الفهرس 
The Theatre of the AbsurdOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 279 |  |  |
| | | from | 279 | | |
Abstract
The thesis is a comparative study of the Theatre of the Absurd and
the influence of existentialism in Albee’s three plays The Zoo Story, The
American Dream and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Ionesco’s two
plays The Chairs and Rhinoceros.
This thesis deals with themes of alienation, illusion and reality as
well as the disrupted family relations. It also points out parallels between
the various plays in relation to the dilemma of modern man and the
playwrights’ philosophy behind it.
The study includes an introductory chapter, four chapters, and a
conclusion. Chapter I is entitled “Theatre of the Absurd”, where the term
‘absurd’ is defined and the main characteristics of absurdist drama are
tackled. The history of the Theatre of the Absurd is displayed and how
the social background helped in its emergence. It reflects how the
internal conflicts of man in the plays are associated with absurdist
effects. The study answers questions on the success and failure of the
ability to transcend the meaningless world and the escape from the
limitations of reality to an imaginative power which forces viable
solutions. This chapter shows that although there are distinctions between
avant-garde theatre in France and America arising from difference in
purpose, yet both writers employ similar methods and present similar
views on the dilemma of the modern human condition. They both express
in their plays the sense of loss, the futility of existence and how modern
man faces the absurdity of his or her essence.
Chapter II entitled “Alienating Factors of character Portrayal” deals
with the major reasons and philosophical ideas which led to human
isolation. It explores the psycho-social milieu that led to such a state. The
alienation of both Albee and Ionesco’s characters is inner and outer. Their
IV
conformism alienates them from themselves, their prejudices and
indifference towards each other alienate them from society. Although the
alienation of Ionesco’s characters is perceived immediately, in Albee’s
plays, the domestic and the superficial relationships disguise it for a
while during the play.
Chapter III entitled “Illusion and Reality” attempts close analysis of
this theme in the selected plays of Albee and Ionesco respectively. It
deals with the American Dream in Albee’s plays and the absurdity of life
in Ionesco’s plays. For Albee, it was a product of the falsity of the
American Dream, while for Ionesco it was the protest against the
deadliness of present-day mechanical bourgeois civilization. They both
expressed the loss of real values and the degradation of human life. They
reflected characters which belonged to a frightened populace which
creates illusory values and dreams. Albee and Ionesco express an
illuminating reflection of reality through the absurd lens. The playwrights
were able to transcend the meaningless world they convey and escape
from the limitations of reality by forcing an admission of awareness and
rejection of the status quo.
Chapter IV entitled “Disrupted Family Relationships” tackles
family relations in the light of the social milieu that leads to distorted
relationships. In Albee’s plays, although they have a family, they live in
separate shells, while in Ionesco’s plays the family tries to pass the time
with absurd games and alcohol. Thus, the psychological reasons that lead
to disrupted moral and family values are exposed, yet provide the
impetus for a more honest and courageous encounter with the conditions
of existence.
The conclusion includes all the findings and comparisons between
the two playwrights.