Mental Illness in the Theatre of the Absurd: Pinter and Beckett

Bc. Kristýna Konečná

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Tato práce pojednává o duševních poruchách v absurdním dramatu, konkrétně ve hrách "Konec Hry" (Samuel Beckett) a "Narozeniny" (Harold Pinter). Jelikož se jedná o hry napsané na konci 50.let 20.století, je použita odborná literatura z této doby pro určení podobností a společných rysů poruch schizofrenického spektra a zmíněných her. V první části práce jsou ukázány rysy první poloviny 20.století, které ovlivnily lidskou psychiku a vedly k nárůstu počtu duševně nemocných po druhé světové válce, dále je nastíněno jak byli duševně nemocní vnímáni společností a léčeni a co všechno vedlo k potřebě spisovatelů psát na toto téma. V druhé části jde poté o podrobnou analýzu zmíněných děl, hledání společných rysů s duševními poruchami a také

Abstract:

This thesis focuses on mental illness in the Theatre of the Absurd, particularly on plays: Endgame (Samuel Beckett) and The Birthday Party (Harold Pinter). Since these plays were written at the end of the 1950s, literature dealing with mental illness written in this time is used to determine similarities between mental illness and these plays. In the first part of the thesis, various changes and events that are tied to the first half of the twentieth century are mentioned and their impact on human psyche is shown on examples. Further it is described how the mentally ill were perceived by society, how they were treated, and what was the reason behind the playwrights writing on such topic. In the second chapter the above mentioned plays are closely read and analyzed and links are drawn between the disruption of order and its aftermath mentioned in the first chapter.

Keywords

mental illness, duševní poruchy, the Theatre of the Absurd, absurdní drama, Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Endgame, The Birthday Party, postmodern condition, schizophrenia

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 24. 8. 2020

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 10. 9. 2020
• Supervisor: M.Phil. James Joseph Little, Ph.D.
• Reader: Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Philology / English Language and Literature