Introduction
Samuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, theatre director, poet, and translator, working with both English and French. He was one of many absurd drama writers of the 20th century. His works are considered a part of the Theater of Absurd genre, relating to it through the themes of isolation of an individual, absence of plot or meaning, and incomprehensibility. Beckett contributed to the absurdist movement with the devaluation of language in his plays. His fascination with foreign languages and cultures influenced many artists and international drama; his translations left a mark on English and French literature.
Samuel Beckett and the Absurd Theatre
One of the main themes that relate Samuel Beckett to the Theatre of Absurd genre is loneliness and isolation. Despite the fact that absurdist movement included many playwrights and artists, they were not conscious of belonging to the movement, considering themselves lone outsiders. Beckett’s famous play Waiting for Godot emphasizes this idea, disconnecting its characters from the world. Throughout the entire play, they are outside of society, being the only two people shown. Additionally, they are isolated from each other due to their inability to communicate adequately (Al Sharadgeh, 2018). In Endgame, the same loneliness is prevalent through the deadness of the world, with only four survivors left.
Beckett’s works contribute to the genre’s lack of meaning or plot. His works “do not tell a story, they explore a static situation” (Hinchliffe, 2017). Waiting for Godot, as indicates the name, is a play about waiting; however, in the end, nothing happens as a result of this action, depriving the story of any progress or conclusion. The Endgame’s premise is wound around the question of one character leaving the other. Nevertheless, this question is irrelevant to the plot since both of them are condemned to death due to the absence of any resources.
The theme of the incomprehensible world is often shown in works of the Theatre of Absurd genre; Samuel Beckett is no exception to this idea. Waiting for Godot is an excellent example of the prevalence of incomprehensibility (Abid, 2021). The play’s structure is circular; both acts are alike: static situation and absence of any progress. It starts with a problem and ends with the same problem; the discussion itself does not have a clear beginning or end (Abid, 2021). Throughout the play, it is not clear whether it is supposed to be laughed or cried at, contributing to the overall confusion and absurdity of the genre (Abid, 2021). Despite smilingly understandable conversations, the topic of them is not clear; the audience can attempt to interpret it in any way yet remain puzzled. Waiting for Godot is an excellent example of the Theater of Absurd genre, relating to it directly.
Another element of Beckett’s playwrights that significantly contributed to the genre of Theatre of Absurd is the devaluation of language. For example, Waiting of Godot’s both acts concluded with the characters’ agreement to move; however, both of them stayed (Al Sharadgeh, 2018). With that, Beckett displayed the absurd disconnect between the words and consciousness of the characters. This aspect is similar to the theme of isolation and absence of meaning, relating to the absurdist movement. This is due to the fact that devalued language creates the lack of communication, promotes isolation of an individual within the play, and contributes nothing to the story progression or meaning.
Samuel Beckett and International Drama
Most well-known Beckett’s works were written in French; however, besides writing in English, he produced translations of many pieces of literature. Being written by a bilingual, his interpretations were critically acclaimed and well-received. By translating French to English and vice versa for years, “Beckett became a master of his chosen language” (Weller, 2020). He managed to influence European literature with his mother tongue, as well as contribute numerous great works to France.
As an artist, Beckett was a man of many cultures. He made the acquaintance of numerous creators from different countries (Friedmani, 2017). He published many essays about their works and shared his vision and experience with them, revealing more about his own atheistic (Friedmani, 2017). Beckett opened new creative practices with his “cultural interpretations of different historical moments and locations” (McMullan & Saunders,2018). In his fascination with exploring the borders of languages and ethnicities, he attended many museums and exhibitions of London, Paris, and Dublin. Beckett was especially admired by German art, artists, and galleries (Friedmani, 2017). With his interest in foreign cultures and languages, he inspired others and was inspired by contemporary art’s methodology and substance.
Conclusion
Samuel Beckett is considered one of the main representatives of the Theatre of Absurd. His plays follow and expand on the primary themes of isolation of an individual, incomprehensibility, and the absence of story and meaning relating to the absurdist movement. His devaluation of language, seen in Waiting for Godot, significantly influenced the absurd drama. Beckett’s contribution to art and theatre is not limited to his own writing; he translated many pieces of literature from French to English and vice versa. His ideas and aesthetics, as well as a fascination with foreign languages and cultures, affected other artists and international drama.
References
Abid, S. (2021). The element of time in waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. Journal of World Englishes and Educational Practices, 3(4), 16-22.
Al Sharadgeh, S. (2018). The theatre of the absurd. Journal of Studies in Social Sciences, 17(2).
Friedmani, A. W. (2017). Surreal Beckett: Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, and surrealism. Routledge.
Hinchliffe, A. P. (2017). The absurd. Routledge.
McMullan, A., & Saunders, G. (2018). Staging Beckett and contemporary theatre and performance cultures. Contemporary Theatre Review, 28(1), 3-9.
Weller, S. (2020). Samuel Beckett as world literature. Bloomsbury Publishing.