Family Disintegration in What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton

Abstract

Joe Orton's farcical play What the Butler Saw (1967) presents a group of characters of middleclass background who find themselves in unexpected situations throughout the play. These unanticipated situations lead these characters, namely Dr. Prentice, Mrs. Prentice, Geraldine, and Nicholas, to go beyond the predestined limits of their traditional roles that may be regarded as suitable for their class. This breach reveals numerous farcical circumstances which disclose how the portrayed family gradually disintegrates because there no longer exists a strong emotional bond between them, as they look for emotional connection outside their lives. In this respect, various issues and themes such as the illustration of family, incestuous relationship, the use and misuse of scientific