The term “absurdity” is very well known in literature and frequently used by the writers of post 2nd World War. They use this term in the manner of its meaning or even more than that in their works. The effects of War and human sufferings from that caused absurdism to flourish and also spread Nihilism, meaninglessness, nothingness.
The aim and motive of this paper is to prove that the idea of absurdism may be new which is observed by absurd writer on human bizarre situation, but the existence of absurdism was already been used in the writings of Elizabethan writers or before that.
In these writers the king of drama, William Shakespeare was also one of the most prominent in whose writings the existence of absurdity can easily be traceable when he is well known for his tragedies and comedies. Although this existence was not noticed by or tagged by the writers or critics of that time as absurdism, there was its presence on the large scale. This paper is going to compare the level of absurdity among the playwrights of absurd and absurdism in the selected works of Shakespeare. The idea here is that the writer who is still incomparable also created the levels of absurdity in his plays unintentionally without being aware of the notion of “Absurdism”.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Shakespeare's Traces of Absurdism
2.1 Comparative Analysis with Waiting for Godot
2.2 Absurdity in King Lear
2.3 Absurdity in Hamlet
3. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the presence of absurdism in the literary works of William Shakespeare, arguing that while the term "absurdism" is commonly associated with post-World War II literature, its foundational elements were present in Elizabethan drama. The research investigates how Shakespeare's tragedies, particularly King Lear and Hamlet, unintentionally mirror the thematic and structural features of the Theater of the Absurd.
- Tracing the historical existence of absurdism prior to the 20th century.
- Comparing the thematic similarities between Shakespeare’s tragedies and modern absurdists like Samuel Beckett.
- Analyzing the psychological and existential crisis in Shakespeare’s characters as precursors to absurdism.
- Investigating the concept of "nothingness" and meaninglessness in King Lear and Waiting for Godot.
- Examining Hamlet's existential struggle and its relation to the absurd condition of mankind.
Excerpt from the Book
Shakespeare’s most popular works like King Lear, Macbeth, Hamlet, Twelfth Night and others, although, are the greatest works in the history of English literature but in these plays one can also bring forth easily the signs of absurdities. These absurdities knitted in the story frame in such a manner that one can identify and compare them to the modern absurdist who uses the story especially to present and show the absurdism in human life through his actions and behavior and also from the involvement of the society. Shakespeare’s play “King Lear” can be observed, in the manner of absurdity, similar to Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”. The formation of the words, utterance of dialogues and misleading thoughts are presented in both the text. On the one hand where, in Waiting for Godot the characters are forming unparalleled and meaningless talks and thoughts. They are thinking that there is someone called Godot they are waiting for. And at this hour of waiting they formulated number of meaningless dialogues, broken and incomplete sentences. On the other hand in King Lear the leading character shows the meaningless and immature capabilities of judgment, by making comparison between her three daughters, without using rational faculty, on the basis of level of buttering done by them to gain greater part of his wealth. He, although knowing the reality that Cordelia is more loving and caring than his other two daughters, disinherited her in rage or can say in egoism because Cordelia did not professed in an untruly manner, as he wanted her to do. We can also find similarity on the level of dialogues in these two plays. In these dialogues the incapability of thinking or disability to formulate the sentences can be traced. In Shakespeare’s King Lear when Lear asks Cordelia to say some words in his honor in order to gain the large portion of his wealth, she being a faithful and truthful person did not made any false or unnatural comments.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This section defines the concept of absurdism as a reaction to modern existence and establishes that its roots precede the post-World War II era, specifically appearing in the works of Shakespeare.
Shakespeare's Traces of Absurdism: This chapter analyzes how Shakespearean drama contains inherent elements of existentialism and absurdism through character behavior and plot structures.
Comparative Analysis with Waiting for Godot: This segment draws direct parallels between the dialogue styles and existential themes of Beckett’s play and the narrative arc of Shakespeare's King Lear.
Absurdity in King Lear: This part examines how the King’s irrational actions and the recurring theme of "nothing" illustrate an absurd perception of human existence and royal power.
Absurdity in Hamlet: This section focuses on Hamlet's existential crisis and feigned madness as reflections of the meaninglessness of the human condition and the pursuit of truth.
Conclusion: This final part synthesizes the evidence to affirm that Shakespearean characters were pioneers of existential themes, even if these were not explicitly labeled as "absurdism" during their time.
Keywords
Absurdism, Nihilism, Meaninglessness, Shakespeare, Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, Existence, Bizarre situation, Nothingness, Existentialism, Theater of the Absurd, Human condition, Tragedy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the historical presence of absurdism in William Shakespeare’s literary works, arguing that these themes existed long before the post-World War II period.
What are the core themes explored in this study?
The central themes include existentialism, the meaninglessness of existence, the nature of human suffering, and the psychological decay of characters in tragic situations.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The aim is to demonstrate that Shakespeare’s tragedies unintentionally feature the same levels of absurdity as those found in modern absurdist theater.
Which scientific or analytical method is utilized?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, mapping the structural and thematic similarities between Shakespeare’s texts and the works of modern playwrights like Samuel Beckett.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body focuses on a textual analysis of King Lear and Hamlet, providing evidence of absurd dialogue and existential behavioral patterns.
Which keywords best describe the essence of this work?
Key terms include Absurdism, Nihilism, Meaninglessness, King Lear, Hamlet, and the human condition.
How does the author connect King Lear to Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot?
The author compares the futile waiting and meaningless dialogues in Beckett’s work with the irrational judgment and breakdown of communication in King Lear.
What role does the concept of "nothing" play in the analysis?
The author uses "nothing" as a pivotal concept that signifies both the loss of meaning in Shakespeare’s tragedies and the hopelessness experienced by characters in the Theater of the Absurd.
How is Hamlet’s "to be, or not to be" soliloquy re-interpreted?
It is analyzed as a reflection on the meaning of the human condition and a realization of the potential meaninglessness of life.
Why does the author conclude that Shakespeare was an unconscious absurdist?
The author suggests that while Shakespeare’s primary motive was to create tragedy, the inherent nature of his characters and their difficult circumstances naturally led to the manifestation of absurd traits.
- Quote paper
- Danish Suleman (Author), 2016, Shakespeare and Absurdity. The Unseen Relation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/343005
