빛과 소리의 강도적 변주곡

An Intensive Variation of Light and Sound: Light, Sound, and Space in Samuel Beckett's Play

This study aims to examine the use of light and sound in Play, with respect to the philosophy of French philosopher Gilles Deleuze. In terms of formality, Play shows a great leap in Beckett's playwriting, and there is the particular use of spotlight and sound at the heart of the leap. In the almost complete darkness, the only movement that audience can notice is that of spotlight, and words flow impetuously at the end of spotlight. Driving spectators into confusion, rapid speech which is too fast to understand composes the play as a stage of musical qualities rather than a stage of meaning. In the situation that all characters are stuck in three identical urns, it is only the spotlight that makes the play progress. Under the command of spotlight, each character makes utterance in a strictly arranged order. From the perspective of Deleuze, I suggest that the light functions like Deleuze's intensity in the actualization of the virtual. According to Deleuze, it is intensity that plays a key role in the actualization of the virtual. The virtual is in chaos that everything is indiscernible and only intensity makes certain elements discernible in the process of actualization. In a similar way, the light makes a certain sound audible and a certain face visible. From the similarity between intensity and the spotlight in Play, we can understand how the light works, what Beckett's goal in formality is, and in which way his work will develop.