TRICIA MAE C.

VERGARA ARTS & HUMANITIES

MARC RECODO II- ABPM

TOPIC:

ABSURDISM
I. Introduction & Definition

Absurdism is a philosophy 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 .

In philosophy, "the Absurd" refers to the conflict between the human

tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life and the human inability
to find any. In this context absurd does not mean "logically impossible", but
rather "humanly impossible".The universe and the human mind do not each
separately cause the Absurd, but rather, the Absurd arises by the
contradictory nature of the two existing simultaneously.
Accordingly, absurdism is a philosophical school of thought stating that the
efforts of humanity to find inherent meaning will ultimately fail (and hence
are absurd) because the sheer amount of information as well as the vast realm
of the unknown make total certainty impossible. As a philosophy, 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.
Absurdism shares some concepts, and a common theoretical template,
with existentialism and nihilism. It has its origins in the work of the 19th-
century Danish philosopher Sren Kierkegaard, who chose to confront the
crisis that humans face with the Absurd by developing his own existentialist
philosophy.[3] Absurdism as a belief system was born of the European
existentialist movement that ensued, specifically when Camus rejected
certain aspects of that philosophical line of thought[4] and published his
essay The Myth of Sisyphus. The aftermath of World War II provided the social
 environment that stimulated absurdist views and allowed for their popular
development, especially in the devastated country of France.

Absurdism is like a Ferris Wheel.

The particpants are trapped in a revoling circle that does not let them evolve into a
better person.

II. Important (and Absurd) People Of the Past and Today

1. Albert Camus
A French philosopher; discovered the method of Absurdism in 1942.

2. Martin Esslin
Created the term Theatre of the Absurd in 1962.

3. Samuel Berkett
Born on April 13, 1906, he is one of the most well-known absurdists for his work
of Waiting for Godot. He was born in Ireland on Friday the 13th and Good
Friday.

4. Eugene Ionesco
Born in Romania, he was fascinated with the failure to communicate in language.
He often said he became a playwright completely by accident.

5. Arthur Adamov
Born in 1908, he was one of the first experimenters of the Theatre of the Absurd.
Arthur was born in Russia, but brought up speaking French. His most famous
play was Parody, which as many scenes which are described as dreamlike.

6. Jean Genet
 A Frenchman born in 1910, he was a criminal dillitante. He moved to Germany as
a young adult, but found he could only find the joy of the chaos when
surrounded by order. Shortly after returning to France he wrote The Balcony.

III. Theatre of The Absurd

Absurdism was born from Existentialism.

During 1950s post war Europe, Existentialism was alive.

Its foundation pushed playwrights and actors to form Avant Garde [radical]
Theatre productions.
During this time plays were written that went beyond Avant Garde and didnt fit
into any specific genre.

Origins of the Absurd

The formation of the Theatre of the Absurd was not a unified movement. It was
formed in stages by separate people in separate places and times.
Albert Camus, a French philosopher, first presented the idea of Absurdism, but the
term Theatre of the Absurd was created by the Hungarian Martin Esslin.
Albert Camus used the Theatre of the Absurd as a device to bring attention to
certain human traits: bewilderment, wonder, and anxiety in the face of an
unexplainable universe.

Before Theatre Was Absurd

In WWII times, everyday life could be described as absurd.

To most folk of Europe and Russia, life had become a senseless waste.

There needed to be some way to redirect the frustrated that captured the world!

Because of the senselessness of WWII, a catalyst had to be created to capture the pure
absurdness of the world!
EASTERN & WESTERN ABSURDISM
Eastern

Relatively relaxed and less thought-provoking after Stalins death.

Inspired by basic Western Theatre.

Western

Created by Martin Esslin.

Playwrights all share the view that man is living in a universe in which he is out of
tune with.
Rooted in the Avant-Garde experiments of the 20s and 30s

Martin Esslin defined Theatre of Absurd in 1961 as theatre that

Strives to express its sense of the senselessness of the human condition and the
inadequacy of the rational approach by the open abandonment of rational devices and
discursive [rambling] thought."

IV. There are only five designated Theatre of the Absurd

Playwrights:

1. Samuel Beckett of Ireland, the most well-known

2. Eugene Ionesco of Romania and France
3. Jean Genet of France
4. Arthur Adamov of Russia
5. Harold Pinter of England

V. Famous Absurdities

Waiting For Godot

The Bald Soprano
The Balcony
Alice in Wonderland
VI. The Absurd Relevance
Historical Relevance

The Theatre of the Absurd developed in response to WWII.

Absurdism is thought to be one of the most pessimistic forms of drama ever created.
No traditional rules of theatre applied to this new form of playwriting.
In the time this Theatre had surfaced, normal life was considered quite absurd.
The Theatre of the Absurd was a device to question essential traits in plays.

VII. The Absurd Relevance

Philosophical Relevance

Content in Absurd Theatre shaped consciousness as a reaction to the seemingly

senseless waste of life the human race is.
To the absurdist then and now, life is ridiculous and the absurd future cannot be
predicted.
This allowed theatres and playwrights to leave some blanks in the ending of a play.

VIII. Absurdist Themes

People wanted to find meaning within life, since the war had ended.
With all of the horrors they had seen, the Absurdist writing became relentless and
bitter.

IX. Theatre of the Absurd Elements:

Departs from realistic characters and situations.

Plots are often meaningless.
Time, place and identity are unclear or confusing.
There is confusing and repetitive language.

X. Absurdist Theatre

The experience of the world is never debated, it is simply presented, shown in action.
It satirizes a society that is petty and dishonest.
The setting is abstract. It is based on what is going on in the characters heads.
 It often breaks down the fourth wall (the actors will interact with the audience).
It often contains Black Comedy.
It uses silence as a metaphor.
It uses ambiguity.
It explores violence.

XI. Absurd Drama

Absurd drama is drama which takes the form of mans reaction to a world
apparently without meaning or man as a puppet. It tells the reaction of people
without destination and direction. It exists because of a philosophy that
human is nothing and he will dead someday.

History of Absurd Drama

revolutionary change in the arena of playwriting during 1950s and 1960s

philosophy of Heidegger, Sartre, and Camus
experimental theatre in Paris
absurdist plays were often written in French
Jean Genet's The Maids in 1947
Ionesco's The Bald Soprano was first performed in 1950
Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot

Characteristics

nonsense dialogue: a series of random lines that have no connected meaning

repetitive or meaningless action
non-realistic or impossible plots
the dramatists used illogical situations
unconventional dialogue
minimal plots to express the apparent absurdity of human existence

XII. TRADITIONAL VS. ABSURD DRAMA

TRADITIONAL DRAMA

traditional well-written drama we have well observed characters

convincingly motivated characters
 Entertainment in traditional plays is mainly through witty and logical built-up
dialogue
has a beginning, a middle, and a neatly tied-up ending
tell a story or deal with an intellectual problem (narrative/discursive form of
communication)
action is moving from point A to B; there is a gradual unfolding of events
have a final resolution

ABSURD DRAMA

The characters in an absurd play are hardly recognizable human beings

completely unmotivated actions
The dialogue as meaningless babble (disjointed, meaningless, repetitious) in an
absurd drama
start at an arbitrary point and end at one as well
convey a poetic image (poetical form of communication)
a gradual unfolding of a complex pattern; plot denies all notion of logical or realistic
development
absurd plays lack final clarity

XIII. ABSURD IMPACTS

Absurdism in the Arts had a large impact on modern day plays and television.
The Theatre of the Absurd was the first theatre to introduce philosophy in theatre in a
basic manner.
Led the way in the scarce use of propsor elaborate sets.
For the first time, all the answers were not given in a play-sometimes the characters
would end up in the same circumstances that they were in the beginning.
A new meaning to dialogue and communication was created. This form took
miscommunication to the next level.