Abstract/Summary

This thesis expands existing scholarship on Harold Pinter by integrating perspectives from gender studies, sociolinguistics, and performance analysis. It investigates how Pinter's characters contribute to and perpetuate hegemonic masculinities, exploring the consequences of challenging or maintaining gender hierarchies. Through the lens of prototypicality threats in Pinter's text, the analysis reveals specific linguistic tools characters employ to reinforce gender hegemonies. In performance, Pinter’s depiction of gender inequality becomes much more overt, and this thesis aims to recognise how contemporary audiences perceive gender and hegemony in productions of Pinter's plays. Utilising semiotics, this study identifies dominant characteristics of Pinter's dramatic language and how they are realised on stage. The spectator's role in meaning production is considered by acknowledging the impact of a political unconscious on the reception of hegemonic masculinity in contemporary productions. This thesis presents an original and provocative examination of Pinter's work, contributing to previous research on gender, language, and performance. I identify distinct hegemonies in each play and highlight consistent behaviours across Pinter's work. The exploration of prototypicality offers an original lens for understanding gender and power dynamics in Pinter's plays. Additionally, the study engages with contemporary productions and their reception, shedding light on how British theatre contributes to perceptions of gender inequality, violence, and misogyny. Reflecting on the impact of this research, the thesis has taken Pinter scholarship in a new direction, critically examining hegemonic masculinity and its portrayal of female oppression. Future scholars are encouraged to maintain a critical perspective, addressing the problematic aspects of gender hegemony in Pinter's work and exploring the intersections with racial and xenophobic prejudice. The identification of prototypicality threats is proposed as a valuable tool for analysing Pinter's text and aiding scholars in understanding fluid gendered power dynamics between characters.