Edward Bond and the Aesthetics of Violence

Violence is one of the most persistently repeated subjects in various discourses from the beginning of the twentieth century, and it has led to serious ontological disquisitions. When it comes to the treatment of violence in drama, there has never been anyone more iconoclastic than Edward Bond (1934-2024). Critically exploring some twelve original plays from the first four decades of his career, and consistent development of thoughts about and treatment of violence, the book takes into consideration his sociocultural theories and dramatic innovations. With a keen awareness of various forms of violence, Bond offered his audiences fresh perspectives on destructive human behaviour while pressing the urgency of surmounting its menace. The course of his creative engagement with the subject, predicated upon his perception of drama/theatre and its social resonance, is explored in the book to shed light on what is theatrical, what is sociological and above all what is aesthetic about violence.