Page 122 [122]
OCR
ANIKÓ LUKÁCS important to note, however, that this poetic speech itself carries the rituality that can be found in the “concept” of the Theater of Cruelty. There are many references to this by Artaud, especially using the recurring concept of magic, which is closely related to Gluckman’s definition, all the more so because it is not merely defined as one of several building blocks, but becomes in essence “the theater itself [that] appears to us, all in all, to identify itself with the forces of ancient magic," which comes to life by identifying with the magical.’” Artaud’s poetic-metaphorical discourse thus focuses on mysticism, which in this case is concentrated on concepts of magical forces and spells, linking to the aforementioned phenomenon beyond perception; aiming to outline a manifestation of the transcendent. But the interpretation of this transcendental presence requires clarification: in Gluckman’s view, the term “religious” refers to an act and belief that refers to an existing spirituality,'* which in this context is more concrete and defined than the ritual, which is abstract. This neatly correlates to the same idea and its lack of concrete boundaries in Artaud’s essays. Following this train of thought and applying it to a framework of religious discourse, the lack of God on Artaud’s stage should be noted: “far from believing that man invented the supernatural and the divine, I think it is man’s age-old intervention which has ultimately corrupted the divine within him.”” — thus referring to a murder of God reminiscent of Nietzsche’s ideas, the consequence of which was a split between God and man, ending their inherent unity. Artaud, therefore, considers the false divinity created by man unacceptable, and, as he says, we have to rediscover a true religious, mystical concept,”° which, according to Gluckman’s work, can be found in the ritual. RITES OF PASSAGE — THE CONCEPT OF RITUAL APPLIED TO THE PLAY It is interesting to note that, although the existence of various ritual elements in Albee’s play is often referenced in academic discourse, this is mostly specific to certain parts of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. The reason for this is probably due to the structural build of the narrative because throughout the course of the plot the ritualistic character of the play varies in intensity, but it is nevertheless conceivable to examine it as a whole from a wider perspective. Arnold van Gennep’s schema can provide help in the matter for the way in which he describes the construction of rites of passage. In his view, the fundamental 16 Artaud: The Theater and Cruelty, in Ibid., 86. 17 Artaud: PREFACE: The Theater and Culture, in Ibid., 11. 18 Gluckman: Ibid., 22. 19 Artaud: Ibid., 8. 20 Artaud: Metaphysics and the Mise en Scene, in Ibid., 46. «120 +
