한트케의 침묵극에 나타난 몸담론의 의미: 우리가 서로 알 수 없었던 시간의 예에서

Abstract

In February 2019, Handke’s silent play, entitled “Die Stunde da wir nichts voneinander wußten”, was performed in Seoul. The play was originally completed and had its maiden performance in Germany in 1992. Handke’s play brought social issues to the stage in a unique way through silence and body language. In an era where existing plays were produced based on lines and dialogue, this play, stood out in stark contrast. This silent play received little attention as it was overshadowed by various forms of experimentation in postmodernist plays. Handke was making a declaration of independence through his play, which he viewed from an aesthetical point of view with critical acceptance, to escape from the world of existing dialogue based plays and broaden the audience’s opportunity to become actual participants. Handke’s reputation as an avant-garde playwright was established in the early 70’s with his play “Publikumsbeschimpfung” and his play, “Die Stunde da wir nichts voneinander wußten” has only strengthened this reputation. “Die Stunde da wir nichts voneinander wußten” is a play which is born out of the remorse for modern people’s misuse of oral language and the existentiality which is to never give up. Handke’s aim was to focus on one’s self existence instead of the private possession of one’s self. Handke endeavoured to pursue the formation and dissolution of one’s self, through physicality and purposefully used silence to enhance that physicality. Using body language, Handke managed to replace the lethargic language found in traditional plays that do not express the extent of everyday painful realities. The meaning of body discourse in “Die Stunde da wir nichts voneinander wußten” tells the importance of communication through body language which has been forgotten and replaced by spoken language. At least for this reason alone, Hantke's journey to a new theatrical world best reflects the philosophical intent of communication by the original author Hantke to penetrate a world of alienation, loneliness and indifference in the human race.