| Today we live in a world where violence, repression | | | | histories are vague, and different versions exist |
| and fanaticism of all kinds threaten all around in the | | | | depending on who is remembering. They seldom |
| world. People constantly experience nightmares when | | | | listen to each other but it is precisely their mental |
| they are jolted into the fact that the seemingly safe | | | | deafness that make us listen. Not a word passes |
| world has now turned into a volatile dark alley. | | | | unnoticed, nor can we relax a single minute. |
| Violence is now a fact of life even in the most liberal | | | | Atmospheric pressure fluctuate as secrets unroll and |
| democracies of the world and living on this planet has | | | | shift the distribution of power. (1-2) |
| never become more difficult and daunting. Such a | | | | Language in Pinter's play acts as a weapon as well as |
| world of latent and explicit violence, oppression, | | | | a substitute for violence. Language is used both for |
| fanaticism and mass destruction forms the spiritual | | | | self-defense and verbal assault. In The Room, Rose's |
| setting of Pinterland. Harold Pinter is one of the rare | | | | endless monologue at the opening is meant to |
| dramatists who is openly voicing against American | | | | convey anxiety and therefore an act of self |
| domination, proliferation of the weapons of mass | | | | defence, and Bert's silence expresses self-confidence. |
| destruction and acts of premeditated mass murders. | | | | But towards the end, Rose's near-silence express |
| He even concluded his Nobel Lecture with a call for | | | | fear, while Bert's speech about power and |
| "unflinching, unswerving, fierce intellectual | | | | self-confidence is actually meant to betray his |
| determination, as citizen, to define the real truth of | | | | vulnerability. Speech according to Pinter is a strategy |
| our lives and our societies" as a "crucial obligation | | | | to cover up the reality of the situation, and to keep |
| which devolves upon us all", one which he regards as | | | | 'thought at bay'. |
| "mandatory", for "if such a determination is not | | | | Repression reigns supreme in Pinter's plays and this |
| embodied in our political vision we have no hope of | | | | make his plays inexplicable and enigmatic. Repression |
| restoring what is so nearly lost to us - the dignity of | | | | in its implicit and exposed forms can be seen in his |
| man".(Pinter's Nobel Lecture). He displays a passion | | | | plays and due this his plays are highly ambiguous. One |
| for social justice and an abhorrence of | | | | can find psychological, social, political and personal |
| authoritarianism and brutality. His plays deal with | | | | repression at various levels. In his assessment of |
| power and powerlessness, resistance to authority, | | | | Pinter's works, noted critic Martin Esslin contends that: |
| hypocrisy, violence, brutality and repression. This is | | | | "Behind the very private world of his plays, there also |
| why Pinter and his plays come into focus more now | | | | lurk what are, after all,the basic political problems; the |
| than ever. His work, "presents a particularly complex | | | | use and abuse of power, the fight for living space, |
| case for analysis, demonstrating the effect of | | | | cruelty, terror. Only very superficial observers could |
| violence and the victimization and oppression upon | | | | overlook their social, their political side of the |
| human spirit in a violent society and environment that | | | | playwright. (qtd. In "Old Times" 3) Pinter says that |
| conceives violence as an ultimate end within itself." | | | | "Political language as used by politicians", does not |
| (as posted in the Harold Pinter community) | | | | express the truth as "majority of politicians, on the |
| Considering the present state of mindless terror, | | | | evidence available to us, are interested not in truth |
| boundless brutality and rigorous repressive strategies | | | | but in power and maintenance of that power". |
| employed all around the world, we are forced to | | | | ("Writing for Theatre") To maintain power it is |
| return to Pinter's work with greater understanding of | | | | important that the public remain in ignorance, hence |
| the writer's intentions to expose contemporary | | | | "what surrounds us is a vast tapestry of lies, upon |
| violence and repression in their implicit, concealed or | | | | which we feed". The U.S attacks in the name of |
| explicit forms. With this renewed understanding we | | | | religion are all various forms of violence and |
| may be able to appreciate his expertise at | | | | repression around us. |
| dramatizing the implied aspects of victimization and | | | | Each of Pinter's plays is a variation on the theme of |
| repression at individual, interpersonal and communal | | | | violence and various forms of repression. He analyses |
| levels and at portraying unanticipated terror. If | | | | contemporary cruelties and showcases their |
| Pinter's early plays presented "metaphors" about | | | | psychological and traumatic effects. He brings to light |
| power and powerlessness, the later plays present | | | | the hidden structure and agendas of the acts of |
| "realities" of power and its abuse. The characters in all | | | | structural violence. Pinter jolts us to reality and forces |
| his plays are basically predators and his plays are | | | | us to examine our consciousness and to realize and |
| exclusively about power struggles and about | | | | accept the fact hidden so far - that we live in an |
| possession and power. In The Caretaker and The | | | | extremely volatile, unsafe world engaged in a raw |
| Room, there is a struggle for a sense of identity | | | | animal struggle for power. He brings to the fore |
| connected with the room. The Dumbwaiter and The | | | | things that we have known but have chosen to |
| Birthday Party discusses the presence of an | | | | forget - the fact that the mad scramble for power |
| "organization" which will not tolerate any rebel. The | | | | seen from age immemorial has just come with a new |
| power struggle reaches to the extent that all that | | | | garb on. |
| matters is the survival of the fittest even if it may | | | | Works Cited |
| be at the expense of others. In the more politically | | | | "Old Times Play Notes".Court Theatre- The Plays. 9 |
| oriented plays such as One for the Road, Mountain | | | | May 2006. |
| Language and The New World Order, Pinter exposes | | | | Online Posting in The Harold Pinter Community |
| the forces empowered to institute rape, murder and | | | | Wastberg,Per. "The Nobel Prize in Literature 2005- |
| nuclear wars. Per Wastberg while delivering the | | | | Presentation Speech". The Nobel Foundation |
| presentation speech for the 2005 Nobel Prize in | | | | Stockholm Concert Hall. 10 Dec 2005 |
| Literature rightly says that: | | | | ----. "Writing for the Theatre". (24-25). Various Voices: |
| His characters are at the mercy of each other on the | | | | Prose, Poetry,Politics1948-2005.ed.1998. London: Faber |
| periphery of life... their identities, background and | | | | and Faber 2005. ISBN 0571230091. |