Absurd drama
Question: What is absurd drama?
Introduction
Absurd drama largely focuses on the idea of existentialism. To put it differently, absurd drama means a sense of metaphysical anguish at the absurdity of the human condition. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, absurdity means the quality or state of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable. “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) is one of the best paradigms of absurd drama because of its defined features.
Features of absurd drama:
Vagrant characters
Vagrant characters are those types of characters who do not have family, shelter, or targets in their life.
Failure of communication
One of the most important features of absurd drama is the failure of communication. In an absurd drama, it is transparently focused that modern human beings fail to communicate with the outside world because of their self-centered nature and egoism.
Nothingness and purposeless
An absurd drama largely focuses on the nothingness and purposeless of human beings. After the second world war, modern human beings became frustrated and were addicted to thinking.
Irrational and illogical speech
An absurd drama abounds in irrational and illogical speeches from the beginning to the end.
Tone and silent conclusion
Tone is a very important factor for a literary work. In absurd theater, a gloomy tone is used to focus on the absurdity of the characters.
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Lists of absurd drama:
- Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.
- The Caretaker by Harold Pinter.
- Happy Days by Samuel Beckett.
- The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter.
Conclusion
In fact, the Absurd Theater believes that the plight of humanity is purposeless in existence, which is incompatible with its surroundings.
