Beyond Words – Marcel Marceau’s Concept of Silence Cover Image

Poza słowami – Marcela Marceau koncepcja milczenia
Beyond Words – Marcel Marceau’s Concept of Silence

Author(s): Anna Krzyżak
Subject(s): Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Philosophy of Language
Published by: Uniwersytet Adama Mickiewicza
Keywords: theater anthropology; mime; silence; dialogue; meeting;

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with the concept of silence developed by Marcel Marceau, one of the founders of contemporary mime. An analysis of the concept of silence is proposed, starting from a broader research, linguistic and philosophical perspective, encompassing the ideas of Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merlau-Ponty, Józef Tischner and Martin Buber, which aims at an interpretation of Marceau’s theatrical concept, which is presented in his work and statements and contains many elements of philosophical anthropology. For Marceau, the human stands in the center, working in a world where words fail. Mime artist and spectator conduct a distinctive dialogue without using words, thus giving rise to reflections and leading to catharsis. Because the scope of the concept is wide, it has been included in the cognitive framework of the anthropology of silence, proving that Marceau’s concept enriches the debate on the anthropology of silence and opens the perspective for further research on his concept of theater.

  • Issue Year: 2020
  • Issue No: 33
  • Page Range: 85-101
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish