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Endless Pursuit of Reality Through Metadramatic Devices in Tom Stoppard’S Plays Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead, the Real Inspector Hound, and Travesties

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Endless Pursuit of Reality Through Metadramatic Devices in Tom Stoppard’S Plays Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead, the Real Inspector Hound, and Travesties ENDLESS PURSUIT OF REALITY THROUGH METADRAMATIC DEVICES IN TOM STOPPARD’S PLAYS ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDERNSTERN ARE DEAD, THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, AND TRAVESTIES. A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY ESRA YEDEKÇİ IN PARTIAL FULGILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LITERATURE DECEMBER 2010 i Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof . Dr. Meliha Altunk Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts. Prof. Dr. Wolf KÖNG Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts. Dr . Deniz Arslan Supervisor Examining Committee Members Assist. Prof. Dr. Nil Korkut (BAKENT U, ACL) Assist. Prof. Dr. Dürrin ALPAKN MARTINEZ CARO (METU) Dr. Deniz ARSLAN (METU) ii I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name: Esra YEDEKÇİ Signature: iii ABSTRACT ENDLESS PURSUIT OF REALITY THROUGH METADRAMATIC DEVICES IN TOM STOPPARD’S PLAYS ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDERNSTERN ARE DEAD, THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, AND TRAVESTIES. YEDEKÇİ, Esra MA: Program English Literature Supervisor: Dr. Deniz ARSLAN December, 2010, 98 pages This thesis aims to investigate the question of reality in Tom Stoppard’s plays Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The Real Inspector Hound, and Travesties. Each of these plays closely examines the nature of reality and certainty and shows Stoppard as the critique of grand narratives of Reality, Truth, and Art. By deconstructing these master narratives, Stoppard attempts to invalidate the convictions that reality is fixed and that art should faithfully reproduce the material world in which reality is perceived as permanent. His challenge creates a realization in the audience and makes them question the issues they previously took for granted. To divest the audience of certainty and to display the endless pursuit of reality both in life and in art, Stoppard, in his plays, makes use of some metadramatic devices. Stoppard’s distinctive use of the metadramatic devices which reveal the unaccountable nature of reality and the limits of knowledge is the core of this study Key Words: Metadrama, Podtmodern Drama,Tom Stoppard iv ÖZ TOM STOPPARDIN ROSENCRANTZ VE GUİLDENSTERN ÖLDÜLER, GERÇEK MÜFETTİŞ HOUND VE TRAVESTİLER OYUNLARINDA METADRAMATIK TEKNİKLERLE YANSITILAN BITMEYEN GERÇEKLİK ARAYIŞI Yedekçi, Esra Yüksek Lisans Tezi, İngiliz Eedebiyatı Programı Tez Yöneticisi: Dr. Deniz Arslan Aralık, 2010, 98 sayfa Bu tezin amacı Tom Stoppard’ın Rosencrantz ve Guildenstern Ölduler, Gerçek Müfettiş Hound ve Travestiler oyunlarında gerçeklik sorunsalını araştırmaktır. Her bir oyun gerçeklik ve kesinlik olgularının doğasını yakından inceler ve Stoppard’ı Gerçek, Doğru ve Sanat hakkındaki büyük anlatıların bir eleştirmeni olarak tanıtır. Bu büyük anlatıların yapı-bozumunu yaparken, Stoppard tek bir gerçek vardır ve sanat gerçeğin kalıcı olarak algılandığı fiziksel dünyanın sağdık kopyasını üretmekle yükümlüdür anlayışlarını geçersiz kılmaya çalışır. Bu meydan okuma seyircilerde bir farkındalık yaratarak onların daha önce doğru olarak kabul ettikleri konuları sorgulamalarını sağlar. Seyircileri kesinlik duygusundan mahrum bırakmak ve hayatta ve sanatta var olan bitmek bilmeyen gerçeklik arayışını yansıtmak için Stoppard oyunlarında bazı metadramatik teknikler kullanır. Stoppardın kendine has bir şekilde kullandığı, gerçekliğin anlaşılamaz doğasını ve bilginin sınırlılığını ortayan koyan bu teknikler çalışmanın özünü oluşturmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Metadrama, Podtmodern Drama Tom Stoppard v To my family vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Deniz Arslan, for her guidance, encouragements, advice, and helpful suggestions throughout my study. It is a pleasure to thank all my committee members for their advice and comments. My family deserves a special mention for their endless and unconditional love and patience. I am also greatful to my dear friends for always supporting and inspiring me. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIRISM ................................................................................................……... iii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ iv ÖZ ............................................................................................................................ v DEDICATION............................................................................................... …...... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 1 II. METADRAMATIC DEVICES USED BY STOPPARD ................................. 19 II.1. Literary Reference ............................................................................... 22 II. 2. Play Within The Play ......................................................................... 24 II. 3. Role Play Within The Role ................................................................ 26 II. 4. Self-Reference .................................................................................... 29 III. METADRAMATIC DEVICES IN ROSENCRANTZ AND GUIDENSTERN ARE DEAD ...................................................................................................................... 32 IV. METADRAMATIC DEVICES IN METADRAMATIC DEVICES IN THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND ....................................................................................49 V. METADRAMATIC DEVICES IN TRAVESTIES.............................................. 66 VI. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 88 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 92 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The 19th century witnessed a number of drastic and dramatic changes in the United Kingdom. Especially, as a result of the Industrial Revolution, England became the leading power of the world with its economy which was now based on trade and manufacturing rather than ownership of land. Besides, by the end of the century England became the world‟s primary imperial power as it had many colonies and this strengthened its economy, too. However, the country‟s transformation was an especially painful one as it experienced many social and economic problems consequent to “rapid and unregulated industrialization”. (Abrams, 1043-1044). Though the new industrial age helped make life easier in many ways, many people could not keep up with the rapid changes and they became disappointed as they see the norms and traditions which they had been counting on and shaped their lives were not as useful as they used to be. They were living in a new world where they had to deal with the new rules and norms which created pessimism and sense of loss. As a result of the new rules and norms, people started to change as well. As they understood the invalidity of the old rules and ways, they changed the way they perceive the world. This change in perspective is described by Harold Victor Routh: But this age was realizing, every day more forcibly, that man is also a social being, and that industrial problems were already menacing the peace of Europe. Many who in an earlier age would have been content with the cult of self-perfection were now ready to accept the duty of working for others… Young men and even women were no longer too genteel to earn money; besides, there were more opportunities; and having once realized the prospect of financial independence, they quickly realized the burden of parental authority and domestic narrowness – a series of irritating frustrations, misrepresented as filial duty. (4). Together with the economic growth and technological developments, scientific advances shaped the new society of the 19th century. With the help of the improving technology, scientists were able to work on new theories and inventions. 1 As a result, scientific thought was becoming superior over spiritual or metaphysical thought which later on affected the mentality of the society. The best example of the scientific works that weakened spiritual thought is Darwin‟s Origin of Species. With the publication of Darwin‟s work, even the religious beliefs were questioned since Darwin rejected the creation theory derived from the Bible and came up with the evolution theory. The work suggested that “life had its own laws of reproduction and variation, leading to an endless prospect of dynamic change”. (Marcus, Nicholls, 12). Darwin asserted that there was a change in the universe and religion can change too. Some chose to assume that evolution was synonymous with progress, but most readers recognized that Darwin‟s theory of natural selection conflicted not only with the concept of creation derived from the Bible but also with long-established assumptions of the values attached to humanity‟s special role in the world. (Abrams, 1052). Darwin‟s
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