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Pour citer cet article : Hanna SCOLNICOV, Pinter's game of betrayal , cyc, Volume 14 n1, mis en ligne le 11 juin 2008 URL : http://revel.unice.fr/cycnos/index.html?id=1228 Voir l'article en ligne

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Pintersgameofbetrayal
HannaScolnicov TelAvivUniversity,Israel.

Intheneartwentyyearssince Betrayal waswritten1 theplayhasbecomesomethingofa classic, madeaccessible toeverincreasing audiences bythefilmversionwiththesuperb Patricia Hodge, Ben Kingsley and Jeremy Irons.2 Although many excellent analyses of Betrayal appeared soon after the play was first produced, we have today gained enough distancefromittojustifyitsreevaluation.Nowthattheinitialexcitementaboutthedaring timereversalofitsplothassettleddown,theartisticcontoursoftheworkcanbeseenmore clearly: thesupremacyofits abstract shapeoverits narrative content, itspositiononthe relevanceoftimetomemory,itsdispassionate,ironictone,anditsdeliberateavoidanceofa moral stance. The chronological reversal is instrumental to this general shakeup of the dramaticformandstyle.Thecharactersincessantsearchformeaningissharedbythereader/ spectatorbutisdeflected,throughthesophisticatedformalshapingelementsemployedby Pinter,fromtheethicaltotheaestheticsphere.Inthispaper,Iwillanalyzetheplayasan experimentinabstraction,apresentationofhumanrelationshipsintermsofgamesequences, andapostmodern,aesthetic andironictreatment ofwhatusedtobelongtoreligionand ethics. ThefirstthingtonoticeaboutBetrayalisitstitle:aratherstartlingabstractnounthatappears without either adefinite or an indefinite article. This lack is especially noticeable inthe contextofmanyotherPintertitles thatcarrythedefinitearticle,suchas TheRoom, The Birthday Party, The Caretaker, The Dumb Waiter, The Collection, The Lover and The Homecoming,aswellasASlightAche,withitsindefinitearticle.Theomissionofthearticle indicatesthatthetopicistheideaofbetrayal,itsgeneralizedorabstractedstructure,andnot thestoryofoneparticularinstanceofbetrayal.Evensuchabasicanalysisofthetitlealready directsourattentiontotherelationbetweenthestyleoftheplayandmoderntrendsinart, suchasabstractandconceptualpainting.Althoughthedevelopmentoftheeventsandthe dialogueishighlynaturalistic,thesubordinationofthevariousplotelementstoagoverning abstractideaanditsexpressionaspureformmaybeseenasmovingtowardsabstractionand conceptualization. Thetitlereferstothebetrayalofloveandfriendshipratherthanthebetrayalofonescountry, butbothsensesofthewordpointtoitsinherentlynegativeemotiveandethicalconnotations inoursociety.AsoftenwithPinter,theimmediateinferencesaboutthevalueladenwordin thetitlearequestionedbytheactionoftheplay.3Forexample,theassumptionarousedbythe openingsceneof TheHomecoming,thatthetitlereferstoTeddysreturn,isshakenbya growingawarenessthatitisRuthwhohascomehomeand,furthermore,bythesustained onslaughtontheacceptedideaofwhatconstitutesahome.Otherdeceptivelysimpletitles, suchasTheRoom,TheBirthdayParty,orTheCaretaker,areequallysubvertedintheplays. Betrayal involvesthreecharactersinaromantictangle.Inhispresentationofthisromantic triangle,Pinterisinterested,asthetitleindicates,notsomuchintheloveaffairasinits complementarybetrayal.Hethusshiftsthefocusfromthenewlovetothebetrayaloftheold love,fromromanticismtodisillusion.Theromantictriangleisobviouslyahackneyedtheme, butPintersvariationsonit,inBetrayalasinsomeofhisotherplays,arehighlyinnovative.
1 2

Allquotationsfrom:HaroldPinter,Betrayal(London:Methuen,1978). DirectedbyDavidJones,1983. 3 Pinters titles are directionpointers into the heart of his polyvalence. Ruby Cohn, The economy of Betrayal,inHaroldPinter:Acasebook,ed.byLoisGordon(NewYork:Garland,1990),p.15.

AsMartinEsslinputsit,Pinterpresentsuswithasymphonicstructureofvariationsonthe themeofbetrayalthat,ultimately,becomesaninquiryintotheinextricablewebofliesthat constitutesthesocialrelationships.4 Most notable among Pinters other treatments of the theme are Old Times, The Lover, LandscapeandSilence.Ineachofthesehesucceedsindazzlinguswithatotallynovelpoint ofview.InOldTimesthetraditionalratioofmaletofemaleisreversed,sothatthereisonly onemanandtwowomen,andthesexualbattleiswagedbetweenthemanandoneofthe women overthepossessionoftheotherwoman.In TheLover,Pinterfoolstheaudience throughbuildingupitsexpectationstowardsthedramaticentranceoftheloverandthrough the stratagem oflisting three characters, one ofwhom turns out to be nomore than the milkman.Theromantictriangleishereasexualphantasy,agamethatsavestheprotagonists dullmarriage frombreakingup.Both Landscape and Silence takeplaceintherealms of memory,asintertwinedstreamofconsciousnessmonologues,fromwhichwearelefttopiece forourselvessomefragmentedobjectivenarrativeofaromantictriangle.InLandscape,the twocharacterscreateatrianglewiththeirdeceasedemployer,apparentlythewomanslover, whomeachremembersseparately.Silencerecedesevenfurtherintothesubjectivityofthree differentpsyches,threedifferentperceptionsofwhathappenedmanyyearsago.HerePinter usesthetrickoflistingtheagesofthecharactersasagirlinhertwenties,amanofforty, andamaninhismiddlethirties,theirageatthetimeoftheirromanticentanglementrather thantheirpresentoldage,thusraisingthequestionoftheplaceoftimewithinmemory. TherelationshipbetweentimeandmemorytakesonadifferentaspectinBetrayalthroughthe playwrightsinitialdecisiontoreversethechronologicalorderofevents:
WhenIrealizedtheimplicationsoftheplay,Iknewtherewasonlyonewaytogo andthatwasbackwards.Theactualstructureoftheplayseemedtodictateitself. Youhavetwopeopleinapubandyouwonderwhentheyfirstmet.Wherewasit? WhenIrealizedwhatwasgoingon,thismovementintime,Iwasveryexcitedby it.5

Thisstartlingreversaloftheprogressionoftheplotasafunctionoftimetakesusbackfrom thedissolutionofboththeloveaffairandthemarriagein1977toJerrysopeninggambitof thebetrayal,inRobertandEmmasbedroom,in1968.ElinDiamondhasbrilliantlydescribed this procedure as a Hogarthian Rakes Progress in reverse, a mocking indictment of marriagelamode.6 Byturningtheconventionalstructureonitshead,PinteremphasizeswhatEricBernehas calledtimestructuringanditsprogramming.7Everysceneintheplayisclearlydated,andthe charactersmustgrowvisiblyyoungerfromscenetoscene.LindaBenZvihascommentedon Emmasappearance,inPeterHallsoriginalproduction,movingthroughthevagaries of fashion and style from longskirted professional attire back to miniskirted hostess dresses just as she moves chronologically from traditional images of female forms of fulfillmenttocareerandeventualdivorce.8 Thebanalityoftheromantictriangleisturnedinsideoutthroughthereversalofthenormal plotsequence.Thepossibilityofsuspenseseemstoberuledout,astheoutcomeisalready known.Nevertheless,everynewsceneturnsouttobeunexpectedbecause,althoughweknow theoutcome,wedontknowwhatwerethestepsthatleduptoit.Bythebeginningofthe play,everythingweshallwitnesshasalreadybeen,asitwere,predetermined.Thebetrayal
4 5

MartinEsslin,PinterthePlaywright(London:Methuen,1984),p.207. MelGussow,ConversationswithPinter(London:NickHernBooks,1994),p.51. 6 ElinDiamond,PintersComicPlay(Lewisburg:BucknellUniversityPress,1985),p.201. 7 SeeEricBerne,GamesPeoplePlay(NewYork:GrovePress,1964),p.16. 8 LindaBenZvi,HaroldPintersBetrayal:Thepatternsofbanality,ModernDrama,23(1980),p.235.

gamehasbeenconcludedandallthatremainsistowatchthemovesthatbroughtaboutthe result.ThisisarguablythemostinnovativeaspectofPintersengagementwiththethemeof betrayalintheplay.Althoughoftendismissedasameregimmick,itisreallyapainstaking unravellingofthesequenceofeventsthatmakeupthebetrayalandadeconstructionofits conceptualcomponents. Themovementbackintimemayseematfirstartificialbecausewehavebeenconditionedby ourexperienceastheatregoersandreadersofplaystoviewthedramaticplotasafunctionof the time axis. As time is unidirectional, so too is the plot. But from the perspective of memory,allstoriesareterminatedprocessesviewedfromthevantagepointofthepresent,so thatunfoldingaseriesofeventsinreversetemporalordermaybe,experientially,themore naturalprocedure. Thereversechronologicalordereliminatesthememoryrelateddiscrepancieswhichabound inotherplaysconcernedwithmemory.In OldTimes,memoryiscompletelysubjectivized somethingsonerememberseventhoughtheymayneverhavehappened9andeven turnedintoastrategicweapon.InBetrayalPintertakespainstoestablishawhollyobjective point ofview.Theentiretrainofeventsisverified throughthestratagemoftheplotin reverse.10EnochBraterdetectsinthisproceduretheinfluenceofthefilmictechniqueofthe flashback: the past has been subjected to an objective point of view, a cinematic documentation.11 Instead of witholding information aboutthe characters, as heusually does,herePinter is generouswithit,supplyingdetailsabouttheireducation,occupation,children,literarytastes, sports,etc.Andyet,thecharactersremainenigmaticandunfathomable.Byprovidingallthe identitydatawemightwishfor,theplaywrightseemstobemockinghisaudiencethathad beencomplainingsomuchabouttheinscrutabilityofhischaracters,whileatthesametime demonstratingthatthemysteryofthehumanpersonalityremains,forallthat,unchanged.12 At first sight, it seems abundantly clear that the title Betrayal refers to Emmas being unfaithfultoherhusbandRobertwithJerry.Butanexaminationoftheplayrevealsthatallits characters, and not just Emma, are guilty of betrayal. The network of relations is finely crafted:Pinterjugglesaroundhisthreedramatispersonaeinallpossiblearrangementsofthe triangle,eachbetrayerbecoming,inhisturn,thebetrayed.WithEmma,Jerrybetrayshisbest friend,herhusband;likewise,JerryishurtbywhatheseesashisbetrayalbyRobert,whodid notdisclosetohimhisknowledgethatJerryandEmmawerehavinganaffair.Emmaherself hasbeenunfaithfulnotonlytoherhusbandbutalsotoherlover:thisisrevealedwhenshe tellshimshehasbecomepregnantwhilehewasawayandthatthefatherisRobert.Emma feelsbetrayedbybothmenbecauseoftheclosefriendshipbetweenthem,whichirritatesher. Shefeelsexcludedbytheirrelationshipandtriestodisrupttheirgamesofsquashandtheir bachelorlunches.HeranxietyissetinperspectivewhenRobertsaysheshouldperhapshave hadanaffairwithJerryhimself,implyingahomosexualattractionforhim. Havingworkedoutallpossiblecombinationsofbetrayalwithinhistriangleofcharacters, Pinter adds a few unseen characters that enable him to suggest further variations on the romantictriangle.EmmasuggeststhatJerryswifeJudithishavinganaffairandRoberthas beenbetrayingEmmawithotherwomenforyears.MoreprominentarethefiguresofCasey andSpinksthathaunttheplay.BotharewritersoverwhoseliterarymeritsJerryandRobert
9

HaroldPinter,OldTimes(London:Methuen,1971),pp.3132. InBetrayalPinterprovideswhatherefusedtoprovideinearlierplays:verification.BernardDukore,Harold Pinter(London:Macmillan,1982),p.115. 11 EnochBrater,CinematicfidelityandtheformsofPintersBetrayal,inHaroldPinter,ed.byHaroldBloom (NewYork:ChelseaHouse,1987),p.111. 12 SeeGuidoAlmansiandSimonHenderson,HaroldPinter(London:Methuen,1983),p.93.

10

squabbleintheirprofessionalcapacitiesas,respectively,literaryagentandpublisher.Casey, whohaslefthiswife,iswritinganovelaboutamanwholeaveshiswifeandthreechildren andgoestolivealoneontheothersideofLondontowriteanovelaboutamanwholeaves hiswifeandthreechildren(66)andsoon,presumably, adinfinitum.Laterheapparently becomes Emmas new lover. Spinks has written a book about betrayal, which Emma is readinginbedinthehotelroominVeniceandwhichsparksofftheconversationthatbrings aboutherconfessionofbetrayaltoRobert.Thetopicisthusgeneralized,ironizedandturned uponitself. Theproliferationoftriangularrelationshipsunderminestheexclusivityofthecentraldramatic betrayalthatdominatestheplot.Thecommonshape,theveryideaofbetrayal,isdistilled fromitsmyriadappearancesintheplay.Abstractedinthismanner,betrayalassumesthebasic pattern of a game and the aesthetics of the play become a function of its dazzling kaleidoscopicpermutations. Despiteitssubjectmatter,thisisnotaneroticplay.TherelationshipbetweenEmmaandJerry is basically a game with an elaborate system of rules set up by both sides.13 These are especially necessary as there is in fact a double system of relations between them, as clandestineloversandas,respectively,wifeandbestfriendofRobert.Therefore,thereare bothexternalrules,abouthowtokeepitsecret,andinternalrules,aboutwhatispermitted within.Evenaftertheaffairisover,JerrycorrectsEmmawhensheasksabouthisson:You remembertheform.Iaskaboutyourhusband,youaskaboutmywife(15). Infact,alltherelationsintheplayassumetheamusingshapeofsophisticatedsocialgames and rituals, making the game logically precede the particular instance of its playing and disqualifyinganyoriginalityinthebehaviourofthecharacters.Thegameofsquashplayed betweenthemenservesasaniconforawholesetofmalesocialgamesthatevolvearoundit:
Imeanagameofsquashisntsimplyagameofsquash,itsrathermorethanthat. Yousee,firsttheresthegame.Andthentherestheshower.Andthentheresthe pint.Andthenthereslunch[].Youdontactuallywantawomanwithinamileof theplace,anyoftheplaces,really.(69)

Robertsoutburstrevealsthenatureoftheseriesofmaleritualsheisdescribing.Theyare clearlymeanttoexcludewomenfromwhatisperceivedasexclusivemaleterrain.Atthe sametime,theattackdisclosesadefensiveattitude,anattempttodistancewomensoastoget ridoftheirsexuallythreateningpresence.RobertandJerryhavenotplayedsquashforalong time, itisimplied,becauseJerryhasengagedinsteadinthebetrayalgame,andRoberts rather fiercespeech is meant towinhimbackasapartnerinthemalegame.Thesame disjunctionbetweenaffairwithwifeandsquashwithhusbandappearsinRobertsdisclosure aboutCasey:Ibelieveheshavinganaffairwithmywife.Wehaventplayedsquashfor years,Caseyandme.Weusedtohaveadamngoodgame.(43) TheoccasionforRobertsmisogynistspeechisJerrysdroppinginforadrinkinSceneFour. The conversation is conducted on a number of levels simultaneously and is replete with sexualovertones.Allthreeplaythetraditionalgameoffriendlychatwhile,atthesametime, engaginginthegameofhidingtheircomplicityinandtheirknowledgeofthebetrayal(or rather,betrayals).Andeachwatchestheothersaccomplishmentinactingouthisorherrole. WhileEmmaisputtingNedtosleepandNedisthebabyconceived,asbothmenwell know,whileJerry,thelover,wasabroadthetwomenlaunchintoaverbalgameoffatherly talkaboutthereasonsforboybabiescryingmorethangirlbabies.RobertleadsJerrytogive thebanalanswersthatboysaremoreanxiousaboutleavingthewombandallthat,then
13

AlthoughAlmansiandHendersonhavedevotedtheirveryvaluablestudyofPintertotheelucidationofhis playsintermsofgames,theyseemstrangelytobesidetrackedbyotherissuesintheirdiscussionofBetrayal (pp.9294).

parrieswiththemasterstroke:Butwhataboutgirlbabies?Theyleavethewombtoo(63). This mockseriousconversationcomes toanendwiththeconclusionthatitmighthave somethingtodowiththedifferencebetweenthesexes(65),atwhichpointEmma,having finished putting Ned to bed, enters. The seemingly trivial dialogue and the simplest of dramaticsettingsarethusmanipulatedbyPinterintoasophisticatedgamethatdisclosesthe realtensionsandconflictsthatarebeingplayedoutbeneaththeplacidsurface. Clearly,itisthesubtext,suggestivelyworkedintoandinbetweenthewords,thatgenerates theexcitementofthisseeminglydullconversation.Itisuptotheactorstobringallthisout. Pinterdirectsourattentiontotheimportanceofwhatdoesnotgetsaidinargumentsabout meaning,forexampleinthefollowinginterchangebetweenJerryandEmma:
EMMA Whatdoyoumeanbythat? JERRY Idontmeananythingbyit. EMMA Butwhatareyoutryingtosaybysayingthat? JERRY Jesus.Imnottryingtosayanything.IvesaidpreciselywhatIwanted tosay.(53)

ThisshiftfromthesaidtotheunsaidissostrongthatPinterhasfounditnecessarytodisclaim thatthisisalwaysthecase:Iamnotsuggestingthatnocharacterinaplaycaneversaywhat infacthemeans.14 Itisinthenatureofaromanticstorytotrytoconvincethatthereissomethingmatchless aboutitthatdifferentiatesitfromallotherlovestories,thatitisaboutauniquepassion. Pinter,however,haswrittenacompletelyunromanticaccountofinfidelity,15andheseems toaccentuatethestoryscommonness,totheextentthatthereisevenasenseofthecharacters falling into prescripted roles. The multiplication of unfaithfulness in the play not only generalizes but wilfully stereotypes and mocks it. Like Shakespeares Demetrius and Lysander who can hardly be told apart, there is an insistence on the twinlike similarity betweenRobertandJerry,withtheirparallelcareersandfamilies,andthereisnoattemptto buildupamotivationforEmmaspreferenceoftheoneovertheother. Not only has Pinter chosen to treat the clich topic of betrayal, but he stresses its conventionality,itsconformitytothebasicoutlinesharedbythevariousinstancesofbetrayal suppliedintheplay.Thisisunderlinedinanironicallyselfreferentialmomentintheplay, whenRobertcommentsonCaseysnewbook:Ohnotmuchmoretosayonthatsubject, really,isthere?and,whenEmmainquireswhatheconsidersthesubjecttobe,heresponds: Betrayal(78). Theextraordinarilyoriginaleffectisachievedparadoxicallythroughtheamplificationofthe commonnessofbetrayal.Thisordinarinessisestablishedinthefictionalworldoftheplay alongwithanequanimitytowardsbetrayalthatiscertainlynotuniversallysharedoutsidethe perimeteroftheplay.Insteadofpresentinganinternal,dramaticconflictbetweencharacters holding different values, Pinter makes the audience feel at odds with the characters. An extremeformofthisfamiliarstrategyisencounteredin TheHomecoming,where,among otherinstances,thesangfroidexhibitedbyTeddytowardshiswifesdecisiontoabandonhim andtheirchildreninordertostaywithhisfamilyandbecomeaprostituteclashesviolently withthespectatorsownsenseofmoralimpropriety. Thechargedemotionalaspectofbetrayal,theempathyoneistraditionallyledtocultivatefor thebetrayedprotagonist,isherediffusedinfavourofapurelyaestheticresponsewhich makes the reader/spectator wonder what has happened to the traditional moral censure
14

Quoted inKatherine H.Burkman, The Dramatic Worldof Harold Pinter: Its Basis inRitual (Ohio State UniversityPress,1971),p.8. 15 Peter Jenkins, The Spectator (25Nov. 1978), p.24; in File on Pinter, ed. by Malcolm Page (London: Methuen,1993),p.55.

attachedtobetrayal.AsofteninPinter,thedeliberateabsenceofamoralconsciousnessinthe playclasheswithourownhabitualresponses,creatingadissonancebetweenthemandthe work,shakingusintoareexaminationofourownmoralcodesandpreconceptions. Therealizationthateverybodydoesitisamusingandurbane,characterizingapostmodern society in which the religious sin of fornication, the crime of adultery, or the dread of cuckoldinganditsfearfulnemesishavebeendissipated.Robertdoesnotconsiderseparating fromEmmaafterhefindsoutsheishavinganaffairwithJerrybutonlyfouryearslater,when thatrelationshiphaspracticallyandevenformallycometoanend.Theimpendingdivorceis not depicted as excessively traumatic for either Robert or Emma. Their acceptance of it withoutselfpityorashowofsufferingprecludesanemotionalresponseonthepartofthe spectator,hiscompassionnotbeingcalledfor.16Thecharactersdonotengagetheaudienceor drawitin.Theyleaveustoadmiretheformalqualitiesoftheplay,itscomplexsymmetrical moves,theperfectionofitsstructureandthesmoothnessofitstexture.Wefindourselves outsidethatworld,uninvolvedspectators. Intheworldoftheplay,betrayalhasobviouslylostitstheologicalandmoraledge.Ithasalso lostitssingularpositionwithinthedoublestandardbywhichmenandwomenarejudged.The womansbetrayalisnotregardedasdifferentfromthatofthetwomen.Emmaexemplifiesa womanlivinginasocietyinwhichtheliberationofwomenhasbecomea faitaccompli. Alongwithbetrayal,fidelityinloveormarriagehasequallybeendroppedbythewayside. Nobodyintheplayseemstogetparticularlyupsetaboutit:sophisticated,Oxbridgegraduates, uppermiddleclass,welltodoandphysicallyattractive,thecharactersacceptbetrayingand beingbetrayedwithouttoomuchfuss.Theideaofbetrayal,theworditself,hasbeendrained ofits affective power.Reducedtoanabstracted pattern, betrayalappearstohavelostits punch. Thislightnessoftouchcontrastswiththetraditionalarrayofdramaandliteraturethatdeals withthebetrayalofloveormarriage.Pinterstreatmentofthetopicseemsoblivioustothe seriousnessofthethreattothewellbeingofboththeindividualandsocietythatisbrought out not only in tragedies, such as Othello or Woyzeck, but also in comedies, such as MandragolaorTheMerryWivesofWindsor.Eventhemalepreoccupationwiththeidentity ofthefather,StrindbergsobsessionalinterestthatfounditsfullexpressioninTheFather,is herepointedlydealtwithbutdismissedinamatteroffactmanner:Robertspaternalrights areguaranteedbyJerrysprolongedabsencefromthecountryaroundthetimeofconception. Withinthecontextoftheemotionalandsocialnetworkofrelationshipsestablishedinthe play,thediminishedstatureofbetrayalanditscasualnesscanbeunderstoodasafunctionof thegeneralrelaxationoftheserelationshipsandtheeasingoftheindividualscommitments. Betrayalanddivorcearepresentedalongwithmarriage,havingchildren,goingonvacation, playingsquashorgoingouttoarestaurant,ascommonlandmarksinlifesroutine. Passionitself,thegreat,overpoweringemotion,hasequallysuffereddiminution.InMartin Esslinswords,farfrombeingpassionateinvolvements,elementalandirresistible,[these sexualrelationships]seemcasualandtrivial.17AlthoughthereissexualattractioninEmmas affairwithJerry,itisanaffairthatissubjecttomundaneconsiderations,suchasfinding sufficienttimeandcomfortablequartersforit.Whenitisnolongerconvenient,theaffair breaksup.JerrysfamilyandhisbusinesstripstoAmerica,theopeninghoursofEmmas
16

ItotallydisagreewithPenelopePrenticesview,thatitispossibletofeelsympathy,evendeepcompassion, forallthecharacters.IfJerryandEmmahadnotbetrayedRobert,theymighthavebetrayedtheirowndeeper feelings.ThePinterEthic:Theeroticaesthetic(NewYork:Garland,1994),p.247.Shealsoseesintheplayan affirmation of friendship and love and suggests rather sentimentally that While Jerry remains closer to a traditionalseducerheisredeemedbythehonestyofhislove(p.248). 17 Esslin,p.214.

Gallery and her shoppingsprees with her daughter Charlotte come first. Familial and domesticaswellasprofessionalconsiderationshavereplacedthetragicandoperaticsingle mindedpassionthatoncenourishedinfidelity.Theloversstaycoolandactsensiblyrather thanimpulsively.Theirsisadesirethatisfirmlyundercontrol,anditisperfectlyplayedout, withenoughfinancialresourcestohelpitalong.Theyareelegant,suaveandclever,anditis onlyRobertsaccidentalcominguponJerrysletterthatbringsaboutdisclosure. Thereisameasureofegocentricityintheloversthatactsasanantidotetolove.Neithercares abouttheotherenoughtobereallypreparedtogiveupsomethingofhisorherwayoflife:the family,thework,thechildren.Thesemiddleclassinstitutionsareinternalizedassupreme valuesandtheloveaffairismerelyasidekickforbothparties,whodonotinvestemotionally too much in it. The multiple betrayals consolidate betrayal as yet another bourgeois institution, andinthiscontext theaffairis divestedofanyrebellious,heroic orglorified proportions,andironized. InBetrayal,theacceptanceofinfidelityisdevoidofmoralcensureorevendeepemotional hurt.18 No longer objectionable, betrayal seems to infect and undermine the fabric of all humanrelations.Theplayreflectsthediminishedemotionalandintellectualscaleofreactions inapermissivesociety.Theoldreligiousandsocialrestraintsthatgaverisetoasenseofsin or guilt, and demanded punishment and atonement or condoned jealousy, outrage and revenge,havebeenreplacedbyamorecivilizedandurbanecontainmentwithintheaccepted normsofsociety.Inthiskindofeducated,western,yuppiesociety,theideaofbetrayalthat formsthenucleusoftheplayhasbeenrefinedintoaselfconscious,contemporarysociety game,withtherulesofthegametakinguptheplaceoftheoriginalstricturesandlaws.

18

SeePeterHallwhocomparesPinterssuddendescentsintopainwhicharequicklyoverbecauseofahealthy senseoftheridiculoustoMozart. PeterHallsDiaries,ed.byJohnGoodwin(London:HamishHamilton, 1983),p.382.