Harold Pinter The Caretaker Act Two [-pg.

.69] Pinter uses language and silence to create tension and subtle menace in the dramatic piece, The Caretaker. His use of rhythm dominates the mood of each circumstance, the central aspect to unlocking the secrets of his poetic style. At the beginning of Act Two, Mick uses rhythm, repetition and pace to intimidate Davies and dominate the situation. For example, Mick questions Davies for his name a total of five times within a startling short period in order to incite an almost immediate sense of apprehension. Micks composition of language is not hostile in itself, but it is his perverse use of amiable questions which creates a contentious and aggressive tone. Firing questions of repeated themes he alienates Davies. This, combined with the random monologues of obvious fictitiousness, provokes a dark and disturbing sense of ambiguity that fears for the future of the characters. However, we experience a bizarre menace as opposed to direct aggression. Mick is unpredictable, deliberately converting from friendly to aggressive tenor within unnervingly short periods. This can be seen when Mick asks Davies if he had slept well;
Mick: Sleep Well? Davies: Now LookMick: What Bed? Davies: ThatMick: Not the other? Davies: No. Mick: Choosy. Pause. (quietly) Choosy!

He presents Davies with a sense of familiarity merely in order destroy it. This perverse behaviour triggers speculation as to why Mick acts in such abnormal mannerisms. The health of his mental state is certainly questionable, although an underlying insecurity is equally likely. We can also see this concept reflected in the topic of conversation.
Davies: Your room? Mick: Yes. Davies: This aint your room. I dont know who you are. I aint never seen you before.

Mick: You know, believe it or not, youve got a funny kind of resemblance to a bloke I once knew in Shoredich.

Mick is clearly depicted as being in control of the situation. Pinter uses bold contrast of Davies modest and restrained disposition to emphasise the pure malevolence behind his terrorisation. He uses an unpresumptuous tone language, for example when Mick pronounces, You stink, Davies rejects the opportunity to retaliate with a similar insult and condemns Mick with, You aint got no right to . Furthermore, as Mick cut Davies off as he spoke, this proves his superiority despite Davies demonstrating a more developed sense of maturity. This intensifies the sinister and distorted state of Pinters world, as one would expect Micks almost unnervingly child-like mannerisms to lack success. Despite this, Pinter still manages to provoke humour in such obvious victimisation. Micks ludicrous stories (such as the description of his uncle who married a Chinaman and went to Jamaica) combined with Davies unassuming reactions, creates such a peculiar situation that the reader experiences guilt at finding amusement within such menace.