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Xerox University Microfilms 900 North Z««b Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 46106 7M9573 CRACKEL* ROBERT JAMES I BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS OF ANTONIN ARTAUD»8 THEATERl theory and p r a c tic e, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, PH'S,, 1976 0 Copyright by Robert James Crackel 1978 Quotes from Artaud's Oeuvres completes (Gallimard, © 1956- 197*0 are used with permission of the publisher. A BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS OP ANTONIN ARTAUD'S THEATER I THEORY AND PRACTICE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Robert James Crackel, B.A., M.A., M.A. *»#***»• The Ohio State University 1978 Reading Committeei Approved By Pierre Astier Charles G. S. Williams A dviser Albert N. Maneini Department of Romance Languages Pour les Victimes ACKNOWLEDGMENTS After my first quarter of graduate school at OSU, I was told by a professor that my main fault (at the time) was "unbridled enthusiasm." Throtagh the years that followed, the three people who form this reading committee, Professors Pierre Astier, Charles Williams, and Albert Mancini, by their gentle advice and correction did their best to tame that enthusiasm without crushing it. To this day I remain intensely moved by French literature, but hope this dissertation evidences a more disciplined, "bridled" approach. For the extent that it does, I am deeply grateful to these men. Special recognition and gratitude must be given to Professors Eleanor Bulatkin and Jack Michael for their help with this dissertation. Both haye contributed significantly ‘ J to my education and my life. Finally, I thank Chuck, Karen, Jim (without whose critical sophistication this dissertation would never have taken final form), and the many others whose patience, encouragement, and advice have helped bring this disseration to final form. i i i VITA May 28, 1952 . * . * Borni Owosso, Michigan 1972 ......... B.A., sununa cum laude, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan (Majors—French, P sy ch o lo g y 1 Minor—Philosophy) 1972-1975 . University Fellow, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1973-1977* ...... Teaching Associate, Department of Romance Languages and Liter a t u r e s , The Ohio S ta te U niver sity, Columbus, Ohio 1973 ......... M.A. (French), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1973 ...................................... M.A. (Psychology), W estern Michigan University, Kalamazoo, M ichigan 1977 ....................................... Distinguished T.A. Award, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field 1 French Language and Literature Studies in Twentieth Century French Literature. Professor Pierre Astier. Studies in Medieval French Language and Literature. Professors Eleanor Bulatkin and Charles Winthrop. Studies in Medieval Italian Literature. Professor Albert Mancini. Studies in Behavioral Psychology. Professor Jack L. Michael. i v TABLE OP CONTENTS Page Acknowledgments ••••««••••■••••••• i l l V i t a ................................................................................................................iv List of Figures ................... ......................................................... v i PART I t INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND................1 Chapter It Introduction ............................................ 2 Chapter 2i Background ...................................... 16 PART Hi THEORIES.......................................................... 30 Introduction ......................................................................... 31 Chapter 3t The Goals of Theater ............................35 Chapter hi The Language of Theater........................... 58 Chapter 5* The Director and A c to r ........................... 83 Chapter 6i The Spectator..................................................95 PART I I I i THEATER H 9 Introduction •••••••••••■•••• 120 Chapter 7i The Minor Plays ....................................... 125 Chapter 8i Les Cenci ........................ •••... 175 PART IVi CONCLUSION................................................. • . • • 23h Appendixi Glossary of Behavioral Terms ••••■• 2h6 Selected Bibliography • • 250 v LIST OP FIGURES Page F ig u re 1. Influences on Artaud*s Life • • • .................24 2. The Basic Schematic • .................................................31 3. Operant Model of Clear Ideas • ••....• 50 4. Increased Responding to VagueStimuli » • • • 52 5* Expanded Schematici The Goal of Theater • • • 54 6. Multiple Stimulation • • ......................................73 7» Expanded Schematici Multiple Stimulation • • 81 8. Effects of Cruel S tim uli .................................... 10^ 9* The Expanded Schem atic • • • •......... ................... 10. The Banquet Scene ............................ 190 11. The Assassins and Storm ..........................................207 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AB- About Behaviorism CRF- C on tin g en cies o f R einforcem ent If II" References to individual volumes of Oeuvres completes SHB- Science and Human Behavior VB- Verbal Behavior v i i PART I* INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Antonin Artaud, whose sanity is the subject of debate to this day, had a very long love/hate relationship with psychology and psychologists. From an early age he had mental problems, and for the greater share of his adult life he was under the care of a psychiatrist or institu tionalized. He regarded their medicine as ineffective, because it dealt only with the mind of the patient, not the whole person. Having rejected this traditional, mentalist psychology, Artaud looked to the theater as an alternative method of therapy. He became convinced that both he and the rest of the world were ill. To cure this sickness he thought he needed to cut across the long, ineffective games for the mind his doctors were always engaging in and work directly on each person's body, reaching him directly through the nerves. One of his favorite paintings, "Lot's Daughters,*" * * * illustrated the technique for himi II semble que le peintre ait eu connaissance de certains secrets concernant I'harmonie lin£aire, et des noyens de la faire agir directement sur le cerveau, comme un rSactif primitif. (IV, 43 )1 2 He centered this new therapy on efforts to help the subject (organisme) exhibit the new, desired behaviorsi Je propose d'en revenir au thb&tre b. cette idee elementaire magique, reprise par la psychanalyse moderne, qui conslste pour obtenir la guSrison d'un malade h lui faire prendre 1'attitude extSrieure de l'S tat auquel on voudrait le ramener. (IV, 96) This quote summarizes the fundamentally therapeutic thrust of Artaud's work in the theater, both in theory and in practice. It is a side of Artaud often treated superficially in contemporary criticism . Authors writing analyses or interpretations of Artaud's theoretical work in recent years have become quite prolific. A glance at any recent MLA Bibliography for Twentieth Cen tury French Literature reveals a very large number of entries for Artaud, and the list gets longer every year. More and more drama companies are rediscovering his plays, and com mentary on them generates even more criticism . There is a fairly good number of books working from within the often contradictory texts to trace the development of his theories p and elucidate their meaning at various stages. Gallimard's reedition of Le Tht&tre et son d o u b le ^ and of Artaud's complete works in thirteen volumes have abetted this task greatly. By considerably facilitating access to his widely 4 scattered writings, they have, no doubt, substantially contributed to