Eng426 20th century english literature

MODULE 4

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY ENGLISH DRAMA


This module focuses on Twentieth Century drama. It examines the plays of Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, Harold Pinter and T.S Eliot. It shows how modernist playwrights made the 20^th century theatre experimental and how they rejected the conventions of objectivity and realism of the previous century. The playwrights of the period experimented with new forms that defied the conventions of the previous century. Experimentations in plot, language and form as well as ideology defined the drama of the period. Also, long held universal religious notions and dictates were questioned. This module will therefore explore how the drama of the twentieth century stood out in a bid to reflect the life in England in the post-World War period. The module has four units each unit studies a unique attribute of the Twentieth Century Drama. The first unit explores Samuel Beckett’s contribution to the Theatre of the Absurd and his play Waiting for Godot. The second unit dwells on George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession. A short biography of the playwright is presented and is followed by a summary of the work and discussion of some of its thematic concerns. The third unit concentrates on Harold Pinter’s Drama, especially his play The Homecoming which is preoccupied with the freedom of women in the modern world. Unit four discusses T. S Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral.

Module 4: Twentieth Century English Drama

Unit 1: Samuel Beckett’s Theatre of the Absurd
Unit 2: George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession
Unit 3: Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming
Unit 4: T.S Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral

UNIT 1: Samuel Beckett’s Theatre Of The Absurd

Content
1.0 Introduction

2.0 Objectives

0. 
   Main Content
   
1. 
   Samuel Beckett
   
2. 
   Theatre Of The Absurd And Waiting For Godot
   
3. 
   Themes And Techniques In Waiting For Godot
   
4. 
   Characterization in Waiting for Godot
   

4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-marked Assignment
7.0 References/ Further Reading