waiting for godot - as an absurd theater

•NAME: PIPAVAT GOPI•CLASS:M.A SEM 3•SUBMITTED TO:DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH BHAVNAGAR UNI.•TOPIC NAME : ‘WAITING FOR GODOT’ –AS AN ABSURD THEATRE

Introduction of martin Esslin:Martin Julius Esslin was a Hungarian born English play Write, Producer , Journalist.He coined the phrase ‘theatre of absurd’ in his famous 1962 book of the same name.He used to take an active part in theatre as writer , translator, reviewer, and adviser all through his life.

What made Esslin to coin the phrase?

A number of produced in the late 1950s and Early 1960s that defied any traditional genres. Esslin coined the phrase.

Samuel beckett's ‘waiting for Godot’ premiered a tiny avant-garde theatre in Paris in 1953.It had been translated in to more than twenty languages within five years.

It was seen by more than a million spectators during that period.

As it was yet to be given a name. Came forward and coined the phrase ‘theatre of the absurd’ in his masterpiece, of the same name published in 1962

Who used the term ‘absurd’ for the first time?

The term ‘absurd’ was originally used by Albert Camus in his 1942 Essay “myth of Sisyphus”

wherein he described the human condition as ‘meaningless and absurd”

Characteristics of the “theatre of absurd”

Hopelessness in characters Absurd or unexplained

ending Comic scenes Importance of Repetition Elements of “Existentialism”

‘Waiting for Godot’ as an theatre of absurd: by Samuel beckett.

•Samuel backett Backett came from well-to-

do family and attended trinity college Dublin, were he studied French and Italian, graduating in 1927

His first published literary work was a short poem with footnotes called ‘Whoroscope’ in 1930

• The dramatic work that became best known was an attendant Godot (1949) Waiting For Godot,which was first performed in 1953 and appeared in English 1954.

•Lack of plot

No beginning ,climax and ending.Same place and time Unexplained story Nothingness and Emptiness

•Importance of Repetition Absurd play has

repetitive cyclical structure.

Similar setting – Debris Timing – Day to moon

rise. Action –hat swapping

scene Similar acts structure

• Same acts Ending • Same dialogues

Element of Existentialism Absurd theatre questions

the existence of men Human existence has no

meaning and purpose “The mystery of human

existence lies not in just staying alive,but finding something to live for.”

-Fyodor Postoyevsky

Different from Traditional Drama No use of interesting plot No sense of story No use of drama,fantacy and poetic language Absurd ending Absurd play has unexplained,hopes,religions,nothingness,

forgetfullness,purposelessness of man ending is not conclusion.

Thank you