In this paper, Sarah Kane's debut play "Blasted", alongside her proximate plays "Phaedra's Love" and "Cleansed", will be discussed in order to explore the nature of the plays concerning their subject matter.
Among these plays, "Phaedra's Love" is the only one that is based on a model and therefore not utterly Kane's content. The story is written loosely after Seneca's version of the Phaedra myth, in which a tragedy arises because the title character falls in love with her royal stepson. Beyond the thematic discussion, the question whether the subjects Sarah Kane connects her plays with are presented in a positive or negative way will be issued in the paper. If there is love in the plays, in how far is it satisfying for the characters? And does strong faith really promise a hopeful ending?
In order to answer these questions, the paper is divided into two parts, starting with a short theory chapter, that follows this introduction and provides a brief introduction to in-yer-face theatre in general. Subsequently, one finds the main part of the paper, which consists of three sub-chapters and includes the analysis of each of the named plays. A conclusion of the findings will round the paper off.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theory of Kane's In-Yer-Face-Theatre Plays
3 Love, Hope and Faith in Kane's Plays
3.1 Blasted – Kane's most hopeful play?
3.2 Phaedra's Love – Can Faith Move Mountains?
3.3 Cleansed – Love, the strongest force on earth?
4 Conclusion
5 Bibliography
Objectives & Research Topics
This paper examines how the themes of love, hope, and faith are manifested within Sarah Kane's "in-yer-face" theatre plays. It explores the paradox of finding positive, uplifting qualities within works notoriously characterized by extreme violence, nihilism, and physical suffering, questioning whether these concepts offer genuine satisfaction or hope to the characters.
- Analysis of the "in-yer-face" theatre genre and its theoretical origins.
- Examination of hope and faith in the context of the play Blasted.
- Investigation of the struggle between love, obsession, and hate in Phaedra's Love.
- Exploration of love as both a destructive and powerful force in Cleansed.
- Evaluation of whether Sarah Kane's plays truly possess an uplifting character.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Blasted – Kane's most hopeful play?
Blasted is Sarah Kane's first play and also the one she herself considers as the work that is more than anything else a story about hope; a claim that is already supported by the play's title: Blasted does not only hint at something being blown apart but also at the hope for a new beginning after the end of something else – an image also called the circle of life, in this play underlined by the seasons, which also appear in a circle and are strongly connected to death and new life in nature.
According to the author, “to create something beautiful about despair, or out of a feeling of despair, is the most hopeful, life-affirming thing a person can do.” And indeed, among all the violence, one can find beauty in the play, and with it not only hope but also faith – which is in many cases strongly connected with hope – and even some kind of love. The latter, however, is almost entirely manifested in the character of Cate and her perception of the world around her, which changes dramatically after Ian's rape on her. At the beginning, the scenery appears pretty lovely if one ignores the obviously disharmonious relationship between the two protagonists. It is emphasised that the room contains flowers – a symbol of love and harmony – and a double bed, which might pretend a focus on love and togetherness. After the rape, this image is destroyed, emphasised by the fact that not only the formerly lovely appearing hotel room is destroyed and “the bouquet of flowers is now ripped apart and scattered around the room”, but the entire environment has been blasted away. From then on, also the language and the scenery become more and more fragmented.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the core focus on love, hope, and faith in Sarah Kane’s plays and defines the scope of the analysis, which covers the works Blasted, Phaedra's Love, and Cleansed.
2 Theory of Kane's In-Yer-Face-Theatre Plays: This section defines the "in-yer-face" theatre genre as a form of experiential drama designed to provoke the audience through shocking, brutal depictions of sex and violence.
3 Love, Hope and Faith in Kane's Plays: This primary section provides a detailed, play-by-play analysis of how the three central themes are interpreted and critiqued by the author in her dramatic works.
3.1 Blasted – Kane's most hopeful play?: This chapter analyzes the struggle between nihilism and hope in Blasted, focusing on characters like Cate and Ian and the symbolic religious imagery found at the play’s conclusion.
3.2 Phaedra's Love – Can Faith Move Mountains?: This chapter explores the disturbing intersection of love, obsession, and self-hatred in Phaedra's Love, arguing that the characters' excessive or insufficient love leads inevitably to tragedy.
3.3 Cleansed – Love, the strongest force on earth?: This chapter examines Cleansed as a study of love’s destructive power, where characters seek identity and connection despite the brutal experiments performed upon them.
4 Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the analysis, confirming that while Kane's plays contain glimpses of hope and faith, they frequently conclude in ways that are more destructive or depressing than truly uplifting.
5 Bibliography: This section lists the scholarly works and primary sources cited throughout the paper.
Keywords
Sarah Kane, In-Yer-Face Theatre, Blasted, Phaedra's Love, Cleansed, Love, Hope, Faith, Violence, Nihilism, British Drama, Obsession, Identity, Suffering, Modern Drama
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores the manifestation of love, hope, and faith within Sarah Kane's "in-yer-face" theatre plays, specifically investigating whether these works can be considered uplifting despite their intense violence.
Which specific plays are analyzed?
The analysis focuses on Sarah Kane's early works: Blasted, Phaedra's Love, and Cleansed.
What is the central research question?
The paper questions whether the subjects Kane connects to her plays—love, faith, and hope—are presented in a positive or negative way, and whether these themes offer actual satisfaction to her characters.
What methodology is used in the study?
The paper employs a literary and thematic analysis of the texts, contextualized by the "in-yer-face" theatre movement and critical perspectives from drama scholars.
How is the main part of the paper structured?
The main part is divided into three sub-chapters, each providing an in-depth analysis of one of the three selected plays, followed by a conclusion.
What defines the "in-yer-face" theatre genre according to this paper?
It is described as a style of experiential theatre originating in the 1990s that aims to shock the audience and provoke active perception through direct, brutal depictions of topics like sex, violence, and humiliation.
How does the author characterize Ian's transformation in Blasted?
The author discusses Ian's potential regression to an early developmental state and his possible spiritual rebirth, while noting the ambiguity of his nihilistic attitude right up to his death.
Why does the paper argue that Phaedra's Love is not a romantic play?
Despite the title, the play is presented as a study of obsession and the toxic connection between love and hate, where both protagonists die because they are unable to reconcile their conflicting emotions.
In what way does the paper describe the love found in Cleansed?
Love in Cleansed is described as a "destructive force," yet paradoxically the most powerful, capable of breaking social conventions and, in some cases, bringing characters to a state of connection.
- Quote paper
- BA Nicole Eismann (Author), 2015, "Blasted", "Phaedra's Love" and "Cleansed". Reading Love, Faith and Hope in Sarah Kane's Plays, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/319156
