Existential Crisis In Samuel Beckett And Harold Pinter

Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter are two powerful dramatist of post modern times. They talk about existential crisis in their dramas. In fact, both Beckett and Pinter are associated with absurd movement. The absurd movement describes the meaninglessness and uncertainty of human life. This movement was influenced by existential philosophy of Sartre, Camus and Heidegger. Martin Asslin’s book The Theatre of Absurd is an authentic discussion on the theme of absurdism as presented by post modern dramatists like Beckett, Pinter, Genet, Ionesco, etc.
It seems that both Beckett and Pinter reflect the spirit of contemporary society in their works. The post world war European society to which these dramatists belonged was marked by disillusionment arising from prevalent chaos. Europe in general and England in particular had undergone social upheavals after Second World War. The absurd dramatists are acutely aware of the pervasive discontent and dilemma obtaining in contemporary society. The spiritual crisis resulting from breakdown of moral values and decline of unity between morality and society is another pointer to the contemporary chaos. W.B. Yeats, the famous Irish poet writes in his …show more content…
It also seems that Beckett’s plays are more philosophical rendering of the dynamics of oppression as compare to those of Harold Pinter as Beckett’s characters act and react more obliquely then those of Pinter’s. Harold Pinter emerged on the literary scene after Beckett and therefore, his dramas are more meticulous and comprehensive treatment of, “Dynamics of oppression” as far as his characterization, communication and settings are