Amédée, or How to Get Rid of It (1954) by Eugène Ionesco (Type of Work)

 

Amédée, or How to Get Rid of It (1954)

by Eugène Ionesco

(Type of Work) 

Type of Work

Amédée, or How to Get Rid of It by Eugène Ionesco is a one-act absurdist play that belongs firmly to the tradition of mid-twentieth-century experimental theatre. It is not merely a comedy, nor purely a tragedy, nor strictly a psychological drama; instead, it is a theatrical work that defies conventional genre boundaries. The play functions as a tragicomic exploration of existential anxiety, marital decay, and the absurdity of human existence.

As a dramatic work, it is structured for stage performance rather than narrative reading. The action unfolds in real time within a confined domestic space, emphasizing theatrical immediacy. Dialogue dominates the play, yet the dialogue itself often undermines logical progression. Conversations circle back on themselves, contradictions remain unresolved, and explanations collapse into confusion. In this way, the structure of the play mirrors its central theme: the breakdown of rational order.

The work is most accurately categorized within the Theatre of the Absurd movement. Like other absurdist dramas of the period, it presents a world in which reality is unstable and meaning is elusive. The growing corpse at the center of the play is not treated as a supernatural horror in the traditional sense but as an unexplained and unexplainable phenomenon. Its presence is accepted within the dramatic universe without logical clarification. This rejection of realism places the play outside conventional dramatic traditions such as naturalism or social realism.

At the same time, the play functions as a tragicomedy. Much of its action is comical in tone—the grotesque physicality of maneuvering an enormous corpse, the petty arguments between husband and wife, and the exaggerated domestic frustrations. Yet beneath the humor lies profound despair. The comedy intensifies rather than softens the existential weight of the situation. The audience laughs, but uneasily.

Formally, the play also exhibits elements of symbolic drama. The corpse serves as an extended metaphor, representing guilt, decay, creative paralysis, or the unresolved past. The theatrical form allows this symbol to dominate the stage visually and spatially, reinforcing its psychological significance.

Therefore, Amédée is best understood as an absurdist tragicomedy in dramatic form—an experimental one-act play that uses surreal imagery and circular dialogue to explore existential and relational collapse. Its type of work reflects a broader shift in twentieth-century theatre away from logical plots and moral resolution toward ambiguity, fragmentation, and symbolic intensity.