The Theatre of the Absurd. Outline  Greek roots  Camus’s essay “Myth” and Esslin  Popular:  Freud  WWII (nuclear)  Beckett  Traditional vs. Absurd.

Slides:

Advertisements

Similar presentations

European Community. European Economic Community Art and Literature Jean Dubuffet--art brut; more human- like, authentic, expressive of the real humanity.

Advertisements

THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

Theatre of the absurd is a term coined by a Hungarian born critic called Martin Esslin, who made it the title of his book in 1962 The term refers to a.

Emerged in the late 40’s and early 50’s Authors have accepted a godless, meaningless universe The individual is essentially isolated and alone. There.

Existentialism Existentialism became identified with a cultural movement that flourished in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s.

Liz Russell. “Existence Precedes Essence”  It all goes back to Locke...  Tabula Rosa - You existed before you thought  There are NO innate ideas –

Absurdism a philosophy based on the belief that the universe is irrational and meaningless and that the search for order brings the individual into conflict.

ABSURDISM AND THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

EXISTENTIALISM Jackson Pollack, Untitled (Green-Silver), 1949.

Waiting for Godot By Samuel Beckett Beckett. I. Introduction A. Beckett’s Life 1.His Irish ness 2. His novels and early writing 3.His work with Joyce.

 “I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One.

Waiting for Godot Some Tidbits FYI. Beckett: ◊In Beckett’s work there is always a totally uncompromising determination to always observe the worst about.

Viktor Frankl Man’s Search For Meaning

THE STRANGER: THEMES Ms. Beard—English IV, AP. THE IRRATIONALITY OF THE UNIVERSE Though a work of fiction, the novel contains Camus’s philosophical notion.

Satire, Existentialism, Absurdism, and Postmodernism

Absurdism “Our lives are Absurd” We exist- No purpose-Life is absurd Collated by Ms McIntosh Year 10 Religion Cabra Dominican College.

Albert Camus. Freewrites: Quotations by Camus “At any street corner the feeling of absurdity can strike any man in the face.”

Existentialism: A 20th Century Phenomenon Underlying ideas –man lives in a hostile and meaningless universe –mankind has free will –life is a series of.

EXISTENTIALISM. What is Existentialism? Def: A philosophical attitude that stresses the individual’s unique position as a self-determining agent responsible.

Grace Mavis Carol Yvonne

Aristotle An early attempt to identify the basic principles of playwriting came from the Greek philosopher Aristotle ( B.C.) in the Poetics. Within,

Realism and Beyond Genres and Movements in 20 th Century American Drama.

THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD. Alfred Jarry: UBU ROI (1896) Avant-garde: 1920s &1930s 'Myth of Sisyphus' Martin Esslin: works 1950s & 1960s Conventions.

Bell Ringer What are the Iliad and the Odyssey about?

“The Meaning of Life” Richard Taylor

Philosophy and the Search for Wisdom

Jean-Paul Sartre and Existentialism

Introduction to the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus

 These sample thesis statements are provided as guides, not as required forms or prescriptions.  #1 The thesis may focus on an analysis of one of the.

Friedrich Nietzsche’s Naturalism Beyond Good and Evil.

Albert Camus The Stranger. Background: - Born 1913 in Algeria - French father – dies early - Spanish mother – illiterate Algeria: - country in northern.

THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

“The Stranger”.  “a chiefly 20 th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Theatre of The Absurd. Context Originates post WWII, beginning in Europe (mid 1940s) Came from a school of thought that could find “no rational explanation.

THEATRE OF THE ABSURD. The term (now genre)Theatre of the Absurd was coined by critic Martin Esslin to bring attention to a group of playwrights whose.

Actor’s Studio – April 8 th, ABSURDISM Let’s face it… it’s just plain weird.

Existentialism “We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression we exist?” - Estragon in Waiting for Godot Existentialism is a movement.

The Stranger Intro to Key Terms and Ideas. Albert Camus Born in Algeria in 1913 to working class parents Raised in Muslim faith and solidarity Father.

DRAMA II Modern Drama Lecture 19.

Alexander the Great BCE. Prince Alexander Born in 356 BCE. Was a prince Father was king of Macedonia, which was NOT in Greece. It was a huge country.

The Culture of Classical Greece Chapter 4 Section 4.

Anticipatory Guide: Existentialism “L’etranger” Albert Camus.

Waiting For Godot Samuel Beckett Born in Dublin, Ireland to a Protestant home Remarks of himself “I had little talent for happiness” Was stabbed.

ABSURDISM AND THEATRE OF THE ABSURD. ABSURDISM A philosophy born out of the existential movement and prompted by writers like Albert Camus. A philosophy.

Chapter 5-2 Notes Greek Philosophers. I. Definitions A. Philosophy: The study of nature and the meaning of life. It comes from the Greek word meaning.

WAITING FOR GODOT.

Introduction to Philosophy

Existentialism, Albert Camus, and The Stranger

Albert Camus Born in French Algeria Member of the French Resistance Playwright and Philosopher 1.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf Edward Albee. The US at the time – social context The US was going through a period of relative innocence with JF Kennedy.

The Meaning of Life Collated by Ms McIntosh Year 10 Religion Cabra Dominican College.

Aim #1: How did new ideas in science, literature, philosophy and art reflect the anxiety of the inter-war years? Homework: IW #2 due Monday.

{ Pair work Who? What? Where? Improvise one minute of conversation.

Understanding Literary Theory and Critical Lenses

Theatre of the Absurd and WAITING FOR GODOT. Theatre of the Absurd coined by Martin Esslin in 1955  Defined: “drama using the abandonment of conventional.

Existentialism. Definition: Philosophical movement that deals with human freedom Philosophical movement that deals with human freedom Requires individuals.

Act 4, scene 6.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

“I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

English 3044 Late Modernism

LAST CLASS… …we grappled with understanding essential ideas of existentialism. Please take out your notes from that class and review them.

THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Kiki Okpala Brandon Hwang

Presented by : Hilary G., Kalau F., Isaac N., and Ben Y.

Features of Absurd Drama Presented by Mr. Fulchand S. Shirsat Assit

Presentation transcript:

the Theatre of the Absurd

Outline  Greek roots  Camus’s essay “Myth” and Esslin  Popular:  Freud  WWII (nuclear)  Beckett  Traditional vs. Absurd  Language  Logic  Greek roots  Camus’s essay “Myth” and Esslin  Popular:  Freud  WWII (nuclear)  Beckett  Traditional vs. Absurd  Language  Logic

History of the Absurd: Roots: Greece  Absurd elements first made their appearance in Greek drama.

Term: “THEATRE OF THE ABSURD”  The Theatre of the Absurd is a term coined by Martin Esslin in  The term refers to a type of play which presented the philosophy of Albert Camus (articulated in his 1942 essay, The Myth of Sisyphus).  The Theatre of the Absurd is a term coined by Martin Esslin in  The term refers to a type of play which presented the philosophy of Albert Camus (articulated in his 1942 essay, The Myth of Sisyphus).

Albert Camus: wrote the essay “Myth of Sisyphus”

 Camus argued that humanity had to admit that a rational explanation of the universe was beyond its reach.  the world must ultimately be seen as absurd or ridiculous.  There is no fate, God, or reason behind anything.  Camus argued that humanity had to admit that a rational explanation of the universe was beyond its reach.  the world must ultimately be seen as absurd or ridiculous.  There is no fate, God, or reason behind anything.

 One reason Absurdism became popular was because Freud became popular.

 Id= Animal desires  Ego=How we are taught to behave  Superego= negotiates between them.  Freud thought we ignored our id too much and that made us insane.  Id= Animal desires  Ego=How we are taught to behave  Superego= negotiates between them.  Freud thought we ignored our id too much and that made us insane.

Absurdists loved Freud’s id. There is a lot in life that was insane that we ignore to our peril.

WWII: Nuclear Threat

WWII also popularized Absurdism.  the trauma of living under threat of nuclear annihilation showed everyone how ridiculous life is.  Suddenly, one did not need to be an abstract thinker in order to be able to reflect upon absurdity.  the trauma of living under threat of nuclear annihilation showed everyone how ridiculous life is.  Suddenly, one did not need to be an abstract thinker in order to be able to reflect upon absurdity.

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot  Epitomized theatre of the absurd and was a huge, worldwide success.

Absurd vs. Traditional  traditional theatre attempts to create a photographic representation of life.  the Theatre of the Absurd relates to the entire world including the world of dreams and the id.  traditional theatre attempts to create a photographic representation of life.  the Theatre of the Absurd relates to the entire world including the world of dreams and the id.

Theatre vs. The Theatre of the Absurd

Language: “words, words, words.”  Language is meaningless.  Words fail to express the essence of human experience.  The Theatre of the Absurd shows language is a very unreliable and tool.  It uses conventional speech, cliches, slogans and technical jargon, to distort and parody.  Language is meaningless.  Words fail to express the essence of human experience.  The Theatre of the Absurd shows language is a very unreliable and tool.  It uses conventional speech, cliches, slogans and technical jargon, to distort and parody.

Logic  Rational thought only deals with the superficial aspects of things. Nonsense, on the other hand, opens up a glimpse of the infinite/ the truth.  Absurd drama subverts logic. It relishes the the logically impossible.  Logic is a prison that hides reality.  Rational thought only deals with the superficial aspects of things. Nonsense, on the other hand, opens up a glimpse of the infinite/ the truth.  Absurd drama subverts logic. It relishes the the logically impossible.  Logic is a prison that hides reality.