• Dr S B Sharma

The shift from formalism through structuralism to functionalism in linguistics since the 1970s documents a concomitant shift in interest from more formal to more functional categories of language, from the study of langue to that of parole; that is, actual language in use, but, this change in interest from theoretical models of language as an abstract system and texts or discourse as actual language use has been slow moving. The above-mentioned attempts do show a promising start to bring out certain effects in plays using the techniques of discourse analysis techniques. But the present study draws its significance from the fact that the techniques of discourse analysis have rarely been applied to study a full length play. This present venture will attempt to evolve a descriptive and analytic apparatus using the discourse rank scale of Sinclair and Coulthard (1975) to process any dramatic work in general and absurd theatre in particular. This evolved apparatus will analyze all the important aspects of the play, its organization, orientation patterns of characters and its central image of sterility and contemporary absurdity of the American Way of Life. Within the organized structure of the play, the orientation patterns of characters will focus on the convergence and divergence of characters to one another's point of view, dominance of one over another, psychological upheavals, misunderstanding and role reversals. It is assumed that speaker identity, the relationship between the speaker, addressee and context are all flexible. Power, distance, imposition and any other parameter that might be thought to play a role cannot simply be assumed to be of some stable value; these values are negotiated and change in the course of an exchange. And these negotiations and changes constitute a significant part of investigations in the present study. • A major breakthrough in this study has been to show how in a dramatic discourse the speaker's estimation of power, distance and imposition influences the design of utterances. The variation in camera angles has an effect on the syntax of each sentence. The speaker's empathy, his sympathy with one point rather than another, may also lead to be a particular choice of lexis. This study has investigated how, over the course of several times, a speaker might manipulate new values for one or more of the parameters given above and possibly others and how, in return an addressee might resist or collude with the maneuvers. It has shown to how the relative instinctive extension of characters to each other over the turns in a round of talk keeps varying. The present study aims at developing a comprehensive analytical framework to study any play with in the parameters of discourse analysis. It attempts to evolve a mechanism that can deal with a vast variety of situations ranging from the utterances of one or two 'acts', through recursive structures to unnatural utterances. Consequently, it will study not only the conscious manipulation of language of character but delve into the unconscious recesses of their minds too.

Towards Navigating Absurd Theatre through Discourse Stylistics: a preliminary Study

"Towards Navigating Absurd Theatre through Discourse Stylistics: a preliminary Study", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 5, page no.k678-k689, May-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2505B62.pdf

"Towards Navigating Absurd Theatre through Discourse Stylistics: a preliminary Study", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 5, page no. ppk678-k689, May-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2505B62.pdf