A Critical Approach to Laughter in Peter Barnes’s Laughter!

Peter Barnes’s historical play, Laughter! (1978) deals with the notion of laughter in a critical way through its representation of two parts, Tsar and Auschwitz. Laughter in Barnes’s play does not solely function to relieve misery or pain, but, rather intensifies the suffering of the characters who are exposed to various challenging situations in the course of the play. Through the analysis of ideology and the use of power, the aim of this article is, therefore, to discuss the portrayal of laughter and its problematic nature with its double sides in Barnes’s play Laughter! in order to reveal how laughter can also be a source of agony and misery rather than elation and happiness.

PETER BARNES’IN LAUGHTER! OYUNUNDA GÜLME KAVRAMINA ELEŞTİREL BİR BAKIŞ

Peter Barnes’ın 1978 tarihli Laughter! oyunu, Tsar ve Auschwitz başlıklı iki bölümün temsili aracılığı ile gülme kavramına eleştirel bir bakış açısı sunmaktadır. Barnes’ın oyununda gülme, yalnızca ıstırabı ve acıyı hafifleten bir unsur olarak karşımıza çıkmamaktadır. Aksine, oyun boyunca çeşitli zorlayıcı durumla karşı karşıya kalan karakterlerin acısını artırmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın bu bağlamda amacı, Peter Barnes’ın Laughter! oyununda gülmenin tasvirini ve bu kavramın sorunlu doğasını, kavramın iki boyutunu da ele alarak metinde önemli bir yere sahip ideoloji ve erk kullanımı analizi üzerinden tartışmaktır. Bu tartışmanın nihai amacı ise, gülmenin, mutluluk ve sevinçten ziyade nasıl acı çekmenin de bir kaynağı olabileceğini ortaya koymaktır.

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