VIOLENCE IN THE PLAYS OF JOHN WIDTING AND SAM SHEPARD A•STUDY OF THEM:b AND TECHNIQUE IN WHITING'S SAINT'S DAY, MARCHING SONG AND THE DEVILS SHEPARD'S TOOTH OF CRIME, BURIED CHILD AND FOOL FOR LOVE

Abstract

This thesis attempts to examine the nature of violence in the plays of John Whiting: Saint's Day, Marching Song and The Devils and Sam Shepard's The Tooth ofCrime,Bur!ed Child and Fool for Love. The thesis deals with various kinds of violence portrayed in their plays besides the motives that drive their characters towards such a violent path. Whether man is violent by nature or due to cultural motives is the subject of study for many researchers. They try to reach some means of overcoming violence or at least, of eliminating some of its undesirable motives.

Regarding the motives of violence, the thesis examines two mam approaches concerning the major drives for violence: Instinctivism and Environmentalism. Whereas Instinctivism regards violence as innate and aroused by certain instincts . and passions, Environmentalism returns violence to environmental factors: Cultural, social, political and rel igious. Environmentalists believe that man is good by nature but turned violent due to surrounding condition.