Beckett's Dramatic Technique

Paper Summary:

The paper provides a thorough investigation of the presentation of Beckett's philosophical themes within the dramatic genre in order to determine whether meaning is indissolubly connected to innovation in dramatic technique. The paper shows how meaning is not indissolubly linked; Beckett allows his plays meaning outside of the dramatic arena. The paper does note, however, that Beckett's unconventional dramatisation of his philosophy contributes greatly to the plays.

From the Paper:

"In his essay, 'Beckett Out of His Mind: The Theatre of the Absurd', William Haney asserts that '[b]y dispensing with narrative sequence, character development, and psychology in the conventional sense, Beckett portrays the process by which awareness moves from the qualia of a historically mediated experience to a state beyond linguistic and cultural boundaries'. This statement has two key implications: firstly that that Beckett's plays do have an intrinsic meaning, and secondly that this meaning lies beyond linguistic boundaries and is thus inseparably linked to Beckett's unconventional dramatic technique. This perspective on meaning itself, however, is problematised when placed into Beckett's cultural context. Indeed, that 'Beckett actually encouraged critics to adopt a philosophical perspective on his work' seems to indicate that this is a useful approach."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Andonian, Cathleen Culotta, The Critical Response to Samuel Beckett, (Greenwood Press, 1998)
• Appignanesi, Richard and Zarate, Oscar, Introducing Existentialism, (Icon Books: Cambridge, 2001)
• Bair, Deidre, Samuel Beckett: A Biography, (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978)
• Beckett, Samuel, Endgame (London: Faber and Faber, 1958)
• Beckett, Samuel, 'Footfalls' in Collected Shorter Plays (London: Faber and Faber, 1984)

More papers on Beckett's Dramatic Technique:

• Analytical Essay # 97361 : "Text Repetitions in Beckett's Plays"
• Research Paper # 93052 : "Samuel Beckett"
• Analytical Essay # 125850 : "Samuel Beckett's "Endgame"

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