Edward Bond is one of the living stars of postmodernism who showed his talent in play writing and direction, poetry, theory, and screenwriting. In his lifetime he has written around fifty plays among which Saved (1965), Lear (1971), Narrow Road to the Deep North (1968) are some of the famous names. His plays have always been controversial because of the use of excessive violence and the radical statements about modern theater and society. In his childhood he has witnessed the massacre of World War two which influenced him to incorporate violence and terror in his plays. His experience of evacuation made him enlightened about the fact of social alienation which is another important theme of his writing. In this article we’ll be talking about some of his extraordinary creations which enriched the era in a different way. So, let’s talk about them in detail –
Saved, the first play
This play deals with the dehumanization of the working class people of southern London and it is considered as an effect of the industrial revolution. This play really has a few shocking scenes which include the murder of a bastard baby in a pram. However, according to the critics it is a ‘filthy’ and ‘unfunny’ drama.
Lear, another example of violent drama
As the name clearly suggests, this is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear and with it he added his own essence to make it one of the most important violent dramas in English literature. In this play Lear is a self obsessed autocrat who builds a wall to save himself from his imaginary enemies. His daughter rebelled against him which caused him to be a prisoner. Then he went on a journey of self exploration, but he is haunted by the ghost of a Gravedigger’s boy. Finally Lear becomes a prophet and is gesturing to destroy the wall he has created. This play also portrays a character called Cordelia who finally becomes a dictator herself.
Bingo, based on Shakespeare
This play also shows his tendency to include Shakespeare in his creations. It portrays Shakespeare as an old man who protects his own landholdings through his signature in contract and he agrees not to speak a word against the enclosure of lands that has a negative impact on the local peasants.
Lastly, we want to end the discussion with his famous lines where his understanding about the society and its members is reflected –
“The human mind is a dramatic structure in itself and our society is absolutely saturated with drama. …”
