Kolyada O. Mythopoetics of the Theatre of Absurdity (viewed upon the examples of Samuel Beckett' s plays)

The thesis is dedicated to examining of one of the most important notions of modern literature – mythopoetics. The examination is based upon the analysis of Samuel Beckett’s plays. The main reason and goal of the dissertation lies in outlining of the terminological system of mythopoetics in its reference to “theatre of absurdity”. The mythopoetical system facilitates the reinforcement of Beckettian drama in its inter-contextual relations to literary poetics of other representatives of European “theatre of absurdity”. Conceptual nature of Beckett’s play-writing is highlighted in the extended system of concepts and existentials, which describe the basic mythopoetical phenomena of absurd in modern European theatre. The mythopoetical essence of Beckettian drama and its variegated juxtaposition with main literary achievements leads to a conclusion of scrutinizing and applying this notion in a current literary interpretation. The author of the work in question offers a system of paradigmatic interpretation of myths through absurd poetics and aesthetics according to the mythopoetical model. The interdependence of philosophical influences upon Beckett’s theatric conception is obviously seen in a generalized notion of the main mythopoetical existential – that of fate. The notion of mythopoetics is examined in the postmodernist context on the inter-textual level. Hence the problem of mythopoetics disputes over postmodernist genre in general.