P-110 Assignment

Theatre of Absurd With the example of ‘Waiting for Godot’

Name-Daya Vaghani

Paper-History of English Literature: From 1900 to 2000

Roll no-07

Enrollment no-3069206420200017

Email id- dayavaghani2969@gmail.com

Batch-2020-22 (MA Sem-2)

Submitted to- S. B. Gardi Department of English,

                Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

 

Introduction

 

           Samuel Beckett is a renowned Irish dramatist and novelist. “Waiting for Godot” is his well-known play. The play is one of the classic works of theatre of absurd. His some of famous works are “Murphy”, “Molloy”, “The Unnamable”, “Endgame”, “How it is”, “Waiting for Godot” etc. He won Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969. "Waiting for Godot" is a play that captures this feeling and view of the world, and characterizes it with archetypes that symbolize humanity and its behavior when faced with this knowledge. According to the play, a human being's life is totally dependent on chance, and, by extension, time is meaningless. Beckett also deals with nothingness in Waiting for Godot it shows some deep meaning in life in different way. His pen name was Andrew Belis. This paper provides a brief overview of Theatre of absurd. The play Theatre of absurd lack a logical and conventional structure which is the representation of absurd predicament.

The term was coined by the Critic Martin Esslin, who made it the title of his 1962 book on the subject. This type of play first become popular during the 1950s & 60s. Which presented on the stage the philosophy articulated by French philosopher Albert Camus in his essay the myth of Sisyphus. In which he defines the human condition as basically meaningless. “Theater of Absurd” is a term or particular movement started in late 1950s.

•      Martin Esslin’s “Theatre of Absurd”

•      Albert Camu’s “Myth of Sysiphus”

World is without meaning & life is without purpose. Associated with Existentialism. Samuel Beckett, Jean Genet, Tom Stoppard, Friedrich Durrenmatt, Harold Pinter etc who was use Existentialism. Let’s we discuss about Theater of Absurd. First we know what is Absurd?

 What is Absurd?

“The condition of state in which human exist in a meaningless irrational universe where in people live have no purposes or meaning.”

•“Theatre of Absurd” = “Expression in art of the meaninglessness of human existence.”

Albert Camus’s Myth of Sisyphus it is also deals with Absurdity. Myth of Sisyphus defied the god and put death in chains so that no human needed to die. When god decide on his punishment for all eternity. He would have push a rock up a mountain upon reaching the top the rock would roll down again.

“what is called a reason for living is also an excellent reason for dying.”

Albert Camus, Myth of Sisyphus

Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ belongs to the tradition of the Theatre of Absurd. It is unconventional in not depicting any dramatic conflicts. In the play, practically nothing happened, no development is to be found, there is no beginning and no end. The entire action boils down in an absurd setting of a country side road with two tramps Vladimir and Estragon who simply idle away their time waiting for Godot about whom they have only vague ideas. (Hussain)

In fact this play comes under “Theater of Absurd”. It is a kind of tragic comedy and unlikable truth about life and world is described here. There are only five characters in this play. They are Vladimir, Estragon, Pozzo, Lucky and a boy. The effect of existentialism can be found very much here. The play itself is a symbol of hopelessness and nothingness. In “Theater of Absurd”, there is no plot, no story, no beginning and no end. In short, it challenges the tradition of well maid play. This play has same ‘nothing’. The language is simple and vague.

The Theatre of the Absurd shows the world as an incomprehensible place. The spectators see the happenings on the stage entirely from the outside. Without ever understanding the full meaning of these strange patterns of events as newly arrived visitors might watch life in a country of which they have not yet mastered the language. (Esslin)

Characteristics of the “Theatre of Absurd”

♦ Broad comedy

♦ Menacing and tragic effect

♦ Alienation effect 

♦ Hopelessness in characters

♦ Fragmentations

♦ Parody of the concept of ‘well maid play’

♦ Unconventional writing

♦ Irrationality

At some extent similar to the characteristics of Postmodernism.

Main features of the Theatre of the Absurd in Waiting for Godot

 Meaningless of Life:

Theatre of the Absurd presented the life as meaningless and one that could simply end in casual slaughter. This was reflected in the society of the time. It was because of the following reasons:

Mechanical nature of Man of the Life

Alien worlds

Time

Isolation

A play is expected to entertain the audience with logically built, witty dialogue. But in this play, like any other absurd play, the dialogue seems to have degenerated into meaningless babble. ‘Nothing to be done’ is the words that are repeated frequently. The dialogues the characters exchange are meaningless banalities.

 Lack of the Plot

 Absurd plays have lack of the plot. There is the great deal of the repetition in action and language

Ex. It lacks the traditional standards of drama, no causal chain of effects and events, no Aristotle’s structure of drama.

 Non Conventional Story:

Theatre of the absurd have not the conventional story which can convince the readers or viewers. Ex. In this play Estragon & Vladimir always waiting for the man namely Godot who never come.

 Contradiction and repetition of the dialogues

For example Vladimir yells to Estragon: “Come on . . . return the ball can’t you, once in a way?” Vladimir’s complaint is descriptive of much of the dialogue in the remainder of the play; it is very much like two people playing a game with one another and one is unable to keep the ball in play. 

We’re waiting for Godot (pg-51)

Boy: I don’t know sir:

We also find Repetition of the objects.

Ex.

 

In the play props like hat and boot also symbolizes something in the play. While in first we see Hat and Boots use as props in the play. Both props are means for their time pass. They changing hat passing their boring time. But in deeper connotation Boots is a symbol of lower order of thinking or related with body only and Hat it symbolize higher thinking and mind that Vladimir is doing.

 Element of Existentialism:

• Absurd theatre questions the existence of man.

           Absurdist believes in the godless world. (World war-2)

• Human existence has no meaning and purpose.

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for”     

                              

Waiting for Godot” is an existentialist play because it has clear tints of existentialism in it. Vladimir represents the portion of humanity who trusts in religion and spiritual beliefs to guide them, and that Estragon represents the more ideal existentialist portion of humanity who chooses to stop waiting and construct the meaning of life based on experience in the tangible and physical world around them. The following is an example of dialogue which supports this concept:

Vladimir: Let’s wait and see what he says.

Estragon: Who?

Vladimir:  Godot.

Estragon: Good idea.

Vladimir: Let’s wait till we know exactly how we stand.

Estragon: On the other hand it might be better to strike the iron before it freezes. (Beckett)

Absurd Ending:

Absurd play has unexplained ending Hope, religion, nothingness, forgetfulness, purposelessness' of man, ending is not Conclusion. Another example is at the end of both acts, they talks about going but no one goes:

“ESTRAGON: Well, shall we go?

VLADIMIR: Yes, let's go.

(They do not move).”

(End of second act)

“VLADIMIR: Well? Shall we go?

ESTRAGON: Yes, let's go.

(They do not move).”

Conclusion

In nutshell we can say that every aspect of the play structure, theme, setting, character, dialogue or some other behavioral silent activities is motivated by one thing that is nothingness now clear that Absurdity or we can say Nothingness tells us something and gives us deep meaning about life and it also shows the reality of life and it is clearly shown in this play with the help of these five characters.

Works Cited

• Esslin, Martin. "The Theatre of the Absurd." The MIT Press (2013): 5.

•

Hussain, Tazir. "Theatre of Absurd and Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' as an Absurd Drama." Internation Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) 3 (2014): 1.

• Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. 1953.

P-109 Assignment

Dhvani Theory

Name-Daya Vaghani

Paper-Literary Theory & Criticism and Indian Aesthetics

Roll no-07

Enrollment no-3069206420200017

Email id- dayavaghani2969@gmail.com

Batch-2020-22 (MA Sem-2)

Submitted to- S. B. Gardi Department of English,

                Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

 

👉Introduction

There cannot be any poetry without words. Indian Poetics evolved out of dramaturgy. The poetry invokes emotional response; and that is followed by the understanding of its emotive language and the appreciation by the reader of the true import of the poet.

The success of a good Kavya involves three aspects:-

• Pratibha ( the poet’s creative inspiration)

• Body of the Kavya (its form by way of word and meaning)

• Rasa (the aesthetic effect)

Bharat’s  Natyasastra is the earliest known treatise on Poetics and dramaturgy. His Natyasastra mentions four Alamkaras( Poetic figure), ten Gunas (excellences), ten Dosas (defects) and thirty-six characteristics of poetic composition. 

In Indian poetics, scholars had different viewpoints, so they formed different sampradayas (school of thought). The chief schools are: -

 Alamkara (poetic figure)

 Rasa (aesthetic pleasure)

 Riti (style)

 Guna (attribute)

 Dhvani (suggestion)

 Vakrokti (obliquity)

 Aucitya (propriety)

👉Dhvani School of Poetry

It is regarded as a “meaning school” which gives suggestion. That suggested sense is not apprehended by mere knowledge of grammar and dictionary. It is only apprehended by the knower of the poetic meaning, who knows how to recognize the essence of poetic meaning. (rao)

The suggestive word, the suggested meaning, the power of suggestion; and their mutual relationship are virtually the lifeblood of Indian poetics.

👉The word dhvani is used for:-

♦ Conventional symbol- the articulate

♦   Conventional meaning

♦    The power of word to convey the suggestive meaning

♦ The suggestive meaning

♦ Poetic work containing the suggestive element.

👉Anandavardhana-“ Dhvanyaloka”

 

Dhvani school of poetry was formulated by Anandavardhana who wrote “Dhvanyaloka” in the middle of the 9th century. It brought focus on the potential power of the word in a kavya. Here, the word together with its literal sense forms the body of Kavya.Anandavardhana  in Dhvanyalokam takes up three main types of implicit sense:-

•        Vastu dhvani

•        Alakaara dhvani

•        Rasa dhvani

In Vastu dhvani some rare fact or idea is implied. In Alankaara dhvani some alankaara or figure of speech is suggested. In Rasa dhvani rasa is evoked. Both Vastu dhvani and Alankaara dhvani can be expressed by direct meaning or vacyaartha, by suggestion or vyangyaartha. But the third variety of implicit sense of rasa dhvani can never be expressed in the direct  meaning of words.

In other words: it is not the direct literal and obvious meaning that is explicit in poetry, but it is the suggested, indirect and emotive meaning that matters. The primary meaning can be understood by all. But the suggested meaning is understood only by those who are gifted with some imagination and a sort of intuition. The mere knowledge of word is not enough to understand and enjoy the poetic import or the essence of the kavya. It needs intuition or Pratibha.

Mammatacharya calls  Pratibha as:-

“nava-navaanvesha-shalini prajna”, Means the ever inventive and resourceful intellect.

Mammata seems to suggest that Anandavardhana graded the entire body of kavya into three classes:-

  Dhvani kavya- The poetry that suggest as the true kavya, the best (uttam), where dhvani the unspoken suggestive element is dominant

 Gunibhuta-vamgmaya-kavya- well endowed descriptive poetry, as the middle where dhvani is secondary to Alamkara, and serves as a decoration for the spoken or expressed meaning.

  Chitrakavya- poetry that structured into various patterns or drawings.

Some dispute Mammata’s statement and point out that Anandavardhana did not say any such things.

The Dhvanyaloka is divided into four chapters called Uddyotas. In the beginning of the first Uddyota Anandavardhana summarizes the purpose of writing his book:

“Kavyastama dhvanir iti budhair yah samamnata- purvah.”

It means the soul of poetry has already been recognized, the theory of dhvani is the essence of poetry. Anandavardhana has borrowed the term “dhvani” from the field of grammar. Anandavardhana discusses all the factors connected to dhvani doctrine such as Alamkara, Guna, Riti, etc. He assignes their true place in relation to rasa and dhvani.

The technical term Sphota pertaining to dhvani of the grammarians has been employed by the Rhetorecians in a slightly different sense.

The supporters of Dhvani theory maintain that the situation, the context, the speaker, the words and their meanings all conjointly produce the suggestion.

There are three powers of words or three aspects of Dhvani

 Abhidha (denotation)

 Laksana ( implication)

 Vyanjana  ( suggestion)

According to Anandavardhana a word is not only endowed with the two powers of denotation and implication but also that of suggestion.

Abhidha is basic and other two saktis rest upon it. Abhidha may be defined as that power of words which conveys the conventional meaning or the literal meaning of the expression.

 Laksana is the second power of the word is, it is indication power. It consists in the external characteristics of the expression which are indicative of something deeper.

 Vyanjana is the third power which means what is suggestive.

We arrive at the suggested sense either through ‘Abhidha’ or ‘Laksana’. According to vaiyaakaranaas sphota is vyangya or what is suggested.  In verbal expression ‘abhidha’ and ‘laksana’ form the nature of the condition and ‘Vyanjana’ or ‘dhvani’ is of nature of contents. Abhidha and Laksana are ways and Vyanjana is the end.

The Dhvani theory, in all its minute details has five thousand, three hundred and fifty five subdividions of suggestive poetry. Dhvani is what one overhears in good poetry, the meaning that echo after a statement has been made. It is basically a semantic theory.

👉Sphota

The basic principle of dhvani is innate in Sphota vada: strictly speaking it is not admissible to take words separately by splitting a sentence. The concept of dhvani was inspired by the ancient doctrine of Sphota, that which flashes or bursts forth the meaning.  The term sphota signifies: bursting; opening; expansion’ disclosure; the eternal and imperceptible element of sound and words.  To those who advocated the divisibility of both pada and vakya, it is the last sentence in a structure that indicates sphota. Sphota is practically manifest from the last sound. It is from the last sound that the cognition of the entire word-structure is derived, together with the impression produced by proceeding sound.

Sphota in this context is “antima buddhi graahya” or what is known by the last word. Sphota is also “antim varna graahya”, or what is known by the last syllable as even the last alphabet.

Indian rhetoricians have made a meticulous study of both the meaning and emotive context of words. Words have at least two meanings, one literal meaning, the other suggested meaning which is described as dhvani or the meaning that echoes.

Sphota is a distinct entity, by itself. It is a gradual process, the mind acquires progressively greater and greater aptitude for receiving further glimpses; with the utterance of the last sound unit the process comes to a close. Dhvani is so termed because it sounds, rings, or reverberates because it is sphota. The idea of one thing indicating something else which it is not is the distinguishing character of dhvani.

Views of other scholars

Many scholars did not entirely agree with Anandavardhana’s exposition of Dhvani. Those who criticized his views include: Bhattanayaka, Kuntaka, Mahimabhatta, Dhananjaya, Bhoja, Rajasekhra, Vishwanatha and few others. They raised questions like:- If Guna and Alamkara are different from Dhvani, how can they be said to produce beauty?

Mammata carried forward the argument that Rasa is the principle substance and the object of poetry. He stated vakyartha rasatmakarth kavyam establishing the correlation between Rasa and poetry; and pushing down the dhvani.

Mahimabhatta included all types of dhvani under the head Anumana, the inference, since Dhvani has no independent or cognizable existence.

Eventually, Anandavardhana, Abhinavgupta, Mammata and other defended the Dhvani and Rasa Dhvani; and successfully deflected most of the criticisms.

Conclusion

Anandavardhana, who was an advocate of rasa, was also the greatest exponent of Dhvani. He concluded that rasa was expressed only through dhvani. His commentator Abhinavagupta lays down that dhvani can be employed in the whole work or in just the meaning or only in a word.

Reference

beehive digital concepts cochin. "chapter iii. dhvani and rasa." shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in. <shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/644/8/08_chapter3pdf>.

rao, sreenivasa. "kavya and indian poetics." 24 july 2015. wordpress.com. <http://sreenivasarao.com/tag/classifications-of-dhvani/>.

Shodhganga. "chapter iii indian poetics." n.d.