Abstract
Bu çalışmanın amacı Joe Orton’un Uşak Ne Gördü adlı oyununu İkinci Dünya Savaşı sonrası İngiliz tiyatrosunda politik komediyi temsil etmesi açısından incelemektir. Oyun politik tavrını, töre komedisi ve fars türlerini birleştirerek kazanmaktadır. Orton, bu oyunda, sistemi iki şekilde sorgular. İlkinde ruh sağlığı ve delilik arasındaki sınırı kaldırır; böylece psikiyatristlerin ve onların yöntemlerinin otoritesini sarsar. Bu şekilde, akıl hastanelerinin İngiliz toplumunun, dolayısıyla kurumları işlevsiz hale gelen modern dünyanın mikrokozmosu olduğunu öne sürer. İkinci olarak ise, cinselliği ve cinsel kimlikler arasındaki çizginin belirsizliğini vurgular. Buna ek olarak izleyicisine geleneksel ev ve aile kavramlarının bilinen tanımlarının doğruluğunu sorgulatır. Orton, iki komedi türüne de müdahale ederek, cinsel eğilimler, zina ve ensest gibi tartışmalı kavramlarla kendi politik bakış açısını açıkça ortaya koyar. Böylelikle, genel görüşü değiştirmeyi, yeni algı biçimleri önermeyi, toplumsal ve politik sorunlar için duyarlılık ve farkındalık sağlamayı amaçlar. Bu çalışma, oyunu eleştirel bir açıdan analiz ederek bahsi geçen politik özellikleri göz önüne sermeyi hedeflemektedir.
Keywords
References
- Andrews, M. (1998). “Butterflies and Caustic Asides: Housewives, Comedy and the Feminist Movement”. Because I Tell a Joke or Two: Comedy, Politics and Social Difference, (Ed: Stephen Wagg), Routledge, New York.
- Charney, M. (1991). Comedy High and Low: An Introduction to the Experience of Comedy, Peter Lang, New York.
- Dean, J. F. (1982). “Joe Orton and the Redefinition of Farce”. Theatre Journal, 34/4, 481-492.
- Esslin, M. (1981). “Joe Orton: The Comedy of (Ill) Manners”. Contemporary English Drama, (Ed: C.W.E. Bigsby), Holmes & Meier Publishers, New York.
- Hinchcliffe, A. P. (1974). British Theatre 1950-70. Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
- Innes, C. D. (1996). Modern British Drama 1890-1990. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Lahr, J. (1976). Introduction. The Complete Plays. Methuen, London.
- Lawson, D. (1996). “Joe Orton”. British Playwrights 1956-1995: A Research and Production Sourcebook, (Ed: William W. Demastes), Greenwood Press, Westport.
- Lawson, D. (2003). “The Creation of Comedy in Joe Orton’s Entertaining Mr. Sloane”. Joe Orton: A Casebook, (Ed: Francesca Coppa), Routledge, London.
- Lilly, M. (1993). Gay Men’s Literature in the Twentieth Century, The MacMillan Press, London.
- Morreall, J. (1983). Taking Laughter Seriously, State University of New York Press, Albany.
- Orton, J. (1971). What the Butler Saw, Methuen, London.
- Patterson, M. (2007). Strategies of Political Theatre: Post-War British Playwrights. Cambridge University Press, New York.
- Prentki, T. and Selman, J. (2003). Popular Theatre and Political Culture: Britain and Canada in Focus, Intellect Books, Bristol.
- Rabey, D. I. (2003). English Drama since 1940. Longman, London.
- Smith, L. (1989). Modern British Farce: A Selective Study of British Farce from Pinero to the Present Day, Macmillan Press, London.
- Stirling, G. (1997). “Ortonesque/Carnivalesque: The Grotesque Realism of Joe Orton”. Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, 11/2, 41-64.
- Stott, A. (2005). Comedy, Routledge, New York.
- Thompson, W. I. (1965). “Freedom and Comedy”. The Tulane Drama Review, 9/3, 216-230.
- Worthen, W.B. (1992). Modern Drama and the Rhetoric of Theatre. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to analyse Joe Orton’s play What the Butler Saw as a representation of political comedy in the post-war British theatre. The play gains its political attitude by blending the qualities of comedy of manners and farce. In the play, Orton questions the system in two ways. First he removes the line between sanity and madness; thus subverts the authority of the psychiatrists and their methods. He also implies that the mental hospital is a microcosm of the British society, or by extension, the modern world in which all the institutions are inoperative. Secondly, he foregrounds sexuality and the blurring line between the sexes and sexual identities. Furthermore, he calls the essential definitions of the traditional concepts of family and home into question. By subverting both genres, he presents his political standpoint with controversial subject matters like sexual orientation, adultery, and incest. Therefore he aims to alter the public opinion, to offer new ways of perception as well as to create awareness and sensibility for social and political problems. This article intends to delineate the mentioned political qualities by analysing the play from a critical perspective.
References
- Andrews, M. (1998). “Butterflies and Caustic Asides: Housewives, Comedy and the Feminist Movement”. Because I Tell a Joke or Two: Comedy, Politics and Social Difference, (Ed: Stephen Wagg), Routledge, New York.
- Charney, M. (1991). Comedy High and Low: An Introduction to the Experience of Comedy, Peter Lang, New York.
- Dean, J. F. (1982). “Joe Orton and the Redefinition of Farce”. Theatre Journal, 34/4, 481-492.
- Esslin, M. (1981). “Joe Orton: The Comedy of (Ill) Manners”. Contemporary English Drama, (Ed: C.W.E. Bigsby), Holmes & Meier Publishers, New York.
- Hinchcliffe, A. P. (1974). British Theatre 1950-70. Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
- Innes, C. D. (1996). Modern British Drama 1890-1990. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Lahr, J. (1976). Introduction. The Complete Plays. Methuen, London.
- Lawson, D. (1996). “Joe Orton”. British Playwrights 1956-1995: A Research and Production Sourcebook, (Ed: William W. Demastes), Greenwood Press, Westport.
- Lawson, D. (2003). “The Creation of Comedy in Joe Orton’s Entertaining Mr. Sloane”. Joe Orton: A Casebook, (Ed: Francesca Coppa), Routledge, London.
- Lilly, M. (1993). Gay Men’s Literature in the Twentieth Century, The MacMillan Press, London.
- Morreall, J. (1983). Taking Laughter Seriously, State University of New York Press, Albany.
- Orton, J. (1971). What the Butler Saw, Methuen, London.
- Patterson, M. (2007). Strategies of Political Theatre: Post-War British Playwrights. Cambridge University Press, New York.
- Prentki, T. and Selman, J. (2003). Popular Theatre and Political Culture: Britain and Canada in Focus, Intellect Books, Bristol.
- Rabey, D. I. (2003). English Drama since 1940. Longman, London.
- Smith, L. (1989). Modern British Farce: A Selective Study of British Farce from Pinero to the Present Day, Macmillan Press, London.
- Stirling, G. (1997). “Ortonesque/Carnivalesque: The Grotesque Realism of Joe Orton”. Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, 11/2, 41-64.
- Stott, A. (2005). Comedy, Routledge, New York.
- Thompson, W. I. (1965). “Freedom and Comedy”. The Tulane Drama Review, 9/3, 216-230.
- Worthen, W.B. (1992). Modern Drama and the Rhetoric of Theatre. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Creative Arts and Writing |
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | September 1, 2017 |
| Acceptance Date | March 29, 2017 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2017 Issue: 28 |