If you haven’t heard of absurdism, you’re in for a treat. You could be an absurdist yourself and not even know it. First, let’s start with some basic questions. Do you think that humans’ attempt to put a meaning or purpose to life is done completely in vain? Are you weary that our capability to truly understand reality is lacking? Do you ask yourself, “Is our capacity for thought substantial enough for us to have any certainty about the purpose of anything?” (Heavy stuff, right?) A daily dose of existential nihilism never hurt anyone. (Okay, so that might not be true.)
Hey, maybe you don’t think this way, but you want to read some plays by someone who does! We’ve got you covered. Here are some intriguing absurdist plays to add to your reading list.
Rhinoceros is an absurdist play that highlights flaws in human nature. In the course of the play, the inhabitants of a small French town gradually transform into rhinos. Though some think the reports are merely a case of widespread psychosis, it quickly becomes apparent that the entire town is being overrun. The main character, Berenger, sees his friends turn into rhinos and vows not to become one of them. By the end of the play, Berenger and his crush, Daisy, are the only remaining humans. However, even she is charmed by the rhinoceroses and leaves Berenger to be with them. Left alone, Berenger questions his own sanity. Though he begins to find his human face distasteful, he continues to deny giving in to the desire to be a rhino. The play itself toys with the idea of mob mentality, conformity, and mass cultural movements.
This existential play centers around a room that is meant to be “hell.” Three people cursed with damnation arrive in the room, expecting torture. Instead, they find a plainly furnished room. At first the three refuse to tell each other why they each ended up in the room, but eventually confess. The entire time, the three butt heads over topics. By the end, one character attempts to kill another, though they are unsuccessful since the three have already died. The play ends with the line, “Hell is other people.” This may be true. An article in Fortune described a Gallup survey, “finding that about 50% of the 7,200 adults surveyed left a job “to get away from their manager.” Hell really can be other people, especially in the workplace. Unfortunately, sometimes there is No Exit to those kind of situations. (Girl’s gotta pay her rent somehow, right?)
Recurring themes in the Theatre of the Absurd are claustrophobia and inescapability, and such are parallel to life. In Ping-Pong, two characters are trapped inside a pinball machine with no way out. The machine seems to have an omniscient presence, controlling everything they do. They talk about their obsession with the machine and the game itself. The pinball machine is meant to represent life, where there are only so many opportunities (balls) and the player only has limited control on whether or not they succeed. Despite the allure of the game, the handles are so small that their effect on the game is dismal. In the end, the results of the game are predominantly up to chance. This aligns with Adamov’s personal view of life. In a biography by the Encyclopaedia Britannica, it’s stated that he was characterized by, “Believing that God is dead and that life’s meaning is unobtainable…helplessly searching for life’s meaning, which, although it exists, is tragically inaccessible to him.” The absurd life may not be a necessarily positive one, but it sure does make for intriguing literature.
The little known play Cruma is centered around the lives of two men trying to measure a room with unmarked rulers. The two characters try to conceive the state of the outside world as they work through their impossible task. The play poses questions about whether one can attain their personal and true identity when surrounded by the false impressions that come with socializing in an exterior world.
“Another one by Ionesco?” Yes! What can we say? Ionesco is truly a jack of his trade. The Lesson is categorized in a branch of absurdism known as “hilarious.” Hilarious absurdism is based off the Nietzschean concept that humans created laughter in order to ward off insanity. In the play, a somewhat elderly teacher awaits a new teenage pupil. When the pupil arrives, the teacher becomes angrier and angrier with the student’s inadequate understanding of his obscure and nonsensical lesson. The student, on the other hand, becomes weaker and more timid as he gets more furious. The pupil’s health parallels her deteriorating health. What starts as a toothache turns into full body pains, and the teacher eventually stabs and kills the student in his fury. The end of the play shows his maid happily greeting a new pupil.
Despite the absurdist beliefs behind these plays, they’re sure to interest and intrigue readers of all beliefs! The plays are amazing representations of the author’s’ musings on society, life, and the universe itself. Perhaps after reading them, you too will find yourself pondering over these expansive topics. (We can only hope!)
