Interpretation of Samuel Beckett's Breath
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A major tenet of Modernism is to break down all the classical or rather traditional methods of expression and artistic craftsmanship. Samuel Beckett's Breath seems to be a great example to substantiate this statement. This thirty-second play by Beckett captures the absurdity and meaninglessness of the 'modern times'.
The idea of absurdity or strangeness associated with plays like Breath arise from the fact that they are not merely meant for entertainment. They tend to pose a question to the audience and lead them to think instead of just being silent spectators. Following is what the play consists of:
1) Light movements
2) A stage littered with miscellaneous rubbish
3) A 'faint brief cry'
4) The sound of someone breathing
The blank spaces which Beckett has left for reader's or audience's interpretation, allows them to have as many perspectives as they want resulting in the play being relevant even today.
The period after the two World Wars, led people to think about the purpose or importance of life which further resulted in the emergence of philosophies like Existentialism. The idea of individual experience of chaos is captured by the 'faint brief cry' in Beckett's play. The littered rubbish represents chaos and a kind of 'waste land' we are all surrounded with, even today. The light movements stand for the light and darkness or day and night, the passing of time. Thus, in this sense the fundamental experience the play captures is that of breathing or living in a meaningless 'waste land'. The only certainty of such life, is death, which existentialism proposes in its theory.
So, it's so much more than just a thirty-second play. Following are the sources to read about the terms I've used and some other important terms to understand Beckett's Breath:
1) Existentialism
2) Theatre of the Absurd
3) Modernism
A major tenet of Modernism is to break down all the classical or rather traditional methods of expression and artistic craftsmanship. Samuel Beckett's Breath seems to be a great example to substantiate this statement. This thirty-second play by Beckett captures the absurdity and meaninglessness of the 'modern times'.
The idea of absurdity or strangeness associated with plays like Breath arise from the fact that they are not merely meant for entertainment. They tend to pose a question to the audience and lead them to think instead of just being silent spectators. Following is what the play consists of:
1) Light movements
2) A stage littered with miscellaneous rubbish
3) A 'faint brief cry'
4) The sound of someone breathing
The blank spaces which Beckett has left for reader's or audience's interpretation, allows them to have as many perspectives as they want resulting in the play being relevant even today.
The period after the two World Wars, led people to think about the purpose or importance of life which further resulted in the emergence of philosophies like Existentialism. The idea of individual experience of chaos is captured by the 'faint brief cry' in Beckett's play. The littered rubbish represents chaos and a kind of 'waste land' we are all surrounded with, even today. The light movements stand for the light and darkness or day and night, the passing of time. Thus, in this sense the fundamental experience the play captures is that of breathing or living in a meaningless 'waste land'. The only certainty of such life, is death, which existentialism proposes in its theory.
So, it's so much more than just a thirty-second play. Following are the sources to read about the terms I've used and some other important terms to understand Beckett's Breath:
1) Existentialism
2) Theatre of the Absurd
3) Modernism
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