The Caretaker By Pinter: A Play Can Be Confrontational, Challenging And

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generally be
assumed that they had preconceived ideas about what they expected and what
they are going to gain from the theatrical experience. The traditional
attitudes towards theatre and the conventions of realist drama are
disrupted by Pinter. This confronts the assumptions and values of the
audience, an experience which would be disconcerting and frightening to
many.

Pinter divorces and exposes society's codes, institutions and human
relations. Throughout the play the audience is rarely comfortable. This
disruption is established from the outset of the play when Mick, a
character who at this stage of the play the audience knows nothing about,
sits on the bed and stares at the audience in silence for ‘30 seconds'.
Traditionally in realist drama such as Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler
characters use simple exposition through language and non-verbal elements
to ‘let the audience in' and enlighten them on what is happening on the
stage and the results and reasons for and behind ...

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power. Mick
not re-entering until later in the play confronts traditional notion that
as he was introduced first, he is in a position of power. The opening scene
defamiliarises the Audience with traditional notions of power and
establishes a precedent for the remainder of the play.

Pinter does not adhere to the accepted use of dramatic conventions. There
is no traditional relation of character histories within the opening
scenes and lack of revelation is maintained throughout the play as
relatively little is exposed about the characters backgrounds. This makes
events within the room conditional phenomena, which are dependent on the
individuals involved and what the audience is able to ...

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