Comedy of menace

Harold Pinter coined 'comedy of menace'

The term 'comedy of menace' was coined by drama critic Irving Wardle in 1958. Wardle borrowed the term from the subtitle of Campton's play, The Lunatic View: A Comedy of Menace. This term was used to describe the body of plays written by David Campton, Nigel Dennis, N. F. Simpson, and Harold Pinter.

Example

In Harold Pinter's plays, ordinary conversations often carry an underlying tension and threat, even when nothing overtly threatening is said.

Understanding 'comedy of menace' helps analyze the subtle power dynamics and unspoken threats in Harold Pinter's plays.

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