Shakespeare's HAMLET as a Precursor of the Theatre of the Absurd

ISBN-13: 9783838312354 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 200 str.

Dogan, Buket

Opis

Being regarded as a dramatist of all times, Shakespeare and his work is studied with a modern view point by many critics. Shakespeare is part of a modern tradition trying to mirror human psychology and condition in all its absurdity. The innovations the theatre of the Absurd has brought not only provide an influence for the works of the later generations but also, they make it possible to look back at the past works of the theatre with a contemporary critical eye. Shakespeares vision of the world is similar to that of the absurdists, mainly due to their shared confidence in humanitys capacity to endure, and the precarious nature of human existence. This book analyzes Hamlet, mainly the drama of its protagonist, as a precursor of Absurd drama. In Hamlet, Shakespeare represents mans existential anxiety and precarious condition in a nonsensical world, which is stripped of all logical explanations and accounts. To examine the play in the context of the theatre of the Absurd, it will be discussed in relation to Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot and Endgame with regard to their common concerns for the themes of the theatre of the Absurd such as uncertainty and inertia.

O autorze

Dogan, BuketBuket Dogan,Middle East Technical University (METU): Buket Doganpursues her Ph.D. studies in English Literature. Previously, sheworked as an instructor at Atilim University and AnkaraUniversity. Currently, she works as a Research Assistant at METU.Her research interests are British drama,the novel,stage adaptations and translation studies.