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Literary modernism is a Western literary movement that originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Answer: True
Literary modernism is indeed a Western literary movement that emerged during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, marking a significant departure from previous literary traditions.
Modernist literature is seen as a reaction to societal changes like the decline of industrialization and urbanization.
Answer: False
Modernist literature is viewed as a response to profound societal shifts such as industrialization, urbanization, and technological advancements, which fundamentally reshaped the human experience in the early 20th century, rather than a reaction to their decline.
Some scholars pinpoint the beginning of literary modernism to around 1910, referencing Virginia Woolf's observation about a change in human nature.
Answer: True
The precise commencement of literary modernism is debated; however, some scholars cite circa 1910, referencing Virginia Woolf's observation of a fundamental change in human nature. Significant works predating this include Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' (c. 1902).
The stylistic origins of literary modernism are traced back to 20th-century North America.
Answer: False
The stylistic origins of literary modernism are traced to 19th-century Europe.
The Industrial Revolution is identified as a primary cultural origin for literary modernism.
Answer: True
The Industrial Revolution is identified as a primary cultural origin for literary modernism.
What societal changes are cited as reactions that shaped modernist literature?
Answer: Industrialization, urbanization, and new technologies.
Modernist literature is viewed as a response to profound societal shifts such as industrialization, urbanization, and technological advancements, which fundamentally reshaped the human experience in the early 20th century, rather than a reaction to their decline.
What is the primary stylistic origin of literary modernism?
Answer: 19th-century Europe
The stylistic origins of literary modernism are traced to 19th-century Europe.
A central tenet of literary modernism was Ezra Pound's maxim, "Make it old."
Answer: False
The foundational maxim of literary modernism, as articulated by Ezra Pound, was "Make it new," signifying a departure from established traditions rather than a return to them.
Modernist literature was primarily driven by a desire to preserve traditional modes of representation.
Answer: False
Contrary to preserving traditional modes, modernist literature was characterized by a deliberate break from past conventions and an exploration of new forms of representation to capture the complexities of the modern era.
Mary Ann Gillies identified a "conscious break with the past" as a central characteristic of modernist literature.
Answer: True
Mary Ann Gillies identifies a "conscious break with the past" as a key characteristic of modernist literature, viewing it as a complex response across disciplines to a rapidly changing world.
W. B. Yeats's line "Things are falling apart; the centre cannot hold" is often used to summarize the modernist feeling of fragmentation.
Answer: True
The line "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold" from W. B. Yeats's poem 'The Second Coming' is frequently cited to encapsulate the modernist sentiment of fragmentation and the erosion of societal order.
Modernist writers typically sought to find and depict a stable, metaphysical 'centre' or ultimate truth in their works.
Answer: False
Modernist writers often explored the search for a metaphysical 'centre' or ultimate truth, but their works frequently depicted the experience of its collapse or absence, contrasting with postmodernism's embrace of this deconstruction.
Modernism often rejected 19th-century realism when realism focused solely on naturalistic representation.
Answer: True
Modernism often rejected 19th-century realism, particularly when realism was confined to naturalistic representation. Conversely, some modernist approaches sought a more profound realism that embraced fragmentation and multiple perspectives.
Modernism is seen as an 'apotheosis' of romanticism because it shared the romantic quest for metaphysical truths but ultimately confronted their collapse.
Answer: True
Modernism is seen as an 'apotheosis' of romanticism due to its shared quest for metaphysical truths concerning character, nature, and meaning. However, modernism distinguishes itself by confronting and depicting the subsequent collapse of these very truths.
Modernist writers, especially after WWI, broke the implicit contract with the public by acting as reliable interpreters of mainstream culture.
Answer: False
Post-WWI modernist writers often broke the implicit contract with the public by eschewing the role of reliable interpreters of mainstream culture, instead employing techniques like unreliable narration to expose underlying irrationality and challenge conventional perceptions.
Stream-of-consciousness and interior monologue are literary techniques that emerged from modernist influences.
Answer: True
Influenced by thinkers such as Darwin, Mach, Freud, Einstein, Nietzsche, and Bergson, modernist writers pioneered techniques like stream-of-consciousness, interior monologue, and multiple points-of-view, aiming for enhanced psychological realism and reflecting skepticism towards traditional narrative realism.
Modernist works typically maintained clear distinctions between literary genres, such as poetry and prose.
Answer: False
Modernist works frequently blurred genre distinctions, resulting in prose exhibiting poetic qualities and poetry adopting prose-like structures; for example, Virginia Woolf's novels were deemed poetical, while T. S. Eliot's poetry often prioritized fragmented narrative over lyrical grace.
What is the core principle or maxim associated with literary modernism?
Answer: Make it new.
Ezra Pound's maxim, "Make it new," is central to literary modernism, signifying a deliberate effort to innovate and depart from established literary forms and expressions.
According to Mary Ann Gillies, what is a central characteristic of modernist literature?
Answer: A "conscious break with the past."
Mary Ann Gillies identifies a "conscious break with the past" as a key characteristic of modernist literature, viewing it as a complex response across disciplines to a rapidly changing world.
How did modernist writers break from the "implicit contract" with the public, particularly after World War I?
Answer: By using techniques like unreliable narrators to expose underlying irrationality.
Post-WWI modernist writers often broke the implicit contract by eschewing the role of reliable interpreters of mainstream culture, instead employing techniques like unreliable narration to expose underlying irrationality and challenge conventional perceptions.
What is the significance of the "conscious break with the past" in modernist literature, according to Mary Ann Gillies?
Answer: It was a complex response to a world undergoing significant change.
Mary Ann Gillies identifies a "conscious break with the past" as a key characteristic of modernist literature, viewing it as a complex response across disciplines to a rapidly changing world.
How did modernist writers engage with the concept of a metaphysical 'centre' or ultimate truth?
Answer: They often depicted its collapse or absence.
Modernist writers often explored the search for a metaphysical 'centre' or ultimate truth, but their works frequently depicted the experience of its collapse or absence, contrasting with postmodernism's embrace of this deconstruction.
What is the significance of Ezra Pound's maxim, "Make it new," for literary modernism?
Answer: It represented a conscious effort to innovate and break from established forms.
Ezra Pound's maxim, "Make it new," is central to literary modernism, signifying a deliberate effort to innovate and depart from established literary forms and expressions.
The First World War had little impact on literary modernism, as it focused on pre-war sensibilities.
Answer: False
The First World War profoundly impacted literary modernism, shattering pre-war certainties and fostering a sense of disillusionment that became a central theme in much modernist writing.
David Hume's skepticism about causality and the self is seen as a philosophical precursor to the modernist exploration of the collapse of metaphysics.
Answer: True
David Hume's philosophical skepticism regarding causality and the self is indeed considered a precursor to modernism's engagement with the collapse of metaphysics, as he questioned the certainty of cause-and-effect and the nature of the self.
Modernist theory, influenced by Symbolism, often emphasized the certainty and accessibility of symbols and metaphors.
Answer: False
Influenced by Symbolism, modernist theory often viewed symbols and metaphors not as certain or easily accessible keys to meaning, but as potentially inscrutable or even failing instruments for conveying profound truths.
Early modernist literature was influenced by thinkers like Sigmund Freud, Ernst Mach, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Henri Bergson.
Answer: True
Early modernist literature drew significantly from thinkers such as Sigmund Freud (unconscious mind), Ernst Mach (mind structure, subjective experience), Friedrich Nietzsche (psychological drives), and Henri Bergson (time, consciousness).
Ernst Mach's work influenced logical positivism and foreshadowed concepts in Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.
Answer: True
Ernst Mach's ideas on the mind's structure and subjective experience influenced logical positivism and anticipated concepts in Einstein's relativity, while his critique of Newtonian physics contributed to a broader questioning of established certainties.
Freud's exploration of the unconscious mind and Jung's concept of the collective unconscious provided modernist writers with ways to explore human psychology.
Answer: True
Freud's exploration of the unconscious and Jung's concept of the collective unconscious offered modernist writers novel avenues for psychological exploration, suggesting that deviations from social norms could originate from fundamental human nature.
Henri Bergson's ideas on subjective experience directly contributed to the development of the stream-of-consciousness technique.
Answer: True
Henri Bergson's distinction between objective 'clock time' and subjective, lived temporal experience significantly influenced modernist novelists, directly contributing to the development of the stream-of-consciousness technique.
Which philosopher's ideas are seen as tracing back the collapse of metaphysics that influenced modernism?
Answer: David Hume
David Hume's philosophical skepticism regarding causality and the self is indeed considered a precursor to modernism's engagement with the collapse of metaphysics, as he questioned the certainty of cause-and-effect and the nature of the self.
How did the First World War influence literary modernism?
Answer: It led to a reassessment of assumptions and engagement with disillusionment.
The First World War profoundly impacted literary modernism, shattering pre-war certainties and fostering a sense of disillusionment that became a central theme in much modernist writing.
What philosophical concept, particularly from Henri Bergson, greatly influenced modernist novelists' techniques?
Answer: The distinction between clock time and subjective experience.
Henri Bergson's distinction between objective 'clock time' and subjective, lived temporal experience significantly influenced modernist novelists, directly contributing to the development of the stream-of-consciousness technique.
Which of these psychological theories provided modernist writers with new ways to explore the unconscious mind?
Answer: Psychoanalysis (Freud) and the Collective Unconscious (Jung)
Freud's exploration of the unconscious and Jung's concept of the collective unconscious offered modernist writers novel avenues for psychological exploration, suggesting that deviations from social norms could originate from fundamental human nature.
How did modernist theory, influenced by Symbolism, often view symbols and metaphors?
Answer: As inscrutable, potentially failing tools for conveying meaning.
While Romantics often perceived an essential, divine connection between symbols and their meanings, modernist theory, influenced by Symbolism, tends to emphasize the inscrutability and potential failure of symbols and metaphors, suggesting that meaning, though sensed, remains elusive.
How did Ernst Mach's work influence modernist thought?
Answer: By influencing logical positivism and foreshadowing concepts in relativity.
Ernst Mach's ideas on the mind's structure and subjective experience influenced logical positivism and anticipated concepts in Einstein's relativity, while his critique of Newtonian physics contributed to a broader questioning of established certainties.
Picasso's 'The Poet' is cited as an example of modernist realism because it presents the subject from a single, privileged perspective.
Answer: False
Picasso's proto-Cubist painting 'The Poet' (1911) exemplifies modernist realism through its synthesis of multiple viewpoints into a single image, thereby challenging the limitations of a singular, privileged perspective and suggesting a more comprehensive representation.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Walt Whitman, and Gustave Flaubert are considered key literary precursors to modernism.
Answer: True
Key literary precursors to modernism include Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Walt Whitman, Gustave Flaubert, Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Knut Hamsun, and August Strindberg, noted for their explorations of psychological depth, subjective experience, and innovative narrative forms.
Arnold Schoenberg's atonal music and Wassily Kandinsky's Expressionist paintings paralleled the rise of literary modernism.
Answer: True
Parallel artistic developments included Arnold Schoenberg's atonal music (1908), Wassily Kandinsky's Expressionist paintings and the Blue Rider group (1911), Fauvism, and Cubism pioneered by Picasso and Braque (c. 1900-1910).
Gertrude Stein's abstract writings, like 'Tender Buttons,' have been compared to the multi-perspective Cubist paintings of Pablo Picasso.
Answer: True
Gertrude Stein's abstract writings, exemplified by 'Tender Buttons' (1914), are often compared to the fragmentary, multi-perspective Cubist paintings of Pablo Picasso, underscoring shared modernist preoccupations with form and representation.
The Imagist movement, founded by Ezra Pound in 1912, favored complex, abstract imagery and traditional rhyme schemes.
Answer: False
Founded by Ezra Pound in 1912, the Imagist movement was an early modernist poetic style characterized by precision in imagery, brevity, and the use of free verse.
David Thorburn saw connections between literary modernism and Impressionist painters like Claude Monet, noting a shared drive towards the abstract.
Answer: True
Literary modernist scholar David Thorburn noted connections between modernist writers and Impressionist painters like Claude Monet, observing a shared awareness of art as art and a drive towards the abstract, rejecting purely realistic interpretations.
Which of the following is NOT listed as a key literary precursor to modernism?
Answer: Charles Dickens
Key literary precursors to modernism include Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Walt Whitman, and Gustave Flaubert, among others. Charles Dickens is not typically listed among the primary precursors in this context.
What artistic movement, exemplified by Picasso's 'The Poet,' is cited as an example of modernist realism for its multi-perspective approach?
Answer: Cubism
Picasso's proto-Cubist painting 'The Poet' (1911) exemplifies modernist realism through its synthesis of multiple viewpoints into a single image, thereby challenging the limitations of a singular, privileged perspective and suggesting a more comprehensive representation.
Which of the following is a subgenre or related movement listed as associated with modernism?
Answer: Dada
Associated subgenres and movements include Absurdism, Dada, Expressionism, Futurism, Imagism, Stream of consciousness, Surrealism, Symbolism, and Vorticism.
What is the significance of Gertrude Stein's abstract writings, like 'Tender Buttons,' in relation to modernist visual art?
Answer: They mirrored the fragmentation and multi-perspective approach of Cubist paintings.
Gertrude Stein's abstract writings, exemplified by 'Tender Buttons' (1914), are often compared to the fragmentary, multi-perspective Cubist paintings of Pablo Picasso, underscoring shared modernist preoccupations with form and representation.
What did David Thorburn suggest was a connection between literary modernism and Impressionist painters like Claude Monet?
Answer: An awareness of art as art and a drive towards the abstract.
Literary modernist scholar David Thorburn noted connections between modernist writers and Impressionist painters like Claude Monet, observing a shared awareness of art as art and a drive towards the abstract, rejecting purely realistic interpretations.
Which of the following is NOT listed as a visual art movement related to modernism?
Answer: Renaissance Art
Visual art movements related to modernism include Cubism, Dada, Expressionism, Fauvism, Futurism, Imagism, Neoplasticism, Orphism, Surrealism, Symbolism, and Vorticism. Renaissance Art predates modernism.
Which of the following is NOT listed as a group associated with modernism?
Answer: The Beat Generation
Associated groups and movements include the Lost Generation, the Bloomsbury Group, the Harlem Renaissance, and the British Poetry Revival. The Beat Generation is a later literary movement.
Characters like Marlow in 'Heart of Darkness' and Nick Carraway in 'The Great Gatsby' are presented as discovering unassailable, profound truths within their novels.
Answer: False
While characters like Marlow and Nick Carraway may believe they uncover profound truths, modernist narratives often treat these discoveries ironically, suggesting their elusiveness or subjectivity, thereby highlighting the tension between the search for meaning and its ultimate elusiveness.
Wallace Stevens' poetry consistently affirms that nature possesses inherent, easily discernible meaning.
Answer: False
Wallace Stevens' poetry frequently engages with the struggle to ascertain nature's significance, often depicting scenarios where the speaker denies nature's inherent meaning, only for it to re-emerge, or asserts meaning that subsequently collapses.
T.S. Eliot's description of an evening "spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table" is an example of a natural modernist metaphor.
Answer: False
T.S. Eliot's depiction of an evening 'spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table' is cited as an instance of an 'unnatural' modernist metaphor, notable for its juxtaposition of the sublime with the clinical.
Sherwood Anderson's 'Winesburg, Ohio' is considered an early modernist work due to its complex, ornate prose style.
Answer: False
Sherwood Anderson's 'Winesburg, Ohio' (1919) is recognized as an early modernist work due to its unadorned prose style and its focus on delivering psychological insight into its characters.
T. S. Eliot described James Joyce's technique in 'Ulysses' as a way to give shape and significance to contemporary history's futility and anarchy.
Answer: True
T. S. Eliot characterized Joyce's technique in 'Ulysses' as a method for 'controlling, ordering, and giving shape and significance to the immense panorama of futility and anarchy which is contemporary history,' employing a 'mythical method' to render the modern world artistically.
The fragmented structure of T. S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' serves to convey the poem's theme of the decay and fragmentation of Western culture.
Answer: True
The fragmented structure of T. S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' (1922) functions rhetorically to convey the poem's theme of Western cultural decay and fragmentation, finding structural coherence through fertility symbolism and juxtaposition.
Eugenio Montale, Giuseppe Ungaretti, and Umberto Saba are noted Italian poets who embodied modernism by adhering strictly to classical poetic traditions.
Answer: False
Eugenio Montale, Giuseppe Ungaretti, and Umberto Saba are recognized Italian poets who embodied modernism through their departure from prior poetic traditions in style, language, and tone, and their awareness of the evolving role of the poet.
Hugh MacDiarmid's 'A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle' is an example of modernism using comedic parody to address nationalism.
Answer: True
Hugh MacDiarmid's 'A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle' (1928) exemplifies modernism through its use of comedic parody to address nationalism, representing an optimistic yet challenging modernist stance that embraces complexity and the pursuit of new meanings.
Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis' and Knut Hamsun's 'Hunger' are listed as early modernist works.
Answer: True
Early modernist writers and their notable works include Knut Hamsun ('Hunger'), Italo Svevo ('Zeno's Conscience'), Luigi Pirandello ('Six Characters in Search of an Author'), Rainer Maria Rilke ('Sonnets to Orpheus'), Guillaume Apollinaire ('Alcools'), Andrei Bely ('Petersburg'), Katherine Mansfield ('Prelude'), Georg Trakl ('Poems'), Franz Kafka ('The Metamorphosis'), and Sherwood Anderson ('Winesburg, Ohio').
Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs. Dalloway' and William Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury' are significant modernist works published in the 1940s.
Answer: False
Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs. Dalloway' (1925) and William Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury' (1929) are seminal modernist works, but they were published in the 1920s and 1930s, not the 1940s.
The 'mythical method,' as described by T. S. Eliot, involves using contemporary events to directly predict future outcomes.
Answer: False
T. S. Eliot described the 'mythical method' as a means to order and imbue contemporary chaos with significance, deeming it crucial for modern art. This method involves structuring narratives through mythic patterns, as exemplified in James Joyce's 'Ulysses'.
Which of the following is an example of an "unnatural" modernist metaphor cited in the text?
Answer: An evening spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table.
T.S. Eliot's depiction of an evening 'spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table' is cited as an instance of an 'unnatural' modernist metaphor, notable for its juxtaposition of the sublime with the clinical.
What is the significance of T. S. Eliot's "mythical method" in relation to modernism?
Answer: It was a way to bring order and significance to contemporary chaos using mythic patterns.
T. S. Eliot described the 'mythical method' as a means to order and imbue contemporary chaos with significance, deeming it crucial for modern art. This method involves structuring narratives through mythic patterns, as exemplified in James Joyce's 'Ulysses'.
Which of the following modernist works is associated with the theme of decay and fragmentation of Western culture through its structure?
Answer: T. S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land'
The fragmented structure of T. S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' (1922) functions rhetorically to convey the poem's theme of Western cultural decay and fragmentation, finding structural coherence through fertility symbolism and juxtaposition.
Which of the following is an example of a modernist work published in the 1920s or 1930s?
Answer: Rainer Maria Rilke's 'Sonnets to Orpheus'
Significant modernist works from the 1920s and 1930s include Marcel Proust's later volumes of 'In Search of Lost Time,' Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs. Dalloway' and 'The Waves,' Robert Musil's 'The Man Without Qualities,' Eugene O'Neill's plays, D. H. Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' (1928), William Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury' (1929), and T. S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' (1922) and 'The Hollow Men'.
Which of the following is an example of a modernist work that blurred genre boundaries by being described as poetical?
Answer: Virginia Woolf's novels
Modernist works frequently blurred genre distinctions, resulting in prose exhibiting poetic qualities and poetry adopting prose-like structures; for example, Virginia Woolf's novels were deemed poetical, while T. S. Eliot's poetry often prioritized fragmented narrative over lyrical grace.
What is the significance of Hugh MacDiarmid's 'A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle' in the context of modernism?
Answer: It uses comedic parody to address nationalism and embraces complexity.
Hugh MacDiarmid's 'A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle' (1928) exemplifies modernism through its use of comedic parody to address nationalism, representing an optimistic yet challenging modernist stance that embraces complexity and the pursuit of new meanings.
What did T. S. Eliot describe as a way of controlling, ordering, and giving shape and significance to contemporary history?
Answer: The "mythical method"
T. S. Eliot described the 'mythical method' as a means to order and imbue contemporary chaos with significance, deeming it crucial for modern art. This method involves structuring narratives through mythic patterns, as exemplified in James Joyce's 'Ulysses'.
What did T. S. Eliot see as the function of the fragmented structure in 'The Waste Land'?
Answer: To convey the poem's theme of the decay and fragmentation of Western culture.
The fragmented structure of T. S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' (1922) functions rhetorically to convey the poem's theme of Western cultural decay and fragmentation, finding structural coherence through fertility symbolism and juxtaposition.
The term 'late modernism' is sometimes applied to works published after 1945, acknowledging the impact of World War II and the Holocaust.
Answer: True
The term 'late modernism' is applied to works published after 1930, and more recently, after 1945, acknowledging the profound impact of World War II and subsequent events on modernist ideology.
Samuel Beckett is often described as a 'later modernist' whose work spanned from the 1930s to the 1980s.
Answer: True
Samuel Beckett (d. 1989) is often described as a 'later modernist,' whose career spanned the 1930s to the 1980s, with later works also being categorized as minimalist or post-modernist.
The 'Theatre of the Absurd' primarily emerged in the 1980s, expressing a belief in the inherent meaning of human existence.
Answer: False
The 'Theatre of the Absurd' encompasses plays by European playwrights, primarily emerging in the 1950s, that articulate the belief in the meaninglessness of existence and the breakdown of communication, rather than inherent meaning.
Critic Martin Esslin coined the term 'Theatre of the Absurd' in 1960.
Answer: True
The term 'Theatre of the Absurd' was coined by critic Martin Esslin in 1960. Its core theme reflects humanity's response to a world perceived as meaningless, often manifesting as a breakdown in logical communication.
Plays in the Theatre of the Absurd are characterized by logical plots, clear character motivations, and traditional dramatic conventions.
Answer: False
Plays in the Theatre of the Absurd often blend comedy and tragedy, feature characters in static or repetitive situations, employ dialogue laden with clichés and wordplay, and present cyclical or nonsensical plots, frequently parodying traditional dramatic conventions.
Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, and Jean Genet are commonly associated with the Theatre of the Absurd.
Answer: True
Playwrights commonly associated with the Theatre of the Absurd include Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, Jean Genet, Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, and Edward Albee, among others.
What is the primary characteristic of the "Theatre of the Absurd," as defined by Martin Esslin?
Answer: The expression of the belief that human existence is meaningless and communication breaks down.
The term 'Theatre of the Absurd' was coined by critic Martin Esslin in 1960. Its core theme reflects humanity's response to a world perceived as meaningless, often manifesting as a breakdown in logical communication.
Which of the following authors is NOT commonly associated with the Theatre of the Absurd?
Answer: Eugene O'Neill
Playwrights commonly associated with the Theatre of the Absurd include Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, and Jean Genet, among others. Eugene O'Neill, while a significant 20th-century dramatist, is not typically categorized within the Theatre of the Absurd.
The term "late modernism" is sometimes used to describe works published after what year, acknowledging the impact of major historical events?
Answer: 1930
The term 'late modernism' is applied to works published after 1930, and more recently, after 1945, acknowledging the profound impact of World War II and subsequent events on modernist ideology.
What is the general timeframe for the origin of the 'Theatre of the Absurd'?
Answer: 1950s
The 'Theatre of the Absurd' encompasses plays by European playwrights, primarily emerging in the 1950s, that articulate the belief in the meaninglessness of existence and the breakdown of communication, often characterized by irrational dialogue and illogical structures.
What is a characteristic of plays associated with the Theatre of the Absurd?
Answer: Dialogue filled with clichés and wordplay.
Plays in the Theatre of the Absurd often blend comedy and tragedy, feature characters in static or repetitive situations, employ dialogue laden with clichés and wordplay, and present cyclical or nonsensical plots, frequently parodying traditional dramatic conventions.