This thesis examines the theoretical foundations of Brecht's and Sartre's "dialectical" theatre. Proceeding first from their most significant theoretical writings, it then studies representative plays--Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder and Les Mains sales--in an attempt to make explicit the relationship between theory and artistic practice. The textual analysis proper develops certain aspects of theme, structure and reception which in turn reveal meaningful differences and contradictions. Sartre's "dramatic" theatre in fact evidences a sort of ideological creativity whereas Brecht's "epic" theatre presents a more primordial artistic creativity. Therefore, though the concept of dialectical theatre (essentially political and/or historic) is a common thought-structure to both dramatists, its actualization differs. I will argue that Sartre's work shows a view of the art process as ideologically predetermined and almost ineluctable. Brecht's more primordial work, on the other hand, shows process as a creative anagnorisis, more immediate and archetypal. In the last chapter, I will give an overview of the changes in consciousness produced by these approaches of "dialectical" theatre and substantiate these by criticism that has dealt with the subject.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.59239 |
| Date | January 1989 |
| Creators | Vinciguerra, Maria |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | French |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Arts (Comparative Literature Program.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001066954, proquestno: AAIMM63413, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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