare in ove.


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+arold Pinters plays include &he /oom, &he *irthday Party,

&he +omecoming, and *etrayal.


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#dward $lbees plays include &he 2oo tory, andbox,

Whos $fraid of 3irginia Woolf, and eascape.


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am hepards many plays include $ ie of the 'ind,

4ool for ove and his Pulit1er Pri1e play *uried %hild.


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am hepard is also a respected actor and director. +es

acted in 56 films including *lack +awk own, &he /ight

tuff, %rimes of the +eart, and teel 'agnolias.


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&hornton Wilder, known

for writing 7ur &own

also wrote theabsurdist play

&he kin of 7ur &eeth.


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%hristopher urangs many plays

include eath %omes to (s $ll,

'ary $gnes, 8dentity %risis,

&he $ctors "ightmare, *aby

and the *athwater, and

&he 'arriage of *ette and *oo.


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The #"as of these and other Absurdist #"awrights ha$e

common themes inc"uding the use"essness of human actions&

the fai"ure of human communication& an i""ogica" uni$erse

(from fascist go$ernments to dsfunctiona" fami"ies)&

co""ecti$e unconsciousness& menacing forces& and

fee"ings of a"ienation and ho#e"essness'


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Howe$er most #"as of this genre are considered to be

in the tradition of tragicomed'

e "augh at and identif with man of the characters

strugg"ing& as we do& to ma0e sense of our "i$es and the wor"d'

Absurdist Theatre and Existentialism

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