The one act play Landscape is unique in that it essentially has no plot. The entire story is a “dialogue” between a man and wife. I say “dialogue” because, while the characters address one another, they aren’t really speaking to each other. The play is more of them individually speaking about their own separate subjects in the same room.
Beth relates a romantic escapade she once had while the two are sitting in the room. However, it is never explicitly stated whether this adventure occurred with Duff or with another man. Duff discusses strictly practical matters and cares little for romance or dialogue. The entire story is just their separate tales. The point is to show a marriage with communication so pitiful that they essentially act out individual conversations without interacting with each other. They are incapable of connecting or communicating.
A summary is surprisingly difficult to provide, as the defining feature of Harold Pinter’s 1968 play Landscape is that there is no plot! Set in a simple house, the two married characters, Beth and Duff, sit facing one another throughout the play. In their speech, they do not directly address each other. As a result, the play consists of a series of seemingly unrelated dialogues and memories voiced by the two characters. For example, Beth muses about an affair while Duff recalls scattered conversations with a stranger. The sum of these monologues shows how deeply disconnected and isolated the two characters are, even though they are married and sit in the same room.
Literary critic James Eigo describes Pinter’s play as “a triumph of non-communication between characters.” Pinter’s unique approach to theater in Landscape means that, although there is not much of a plot to summarize, there are still many themes to examine.
I hope this helps!
No comments:
Post a Comment