Cruelty and desire in the modern theater : Antonin Artaud, Sarah Kane, and Samuel Beckett / Laurens De Vos.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Vos, Laurens de, 1978-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Artaud, Antonin, 1896-1948.

Beckett, Samuel, 1906-1989.

Kane, Sarah, 1971-1999.

English drama--20th century--History and criticism.

English drama.

English drama--French influences.

Kane, Sarah, 1971-1999--Criticism and interpretation.

Kane, Sarah.

Beckett, Samuel, 1906-1989--Criticism and interpretation.

Beckett, Samuel.

Artaud, Antonin, 1896-1948--Criticism and interpretation.

Artaud, Antonin.

Artaud, Antonin, 1896-1948--Influence.

Cruelty in literature.

Desire in literature.

Psychoanalysis and literature.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

255 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Madison, NJ : Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, [2011]

Summary:

Begining with a refreshing look at the ideas of Antonin Artaud, this book provides a through analysis of how both Sarah Kane and Samuel Beckett are indebted to his legacy. In juxtaposing these playwrights, Laurens De vos thoroughly illustrates how both, in their own way, struggle with coming to terms with Artaud. Desire-a key concept in Lacanian psychoanalysis-lies at the root of his Theater of Cruelty; Kane and Beckett prove that desire and cruelty are inextricably linked to one another yet appear in radically different disguises. Relying on these playwrights, this book not only sheds light on the precise intentions behind Artaud's project, it also maps out the structural parallels and dichotomies between the Theater of Cruelty and the literary genre of tragedy.

Immediately after the premiere of Sarah Kane's Blasted in 1995, some reviewers made a link with the Theater of Cruelty. These parallels, however, were solely based on the abundance of physical violence on stage. In response to these assertions, this book minutely traces Artaud's legacy to later generations. Making use of Lacan's psychoanalytical ideas as a theoretical framework, De Vos defines Artaud's project not so much in terms of blood and goriness, but rather as a theater of Passion, revolving around notions such as desire, love, and the subjectile, a concept to which Derrida drew attention. In addition, the idea of the scapegoat delineated by René Girard provides a leg-up to compare the Theater of Cruelty to tragedy.

Phaedra's Love, Cleansed, and 4.48 Psychosis are extensively dealt with in this study and point out the development Sarah Kane went through in her short trajectory.

The third chapter, on Beckett, focuses primarily on Krapp's last Tape and Not I and equally calls in lacan to understand self-alienation and self-conceptualization in its relation to the Theater of Cruelty.

This book will be of use to anyone interested in contemparary theater or in the field of psychoanalysis made applicable in the arts. Book jacket.

Contents:

Introduction

The inner world of Antonin Artaud

Madly in love: Sarah Kane

Neither the voice, nor the void: Samuel Beckett

Epilogue: toward a corporeal theater.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781611470444

1611470447

9780838642634

0838642632

OCLC:

608295604