Language as an Arrow and a Shield in the Hands of Harold Pinter’s Characters: A Study of the Play The Birthday Party

Abstract

One of the most naturally gifted dramatists to have come out of England since the war,”1 Harold Pinter has emerged as the most original theatre talent who gave fresh life to the British theatre in the second half of the twentieth century. He has achieved international recognition and has been hailed as “Britain’s best living playwright”2 of post-World War II period. In 2005, the Nobel Prize was conferred upon him for his contribution to drama. That he occupies the position of a modern classic is illustrated by his name entering the language as an adjective used to describe a particular atmosphere and environment in drama: ‘Pinteresque’. Pinter has been known for his experimentation and innovation in dramatic action and language. The Birthday Party (1957), The Caretaker (1960), The Homecoming (1965), No Man's Land (1975), and Betrayal (1978) are some of his best-known plays. The present paper undertakes to explore the language of only one of his plays – The Birthday Party.