Ready Reference Treatise: The Caretaker

By Raja Sharma

According to Harold Pinter, he wrote “The Caretaker” while he and his wife were living in Chiswick. There are some events in the play which clearly seem to be drawn on those events which had taken place in Pinter’s own life at the time.

The owner of the flat where Pinter lived was like Mick, a character in the play. The owner of that house had a brother who was quite an introvert and very secretive. His brother had a history of mental illness and electric shock treatment.

Ready Reference Treatise: The Caretaker
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Act One
Act Two
Act Three
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Jul 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310059100

Raja Sharma

Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.

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Ready Reference Treatise: The Caretaker

Raja Sharma

Copyright

Ready Reference Treatise: The Caretaker

Raja Sharma

Copyright@2014 Raja Sharma

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Chapter One: Introduction

The Caretaker by Harold Pinter first premiered on 27th of April 1960. The play’s first show was performed at the Arts Theatre Club in London’s West End.

It was said to be Harold Pinter’s first important commercial success. It was the sixth of Pinter’s major works for stage and TV.

The story of the play revolves around two brothers and a tramp, presenting the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption.

From London’s West End, the play was transferred to the Duchess Theatre in May 1960. The play ran for 444 performances at the Duchess Theatre.

It was then departed London and reached Broadway.

Clive Donner directed a film version of The Caretaker in the year 1964. The printed version of the play was also released in the year 1960. Even today, The Caretaker remains one of Harold Pinter’s most celebrated plays.

According to Harold Pinter he wrote The Caretaker while he and his wife were living in Chiswick. There are some events in the play which clearly seem to be drawn on those events which had taken place in Pinter’s own life at the time. The owner of the flat where Pinter lived was like Mick, a character in the play. The owner of that house had a brother who was quite an introvert and very secretive. His brother had a history of mental illness and electric shock treatment.

Pinter also remembered a tramp whom the brother of the flat owner brought home one night. That tramp would become a character named Davies in the play.

Pinter had originally thought of ending the play with the murder of Davies by Aston, but he said that he was so much involved in the characters that he had