Kenneth Burke's concept of entitlement

The paper explores the ways in which Kenneth Burke's concept of entitlement can be applied to the study of theatre. In so doing, it suggests answers to two critical problems that must arise whenever a Burkeian approach to theatre is attempted: (1) the extent to which Burke's critical system can be applied beyond the realm of verbal language and (2) the distinction, often fuzzy in Burke's own writings, between critical and creative applications of his theory.

After an introductory section which sets forth the general functions that Burke ascribes to entitlement, the paper considers each of three different kinds of titles that might be connected with a theatrical (and, hence, a nonverbal) artwork. The critical title is a verbal label, provided by a critic and therefore external to the artwork, that describes unity within the artwork and provides a perspective from which the artwork can be discussed. The artistic title is an element within the artwork itself that sums up a range of emotional factors or identifications outside the artwork. The third sort of title, the artistic‐critical title, exists as an artistic element within the artwork but, as an embodiment of the total form of the work, serves also as a critical title in terms of which the work can be understood.