Sexual tension is an important element that plays a crucial role in many forms of drama, including absurdist theatre. In absurdist plays, sexual tension can be used to explore themes related to alienation, existential angst, and the absurd nature of human existence. This essay will analyze the purpose of sexual tension in absurdist theatre and its impact on human absurdity.
The first thing to note about sexual tension in absurdist theatre is that it often serves as a way for characters to connect and communicate despite their isolation from one another. The characters in these plays are often isolated from each other, whether due to physical distance, emotional distance, or both.
In Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, the characters Estragon and Vladimir wait for Godot, but they have nothing else to do except talk to each other. Their conversations reveal their shared humanity, even though they are physically apart from one another. Sexual tension is one way that they connect and relate to each other, even if they cannot physically touch each other.
In addition to connecting characters, sexual tension also reveals the absurd nature of human desires. Characters in absurdist plays often feel trapped by their own desires, which they cannot fulfill. This feeling of being stuck in an unfulfilled desire is central to the absurdism. In Ionesco's Rhinoceros, Berenger is constantly frustrated by his lack of success with women. His desire for intimacy leads him into strange situations, such as when he tries to seduce a rhinoceros who has transformed into a woman. These scenarios highlight the absurdity of human desire and the fact that we are never truly satisfied no matter how much we try.
Sexual tension can also be used to create humor in absurdist theatre.
In Genet's The Maids, two maids engage in a game of role-playing that involves flirting with their employer. This scene is both humorous and disturbing because it shows the absurdity of social roles and power dynamics. By playing at being mistresses, the maids question the very structure of society itself.
Sexual tension serves several dramaturgical purposes in absurdist theatre. It helps to establish connections between isolated characters, reveals the absurd nature of human desires, and creates humor through the awkwardness of taboo relationships. By exploring these themes, absurdist playwrights highlight the fundamental absurdity of human existence and the difficulty of communicating with others in a world where we are all alone together.
What dramaturgical purposes does sexual tension serve in absurdist theatre, and how does it reveal human absurdity?
Sexual tension plays a major role in absurdist theatre as it creates an atmosphere of confusion and anxiety that is essential for revealing the absurdity of human existence. In this type of drama, sexual tension can be used to create humor, unsettling emotions, and even existential dread. Through its use, the audience is forced to reflect on their own place in the world and the meaninglessness of everyday life.