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Which ideas about human life influenced the Theatre of the Absurd?

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Samuel Beckett, 1965 — Samuel Beckett Irish playwright, author, and critic Samuel Beckett, known for his plays on existential themes, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969.

The Theatre of the Absurd was not a formal movement but a collection of dramatists who shared a profound sense of disillusionment following World War II. These writers were influenced by the belief that human life is essentially devoid of purpose or meaning and that valid communication between individuals is no longer possible.12

Key ideas that shaped this perspective include:

Existential Anguish: Drawing on the philosophy of Albert Camus, particularly his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, playwrights depicted humanity as struggling vainly to find purpose in a world that offers none.12
The Inadequacy of Language: Absurdist works often feature dislocated or repetitive dialogue to reveal that verbal communication is fundamentally flawed and incapable of expressing true human experience.12
Rejection of Rationalism: By abandoning traditional logical structures, these plays create worlds of uncertainty where characters perform purposeless actions, underscoring the anxiety and bewilderment of the human condition.12
Philosophical Inquiry: Writers like Samuel Beckett explored essential existential questions—such as the nature of the self and the experience of being "thrown" into a world without explanation—often influenced by thinkers like René Descartes.34