The document discusses Harold Pinter's play "The Birthday Party" as a comedy of menace. It provides background on Pinter and defines the term "comedy of menace." The play uses comic elements but also creates an overwhelming sense of threat and impending danger. This dual quality gives the play a unique character. The atmosphere of menace comes from Pinter's ability to shift between comedy and seriousness, leaving the audience unsure of what will happen next. Overall, the play has a frightening effect while also being comedic.

1. ‘The Birthday party’ as a
Comedy of Menace
Name:- Baraiya Kailash P.
Roll No:- 10
Batch:- 2016 - 2018
Enrollment No:-PG2069108420170001
Email id:-kailashbaraiya21@gmail.com
Paper No:-9,The Modernist Literature
Topic:- ‘The Birthday Party’ as a
comedy of Menace
Submitted To:- Department of English

2. About Harold Pinter
Born on 10th October, 1930, in East
London , England.
Died on the 24th December, 2008,
at the age of 78.
A playwright, director, actor, poet
and political activist.
Known for his so – called comedies of Menace.
Nobel Prize winner in 2005.

3. What is Comedy of Menace?
The Comedy of Menace is a tragedy with
a number of comic elements.
Comedy of menace is a term used to describe
the plays of David Campton and Harold Pinter
by drama critic Irving Wardle.
Borrowed from the subtitle of Campton’s play
‘The Lunatic view : A Comedy of Menace’.
The ‘Menace’
involves from
actual violence in
the play or from
on underlying
sense of violence
throughout the
play.

4. Comedy Vs. Tragedy

5. Comedy of Menace
Comedy
of
Menace
Dark
Comedy
A
threatening
Quality Dangerous
or
troublesom
e person or
thing

6. Pinter’s Plays
The Room
The Birthday Party
A Slight Ache
The Dumb Waiter
The caretaker

7. About The Birthday Party
‘The Birthday Party’ play
written in 1957.
The second full length
play by Harold Pinter.

8. The Birthday Party as a
Comedy of Menace
The Birthday Party – is a tragedy with a number of comic
elements – it is a comedy, which also produces an
overwhelming tragic effect.
We feel uneasy all the time even when we are laughing
or smiling with amusement. This dual quality gives to play
a unique character.
The Menace evolves from actual violence in the play or
from an underlying sense of violence throughout the play.

9. The Atmosphere of Menace
It is created by Pinter’s ability to drop suddenly
from a high comic level to one deep seriousness.
By this technique the audience is made aware
that the comedy is only at surface layer. The
sudden outbreaks of violence in the play confirm
this and leave the audience unsure of what will
come next.

10. Continue….
It may develop from a feeling of uncertainty and
insecurity. The audience may be made to feel that the
security of the principal character and even the audience’s
own security is threatened by some impending danger fear.
This feeling of Menace establishes a strong connection
between character’s predicament and audience’s personal
anxieties.

11. Meaning and Tragic Effect
Frightening effect we find
very much as it is “comedy of Menace”.
In movie background sound play
vital role for it.
In movie we have many dialogues
and scenes such as Blind men's Buff
scene (menace) and Interrogation
scene (tragic elements).
Very much use of screaming and
shouting in the play.