역방향 구성 드라마터지와 관객반응— 헤롤드 핀터의 『배신』을 중심으로

Abstract

This essay explores Pinter's anti-clockwise dramaturgy in his Betrayal, focusing on audience response. The play moves backwards in time except Scene 1, 2 and Scene 5, 6, 7, which move chronologically. That is, it begins with Scene 1(1977) where Jerry meets Emma about two years after their adulterous relationship has finished and ends with Scene 9(1968), where their affair begins. Compared with normal plot dramaturgy, this dramaturgy gives the audience challengeable experiences. In the movement of plot from present to past, the influence of the cinematic technique of the flashback is detected. The main goal of employing the backwards plot deployment is to offer the audience an objective perspective of events in the play. Thanks to the backward plot dramaturgy, the audience pays more attention to the mechanics of betrayal rather than the sexual aspects of the affair. Ultimately, the audience confronts the generalized and abstracted structure of the theme, betrayal, as a result of experiencing various forms of betrayals that pervade in the play. Furthermore, the audience can analyze and criticize the characters in the play instead of sympathizing with them because of knowing the consequence of the play from the beginning. The last scene(Scene 9) shows that Jerry's betrayal starts from his self-betrayal, which brings out many other betrayals between characters for nine years. The audience is betrayed by the triviality of the incipient nature of betrayal. Finally, the scene also gives the audience an opportunity to witness the effects of time on Emma. In conclusion, this essay argues that Pinter's dramaturgy of reversing the timeline plays an important role to achieve the writer's aim of establishing an objective point of view and to allow the audience various theatrical experiences as well.