the theater of the absurd 1 - study together

Let's watch this video first. You might watch this before - If you study or interested in Drama or Samuel Beckett. Do you understand what he-Lucky- saying?
This is most famous Absurd Drama of Samuel Beckett "Waiting for Godot"
If you need more information click here! 

Given the existence as uttered forth in the public works of Puncher and Wattmann of a personal God quaquaquaqua with white beard quaquaquaqua outside time without extension who from the heights of divine apathia divine athambia divine aphasia loves us dearly with some exceptions for reasons unknown but time will tell and suffers like the divine Miranda with those who for reasons unknown but time will tell are plunged in torment plunged in fire whose fire flames if that continues and who can doubt it will fire the firmament that is to say blast hell to heaven so blue still and calm so calm with a calm which even though intermittent is better than nothing but not so fast and considering what is more that as a result of the labors left unfinished crowned by the Acacacacademy of Anthropopopometry of Essy-in-Possy of Testew and Cunard it is established beyond all doubt all other doubt than that which clings to the labors of men that as a result of the labors unfinished of Testew and Cunnard it is established as hereinafter but not so fast for reasons unknown that as a result of the public works of Puncher and Wattmann it is established beyond all doubt that in view of the labors of Fartov and Belcher left unfinished for reasons unknown of Testew and Cunard left unfinished it is established what many deny that man in Possy of Testew and Cunard that man in Essy that man in short that man in brief in spite of the strides of alimentation and defecation wastes and pines wastes and pines and concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown in spite of the strides of physical culture the practice of sports such as tennis football running cycling swimming flying floating riding gliding conating camogie skating tennis of all kinds dying flying sports of all sorts autumn summer winter winter tennis of all kinds hockey of all sorts penicillin and succedanea in a word I resume flying gliding golf over nine and eighteen holes tennis of all sorts in a word for reasons unknown in Feckham Peckham Fulham Clapham namely concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown but time will tell fades away I resume Fulham Clapham in a word the dead loss per head since the death of Bishop Berkeley being to the tune of one inch four ounce per head approximately by and large more or less to the nearest decimal good measure round figures stark naked in the stockinged feet in Connemara in a word for reasons unknown no matter what matter the facts are there and considering what is more much more grave that in the light of the labors lost of Steinweg and Peterman it appears what is more much more grave that in the light the light the light of the labors lost of Steinweg and Peterman that in the plains in the mountains by the seas by the rivers running water running fire the air is the same and then the earth namely the air and then the earth in the great cold the great dark the air and the earth abode of stones in the great cold alas alas in the year of their Lord six hundred and something the air the earth the sea the earth abode of stones in the great deeps the great cold on sea on land and in the air I resume for reasons unknown in spite of the tennis the facts are there but time will tell I resume alas alas on on in short in fine on on abode of stones who can doubt it I resume but not so fast I resume the skull fading fading fading and concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown in spite of the tennis on on the beard the flames the tears the stones so blue so calm alas alas on on the skull the skull the skull the skull in Connemara in spite of the tennis the labors abandoned left unfinished graver still abode of stones in a word I resume alas alas abandoned unfinished the skull the skull in Connemara in spite of the tennis the skull alas the stones Cunard (mêlée, final vociferations)

From http://www.samuel-beckett.net/Waiting_for_Godot_Part1.html


It's quiet long speech. A month ago, I went to theater to watch this Drama with my friend. What I really expect and curious to know was HOW THE ACTOR ACTS THIS LONG SPEECH PART! Absolutely, the actor was Korean, and he seemed memorize every words. What he said was exactly same with the book.
Anyway, the content of this speech is not important. Because, as you can hear, Lucky speaks not a clear story which has interesting affairs but lots of words which are disconnected from each other. It's rather a sorts of sounds.

This is Lucky's thinking. Poor , weak, passive person lucky, a slave of Pozzo, speaks. no. He makes sounds with words. Before this scene, he spoke nothing but just breathed.

What is this means?
 I don't know. sometimes, I feel like I can get it any next moment I feel confuse again.


The theater of the absurd doesn't follow typical format and language of traditional drama.
Waiting for godot is a good example. There are no accident, no clear reason - we don't know why they waiting for godot, even they don't know that - no story.
Just Two pathetic men wait for godot everyday and the godot never come.
Also, Character's language are not reasonable. They have conversation but that's not for a communication. They speak to forget their hopeless situation. It might mean struggling of human being who want to feel his existence every minutes.


Here is another good example of Absurd Drama.

Stanley: What the -
Goldberg: What did you wear last week, Webber? Where do you keep your suits?
McCann: Why did you leave the organization?
McCann: What about the Albigensenist heresy?
Goldberg: Who watered the wicket in Melbourne?
McCann: What about the blessed Oliver Plunkett?
Goldberg: Speak up, Webber. Why did the chicken cross the road?
Stanley: He wanted to - he wanted to - he wanted to . .
McCann: He doesn’t know!
Goldberg: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Stanley: He wanted to - he wanted to . . .
Goldberg: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Stanley: He wanted _ .
McCann: He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know which came first!
Goldberg: Whtch came first?
McCann: Chicken? Egg? Which came first?
Goldberg & McCann: Which came first? Which came first? Which came first?
Stanley screams.

    <from http://www.springerlink.com/content/j1661380u8630227/>


This is a part of "Birthday Party" by Harold Pinter.
Stanley who ran away from typical and cold society hide in a small house and stay in there all day and night. Old married couple who run the boarding house take care of him.
Then, one day two strange men come to this house and throw a birthday party for Stanley. Stanley refuses to participate in party, but after long and aggressive conversation, Stanley loses his mind and change like a vegetable(no feeling, no thinking)

At last, Two strange visitor bring Stanley to Mad house to make him as a typical, biddable social person.  


In this play, Words hurt people. Stanley and two stranger try to threaten each other with aggressive language. Language is not a method for understand other people anymore. It's weapon and pressure in this Drama.

This drama also doesn't describe background of story. It has more story than "waiting for godot" but still ambiguous. We can guess but can't sure why Stanley came to small town from city, What did he do in the past, Who are the strangers, Why strangers bring Stanley to mad house. 



<to be continued>