Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett are two of the biggest exponents of The Theatre of the Absurd. Both of their works present a world which cannot be logically explained, where the scenery, the language and the actions of the characters are almost incomprehensible and do not comply with the previously accepted norms of theatre.

J.L Styan writes about Pinter. "His audience is made to feel, through an exquisite friction of nightmare and normality, the earthly need for security" (The Dark Comedy)

I think this quote applies to Beckett too, however.

Both of the plays I will look at are very sinister, subversive plays, riddled with dark humour. What is important to remember is that the plays are not just absurd for the sake of being pretentious, which I have to admit was my first opinion about the plays, it is important to remember that this mode of...