Theater of Cruelty

The theater of cruelty is a concept developed by Artaud. He believes that the audience needs to feel and believe the real pain of the actors. If the audience members feel the pain of the actors, then they will begin to think about the actors in real time. Artaud believes that the fiction should be used to get to the actor. The theater of cruelty is meant to push the boundaries of the theater and the actors. This is significant because Shakespeare regularly attempts to push the boundaries of the theater. The theater of cruelty is seen near the end of King Lear. Lear carries Cordelia’s dead body onto stage at the end of the play. This act of physically carrying the body on stage is not only exhausting for King Lear, but it is also exhausting for the actor playing King Lear. The actor has already performed the rigorous play, and his performance culminates in the burdensome task of carrying Cordelia’s body. The audience is then explicitly aware of the exhaustion of both King Lear and the actor playing King Lear. This action is also important because it emphasizes the quietness of King Lear’s death. King Lear essentially dies from exhaustion. The big death scene in the play happens quietly and almost imperceptibly.

Samantha Sears
ENGL 142B Dis1A