1. THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE II WORLD WAR, THE SHOCK OF THE ATROCITIES OF THE NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMPS, GAS CHAMBERS, THE ATOMIC OLOCAUST

3. CONCENTRATION CAMPS
The western world had lost its orientation, had a sense of helplessness and the feeling that human efforts towards progress are futile

4. New meaning of existence
THE LACK OF MORAL ASSURANCE, THE DECLINE OF RELIGIOUS FAITH, THE DISILLUSIONMENT WITH BOTH LIBERAL AND SOCIALIST THEORIES OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRESS, THE MISTRUST IN REASON CREATE THE FEELING THAT ALL HUMAN EFFORT TOWARDS PROGRESS ARE FUTILE, A SENSE OF HELPLESSNESS AND THE LOSS OF ORIENTATION
FREUD:
“LIFE IS A DISEASE OF THE MATTER”

5. New meaning of existence
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
PHISOSOPHICAL HUMANISM SWEPT AWAY BY THE FORCES OF HISTORY AND THE CULT OF THE EGO LEAVING AN IRRATIONAL AND SUBJECTIVE VISION OF THE HUMAN CONDITION.
NIETZSCHE, KIERKEGAARD , SCHOPENHAUER AND SARTRE DENIED IN PART THE EXISTENCE OF GOD AND QUESTIONED THE POSITION OF MAN.
“GOD IS DEAD”

6. FRENCH EXISTENTIALISM
THEY SHARE WITH THE ABSURDISTS THE SAME VIEW OF EXISTENCE: MAN IS TRAPPED IN A HOSTILE WORLD.
THE MEANINGLESSNESS OF EXISTENCE GIVES A SENSE OF CONFUSION ,DESPAIR AND EMPTINESS FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A WELL- DEFINED SYSTEM OF BELIEFS AND VALUES.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM IS THAT THE EXISTENTIALISTS PRESENTED THIS ABSURDITY BY MEANS OF A LUCID LANGUAGE AND LOGICAL REASONING WHILE THE ABSURDISTS THOUGHT THAT IF LIFE IS ABSURD IT MUST BE REPRESENTED BY A LANGUAGE THAT ALSO HAS TO BE ABSURD.
DIAPO CAMUS
Jean Paul Sartre

7. ALBERT CAMUS ALBERT CAMUS: L’E’TRANGER LA PESTE
In 1942 in “THE MYTH OF SISYPHUS” HE HAD ALREADY SUMMED UP THE IRRATIONALITY OF THE HUMAN CONDITION.
“…..IN A UNIVERSE THAT IS SUDENLY DEPRIVED OF ILLUSIONS AND OF LIGHT MAN FEELS A STRANGER. HE IS AN IRREMEDIABLE EXILE, BECAUSE HE IS DEPRIVED OF MEMORIES OF A LOST HOMELAND AND THE HOPE OF A PROMISED LAND TO COME”.

8. THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD
MARTIN ESSLIN GAVE THE DEFINITION OF “ ABSURD” AS “OUT OFHARMONY” (WHICH WAS ITS ORIGINAL MEANING IN A MUSICAL CONTEXT). THE MOST IMPORTANT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD ARE: THE RUMANIAN EUGE’NE IONESCO, THE RUSSIAN ARTHUR ADAMOV, THE IRISHMAN BECKETT, THE ENGLISHMAN HAROLD PINTER.
MAIN FEATURES
CHARACTERS OBSESSED BY THE MEANINGLESSNESS OF THEIR LIVES BUT HAUNTED BY A NOSTALGIA FOR PAST MEANINGS
REDUCTIVISM: THE CHARACTERS IN HIS PLAYS ARE STYLIZED, WITHOUT INDIVIDUAL HISTORIES OR SOCIAL IDENTITIES. LANGUAGE TOO IS STYLIZED OR PATTERNED; IT DOESN’T EXPRESS SIGNIFICANCE BUT IT IS PURE FORM, A WAY TO FILL THE EMPTINESS.
NO ACTION, SINCE ALL ACTIONS ARE INSIGNIFICANT
THE REALITY IS ILLOGICAL, THE LANGUAGE BECOMES NONSENSE: NEW DRAMATIC SYNTAX

9. BECKETT(DUBLIN 1906-PARIS1989)
MOST IMPORTANT WORKS:
MOLLOY, MALLOY DIES, THE UNNAMABLE(TRILOGY OF NOVELS)
WAITING FOR GODOT(PLAY)
ENDGAME(PLAY)
KRAPP’S LAST TAPE(PLAY)
HAPPY DAY(PLAY)

10. WAITING FOR GODOT
SETTING: ANONYMOUS (CAN STAND FOR ANY PLACE IN THE WORLD.
ONLY ONE BARE TREE (DESOLATION)
TIME: EVENING (TWO TRAMPS ARE BORED BY A DAY OF NOTHINGNESS AND BOREDOM)
THEME: WAITING
CHARACTERS: VLADIMIR AND ESTRAGON
POZZO AND L UCKY
PLOT: THE TWO TRAMPS ARE WAITING FOR GODOT IN THE TWO ACTS BUT HE NEVER TURNS UP

11. WAITING FOR GODOT
VLADIMIR AND ESTRAGON ARE COMPLEMENTARY CHARACTERS LIKE LUCKY AND POZZO.
VLADIMIR AND LUCKY REPRESENT THE INTELLECT WHILE THE OTHER TWO REPRESENT THE BODY.
THE TWO COUPLES ARE MUTUALLY DEPENDENT.
POZZO (THE MASTER) LUCKY(THE SERVANT) APPEAR IN THE CENTRAL PART OF EACH ACT WITH AN IMPORTANT CHANGE

13. STRUCTURE THE PLAY HAS A CIRCULAR STRUCTURE
THERE’S NO BEGINNING NOR CONCLUSION
BOTH ACTS START AND END IN THE SAME WAY, PLACE, TIME
IT’S A TRAGICOMEDY: IT ECHOES POPULAR FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT(CIRCUS CLOWNING, MUSIC-HALL, SILENT FILMS OF CHAPLIN, LAUREL AND HARDY)