Existentialism :: essays research papers

ExistentialismExistentialism is a concept that became normal during the second humanness War inFrance, and just after it. French hornswogglerights have often used the stage toexpress their views, and these views came to surface even during a Nazioccupation. Bernard Shaw got his play "Saint Joan" past the German censorsbecause it appeared to be very Anti-British. French audiences howeverimmediately understood the real meaning of the play, and replaced the Britishwith the Germans. Those sorts of "hidden meanings" were common end-to-end theperiod so that plays would be able to pass censorship.Existentialism proposes that man is full of anxiety and despare with no meaningin his life, just simply existing, until he made decisive choice about his ownfuture. That is the way to achieve dignity as a human being. Existentialistsfelt that adopting a sociable or political cause was one way of giving purpose toa life. Sartre is well known for the "Theatre engage" or T heatre commited,which is supposedly commited to social and/or political action.On of the major playwrights during this period was Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre hadbeen imprisoned in Germany in 1940 but managed to escape, and become one of theleaders of the Existential movement. Other popular playwrights were Albert Camus,and Jean Anouilh. Just like Anouilh, Camus accidentally became the spokesman forthe French Underground when he wrote his famous essay, "Le Mythe de Sisyphe" or"The Myth of Sisyphus". Sisyphus was the man condemned by the gods to roll arock to the top of a mountain, only to have it roll back down again. For Camus,this related heavily to everyday life, and he saw Sisyphus an "absurd" hero,with a pointless existance. Camus felt that it was necessary to wonder what themeaning of life was, and that the human being longed for some sense of clarityin the world, since "if the world were clear, art would not exist". "The Myth ofSisyphus" be came a prototype for existentialism in the theatre, and eventuallyThe Theatre of the Absurd.Right after the Second World War, Paris became the theatre big(p) of the west,and popularized a new form of surrealistic theatre called "Theatre of theAbsurd". Many historians contribute the sudden popularity of absurdism in Franceto the gruesome revelations of gas chambers and warfare atrocities coming out ofGermany after the war. The main idea of The Theatre of the Absurd was to pointout mans helplessness and pointless existance in a world without purpose. AsRichard Coe described it "It is the freedom of the slave to crawl east along the