Ubu Roi

Ubu Roi is recognized as the first absurdist play and a precursor to the mid-20th century movement the Theatre of the Absurd, which eschewed traditional theatrical conventions to convey the essential absurdism and purposelessness of human existence. The play’s casual lack of morality—as shown through its frequent murder and violence—captures this absurdity, as Papa Turd is driven only by base desires for wealth and food, rather than a higher purpose. Its absurdity is furthered by its location, Poland—“that is to say, nowhere,” the text specifies (11)—which was not actually a country at the time. The original production also shocked audiences by doing away with many theatrical conventions of naturalistic theatre, such as realistic sets, and through Jarry’s stipulation that the actors are “pretending to be puppets” (2). Though there is a plot (unlike some later absurdist plays), Ubu Roi does not hew to a traditional dramatic structure or character arcs; Jarry notes in the Preface that the final draft cuts passages “indispensable to the meaning and equilibrium of the play” (2). Jarry’s language also frequently defies traditional convention in theatre, relying heavily on crude and vulgar language and slang phrases, rather than proper dialogue.