Reality is constantly mutating in The Bald Soprano. We're never quite sure where we stand. The play opens with what seems to be a totally normal couple sitting in a totally normal living room. By the end, though, this seemingly "realistic" world has been completely destroyed. Absurdist playwrights, like Ionesco, were big fans of messing with reality. This is probably because, in the Absurdist view, there's really just no such thing as reality at all – or, at least, objective reality. To the contrary, your average everyday Absurdist would tell you that reality is totally subjective, meaning that whatever a person thinks is real is real. The characters in The Bald Soprano seem to have no idea or what is real. Perhaps, this is why reality is constantly shifting in the play.
Questions About Versions of Reality
- What different levels of reality are present in the play?
- How does the play's ending affect the audience's concept of reality?
- In what ways is the idea that reality is subjective expressed in the play?
Chew on This
Reality disintegrates by the end of the play.
The play's climax presents a higher form of reality – one that exists in the realm of abstract thought.