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Abstract The thesis is a comparative study of the Theatre of the Absurd and the influence of existentialism in Albee’s three plays The Zoo Story, The American Dream and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Ionesco’s two plays The Chairs and Rhinoceros. This thesis deals with themes of alienation, illusion and reality as well as the disrupted family relations. It also points out parallels between the various plays in relation to the dilemma of modern man and the playwrights’ philosophy behind it. The study includes an introductory chapter, four chapters, and a conclusion. Chapter I is entitled “Theatre of the Absurd”, where the term ‘absurd’ is defined and the main characteristics of absurdist drama are tackled. The history of the Theatre of the Absurd is displayed and how the social background helped in its emergence. It reflects how the internal conflicts of man in the plays are associated with absurdist effects. The study answers questions on the success and failure of the ability to transcend the meaningless world and the escape from the limitations of reality to an imaginative power which forces viable solutions. This chapter shows that although there are distinctions between avant-garde theatre in France and America arising from difference in purpose, yet both writers employ similar methods and present similar views on the dilemma of the modern human condition. They both express in their plays the sense of loss, the futility of existence and how modern man faces the absurdity of his or her essence. Chapter II entitled “Alienating Factors of character Portrayal” deals with the major reasons and philosophical ideas which led to human isolation. It explores the psycho-social milieu that led to such a state. The alienation of both Albee and Ionesco’s characters is inner and outer. Their IV conformism alienates them from themselves, their prejudices and indifference towards each other alienate them from society. Although the alienation of Ionesco’s characters is perceived immediately, in Albee’s plays, the domestic and the superficial relationships disguise it for a while during the play. Chapter III entitled “Illusion and Reality” attempts close analysis of this theme in the selected plays of Albee and Ionesco respectively. It deals with the American Dream in Albee’s plays and the absurdity of life in Ionesco’s plays. For Albee, it was a product of the falsity of the American Dream, while for Ionesco it was the protest against the deadliness of present-day mechanical bourgeois civilization. They both expressed the loss of real values and the degradation of human life. They reflected characters which belonged to a frightened populace which creates illusory values and dreams. Albee and Ionesco express an illuminating reflection of reality through the absurd lens. The playwrights were able to transcend the meaningless world they convey and escape from the limitations of reality by forcing an admission of awareness and rejection of the status quo. Chapter IV entitled “Disrupted Family Relationships” tackles family relations in the light of the social milieu that leads to distorted relationships. In Albee’s plays, although they have a family, they live in separate shells, while in Ionesco’s plays the family tries to pass the time with absurd games and alcohol. Thus, the psychological reasons that lead to disrupted moral and family values are exposed, yet provide the impetus for a more honest and courageous encounter with the conditions of existence. The conclusion includes all the findings and comparisons between the two playwrights. |