Myths and Symbolism in the Plays of Tennessee Williams

This book is a critical perusal of the artistic use of myths and symbols in the major plays of Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) one of the outstanding American dramatists of this century. Williams used myths and symbols in his plays to probe deeper into the inner ponderings of the protagonists in particular and other characters in general. The myths serve as raw material adding meaning to his plays. This book analyses Williams’ use of classical, Greek, biblical and American myths, explicitly projecting the modern American culture depicting the pain and pathos, dreams and desires of the contemporary American. He has effectively used the orphic myth in Orpheus descending, or the Dionysian myth to reveal man’s baser instincts. Williams has employed the myth of the southern belle and tried to revive the past glory. Williams has used concrete symbols to enhance the significance of the myths. He used plastic symbols such as the unicorn or the legless bird that are flexible, creating verbal and visual images expressing the deep painful experiences of life, evolving a plastic theatre, a major breakthrough in the world of art.