The influence of existential philosophy on strindberg and becket

Abstract EN

This study tries to investigate the influence of one of the most famous philosophical schools that is the existential trend on drama.

figures like kierkegaard, nietzsche, sartre and heddigger surely made great impact on the development of human intellectual heritage and discovering the way they influence playwrights and how they create characters, form plots, construct structures of their plays and the themes been discussed are the main objectives of the study.

two famous and influential dramatists are chosen to be discussed in the study : august strindberg and samuel becket.

they are chosen because they belong to different eras and the way they presented their works is also different.

the first part of the study is a general introduction that reveals the fundamental notions and concepts that existentialists had explored in their books that were influential on the literary production of strindberg and becket.

the next part offers a general survey to the first dramatist with emphasis on how he had transformed from being a naturalist into one of the most prominent existential figures at that age by discussing some parts of his prominent works.

endgame and happy days would be studied to represent the literary production of the latter, attempting to explore how the playwright tries to reflect his existential convictions throughout the use of language, themes and the setting of the plays mentioned previously.

the last part will be a brief conclusion that sums up the findings of the study.