Absurdism & Theatre

Kamo Araz Ahmad

 What the heck is Absurdism?
• It Is a philosophical school of thought which is based on the
belief that the universe is irrational and meaningless and that
the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the
universe. Therefore, efforts of humanity to find inherent
meaning will ultimately fail.
• absurdism furthermore explores the fundamental nature of
the Absurd and how individuals, once becoming conscious of
the Absurd, should respond to it. The absurdist philosopher
Albert Camus stated that individuals should embrace the
absurd condition of human existence while also defiantly
continuing to explore and search for meaning.
 Theatre of Absurd
• It starts in the late 1950s by a number of European
playwrights such as: Samuel beckett, Eugène Ionesco, Jean
genet, etc. their works concentrated mainly on the theme of
Existentialism and Absurdism.
 Why Theatre of Absurd come to be?
• The atrocities and catastrophes of the WW2, was thought to
be an influential event that cause the movement to come
about. Additionally, everyday life can be described as an
absurd and meaningless during WW2.
• The rejection and decline of Religion and religious
faith.
• Strolling toward individualism, with cultural and moral
independence.
 Did you Know?!
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the
Looking-Glass was an Absurdism work of literature!
 Plot:
• The plot surrounds the idea of meaninglessness of life. And ,
furthermore, it questions human’s existence alongside having
a god.
• Absurdism lacks plot! That is why there are not really
organized movements, plus unexplained endings.
• It has puzzling dialogues with nonsense language that lacks
conveying the message of the characters, (if they have one!!)
• The plot is based on the life of modern man, and it has a
noticeable unrealistic storyline, cause and effect are absent in
absurd theater. That is, characters have no concern of the
effect of their acts.
 Characters:
• Characters are mostly
stereotypical and archetypical,
or in some plays they are flat-
like characters.
• They speak in clichés (will be
discussed further) .
• Characters are in crisis and
perplexing, because of the
nature of the
incomprehensible universe
they are in. The characters,
therefore, are complex.
 Language and dialogue
• Language in Absurd theatre
is unreliable and has no
value in communication.
Often illogical and clichéd.
• Absurdists believed that
conventional language had
failed human, and it was
insufficient.
• The dialogues are occupied
with repetitions.
 Repetition:
• Absurdism plays are full of repetition not just in
dialogue, but its nature has a cyclical structure:
• Similar setting
• Timing: day to night
• Similar acts’ construction
• Same acts ending
• Same dialogues
MEANINGFULLY
THANK YOU!