A Semiotic and Intertextual Analysis of Text Poetics and Allusive Structures in Sarah Kane’s “Cleansed”

Abstract

Sarah Kane’s Cleansed occupies a significant position within contemporary dramatic literature due to its radical engagement with language, violence, identity, memory, and symbolic transformation. This study examines the text poetics and allusive structures of Cleansed through a semiotic and intertextual analytical framework, focusing on how Kane constructs meaning beyond conventional theatrical representation. The research investigates the symbolic operations of language, fragmented dialogue, theatrical imagery, and embedded cultural references that shape the play’s complex system of signification. Using qualitative textual analysis, the study explores the relationship between poetic structures and allusive mechanisms within Kane’s dramatic composition. The analysis positions Cleansed as a text where meaning emerges through the interaction of signs, cultural echoes, and references to broader literary traditions. The research also considers Kane’s relationship with postmodern dramatic practices and the Theatre of Extremes, emphasizing how her work challenges established interpretations of human identity and theatrical communication. Through examination of textual patterns, symbolic exchanges, and intertextual dimensions, the study demonstrates that Cleansed functions not merely as a representation of suffering but as a highly structured poetic system where destruction and renewal operate as interconnected semiotic processes. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of Kane’s dramaturgy by revealing how allusive structures expand the interpretative possibilities of contemporary theatre.