Theater

Theater

The Manifestation and Evocation of the Unseen World in Drama; a Study of the Death of Yazdgerd from the Linguistic Perspective of Peter Brook’s ‘Holy Theatre’

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Esmaeel Shafiee 1
Mina Emami 2
1 Associate Professor, Faculty of Cinema and Theater, Iran University of Art, Tehran, Iran.
2 MA in Dramatic Literature, Faculty of Arts, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/theater.2026.576179.1163
Abstract
Brook’s theory of the ‘Holy Theatre’ represents a profound rethinking of the function and potential of language within the theatrical experience. For Brook, language in performance transcends its conventional role as a medium for the mere transmission of information or the facilitation of ordinary human communication. Rather, language is conceived as a vehicle for revelation, for invoking forces that exist beyond the tangible world, and for manifesting otherwise unseen realities, hidden, or metaphysically charged. In this conception, the words spoken on stage are not simply carriers of narrative or descriptive content; they serve as instruments that shape the perception of the audience, opening a portal to dimensions that lie beyond ordinary experience. In Brook’s vision, holy language must create a space where the audience is invited to encounter mystery, depth, and spiritual resonance, allowing the theatrical event to function not merely as entertainment or commentary but as a site for metaphysical and spiritual engagement. This perspective positions theatre as an inherently transformative art, where the encounter between performer and spectator can elicit reflection, introspection, and a sense of connection to transcendent realities. The present study seeks to explore and assess the capacity of language in Bahram Beyzaie’s The Death of Yazdgerd to align with Brook’s notion of holy theatrical expression. By focusing on the interplay between linguistic form and spiritual effect, the study examines whether Beyzaie’s text achieves a measure of the elevated, transformative experience that Brook associates with the holy mode. This analysis emphasizes that in holy theatre, language is not simply a tool for conveying a linear plot or delivering a straightforward message; rather, it functions as a means to evoke a heightened experience that is profound, transformative, and imbued with metaphysical significance. The study situates itself within Brook’s theoretical framework and applies his criteria rigorously to the textual fabric of Beyzaie’s play to determine the extent to which its language can be considered ‘holy.’ Drawing from Brook’s writings and conceptual foundations, eight core features have been distilled that characterize holy language in performance. These features serve as analytical touchstones, providing a structured approach to evaluating the text. They include qualities such as brevity, paradoxical construction, sonic resonance, symbolic density, imagistic power, and non-verbal suggestion, each of which plays a distinctive role in generating the experience of the sacred on stage. Brevity, or verbal economy, allows language to carry maximum weight with minimal articulation, intensifying the audience’s focus and opening interpretive space. Paradox introduces tension, ambiguity, and cognitive dissonance, encouraging spectators to engage with the text in a reflective and non-linear manner. Sonic resonance and non-verbal suggestion extend the impact of language beyond its semantic content, engaging auditory and bodily perception and creating a multi-layered theatrical experience. Symbolic density and imagistic power generate layers of meaning, encouraging interpretation on multiple levels and evoking archetypal and transcendent motifs. By combining these elements, Brook constructs a holistic vision of theatre in which every word, sound, gesture, and silence participates in the realization of the sacred, demonstrating that language alone is a dynamic tool capable of producing spiritual and emotional resonance that extends far beyond the literal. Among these eight traits, six were selected for the present study due to their suitability for textual analysis: conciseness, paradox, linguistic imagery, metaphysical resonance, non-verbal potential, and symbolic compression. These six dimensions provide measurable criteria for assessing the degree to which Beyzaie’s language approximates the qualities Brook associates with holy theatre while retaining the subtlety necessary to respect the inherent literary and dramatic qualities of the play. Each dimension is explored in depth, highlighting the mechanisms through which language can evoke spiritual awareness and transcendence. Conciseness emphasizes the deliberate selection of words, ensuring that each utterance carries layered meaning, while paradox challenges linear perception, inviting reflection and cognitive engagement. Linguistic imagery and symbolic compression allow the audience to experience multiple interpretive layers, cultivating an imaginative engagement with the text that resonates with the metaphysical dimensions of Brook’s conception. Non-verbal potential further broadens the sensory landscape of the performance, offering additional avenues for experiential depth and resonance beyond the semantic plane. The findings indicate that The Death of Yazdgerd exhibits a significant affinity with the principles of holy language in multiple domains. The play demonstrates a high degree of verbal economy, with approximately 95% of its language reflecting conciseness and precision. Such economy ensures that each word carries deliberate intention, enabling the audience to engage more deeply with the resonances and implications of speech. Moreover, paradoxical structures, which juxtapose seemingly incompatible ideas or create conceptual tension, constitute roughly 52% of the analyzed material, underscoring the play’s alignment with Brook’s emphasis on contradiction and tension as conduits for transcendence. These paradoxes serve not only to destabilize the ordinary cognitive framework of the audience but also to open interpretive pathways toward spiritual and symbolic understanding. This strategic tension functions as a bridge, connecting narrative and symbolic content to the elevated aesthetic experience that Brook identifies as central to holy theatre. However, the study also identifies limitations in the play’s deployment of other critical features of holy language. Linguistic imagery and mental visualization, which in Brook’s model function to evoke internal landscapes, archetypal scenes, and imaginative engagement, appear with relatively reduced frequency, approximately 24%. While the imagery that is present is vivid and effective, its comparative sparseness may limit the overall impact of the text in transporting the audience fully into a sacred or transcendent space. Likewise, the use of non-verbal or musical elements, which are pivotal in Brook’s holistic model for enhancing the sensory and multisensory dimension of performance, comprises only 8% of the textual strategies. This suggests that auditory, gestural, and non-verbal avenues for evoking a heightened theatrical experience are underutilized in Beyzaie’s play, potentially constraining the multidimensional impact of the performance on the audience’s perception. Such limitations highlight the challenges inherent in translating Brook’s theoretical constructs into a specific cultural and performative context, particularly within the linguistic and dramaturgical conventions of Iranian theatre. A further element affecting the realization of holy language in The Death of Yazdgerd is the presence of violent language and motifs, which account for roughly 15% of the script. While Brook acknowledges that the depiction of violence is not inherently incompatible with holy theatre, its unmediated or stark presentation can conflict with the contemplative and transformative aims associated with the holy mode. In this context, violent or aggressive language may interrupt the spiritual cadence or reflective engagement that characterizes a fully realized holy theatrical experience. The presence of such language introduces tension between the text’s poetic aspirations and its narrative content, creating an effect that is compelling yet occasionally discordant with Brook’s ideal of sustained spiritual resonance. In conclusion, this study finds that approximately 65% of the language in The Death of Yazdgerd aligns with the principles of holy theatre as articulated by Peter Brook. The play demonstrates a partial yet significant movement toward holy theatrical language, revealing Beyzaie’s sensitivity to metaphysical, symbolic, and spiritual dimensions within dramatic form. Nonetheless, the text does not fully embody the holy, remaining in an intermediary space that balances poetic expression with transcendent ambition. The language of The Death of Yazdgerd may thus be understood as a work in transition: a remarkable attempt to touch upon the holy without fully crossing its threshold, evoking reflection, wonder, and a sense of spiritual aspiration, while simultaneously acknowledging the limitations inherent in translating Brook’s abstract and rigorous theoretical constructs into a specific cultural and literary context. This extended analysis underscores the complexity, subtlety, and partial realization of holy theatrical language in Beyzaie’s work, highlighting both its achievements and the dimensions in which further alignment with Brook’s vision could potentially be explored in future studies. Furthermore, it emphasizes the capacity of Iranian theatrical language to engage with universal theoretical frameworks while maintaining its distinctive aesthetic, cultural, and symbolic richness, suggesting avenues for further comparative research between Western theoretical models and non-Western dramatic traditions.
Keywords
The Death of Yazdgerd
Holly Theatre
Drama
Peter Brook
Bahram Beyzaie
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  • Receive Date 16 February 2026
  • Accept Date 17 April 2026