isyphus" became a prototype for existentialism in the theatre, and eventually The Theatre of the Absurd. Right after the Second World War, Paris became the theatre capital of the west, and popularized a new form of surrealistic theatre called "Theatre of the Absurd". Many historians contribute the sudden popularity of absurdism in France to the gruesome revelations of gas chambers and war atrocities coming out of Germany after the war. The main idea of The Theatre of the Absurd was to point out man's helplessness and pointless existence in a world without purpose. As Richard Coe described it "It is the freedom of the slave to crawl east along the deck of a boat going west". Two of the most popular playwrights of this time include Samuel Beckett, who's most famous piece was "Waiting for Godot", and Eugene Ioensco with "Exit the King". Most absurdist plays have no logical plot. The absence of the plot pushes an emphasis on proving the pointless existence of man. Quite often, such plays reveal the human condition at it's absolute worst. Absurdist playwrites often used such techniques as symbolism, mime, the circus, and the commedia dell'arte, which are quite evident in the more popular plays of the time, such as Waiting for Godot, The Bald Prima Donna, and Amedee. ...
