(EXISTENTIALISM) The State of Siege by Albert Camus

THEORY

EXISTENTIALISM

-The philosophical movement which emphasizes on individual existence, freedom and choice.

-It believes that the individual is accountable for their own actions and for giving meaning to their lives, despite the difficulties humans face.

TITLE | AUTHOR

THE STATE OF SIEGE BY ALBERT CAMUS

SYNOPSIS

Set in the Spanish town of Cadiz, The State of Siege is a play in three parts. In the first part a comet presages disaster for Cadiz . This disaster is the plague, depicted as a uniformed man accompanied by a female secretary Death . Plague takes over the city and Death takes names. Anyone who resists is struck off and struck down. The allegory is obvious, Plague is totalitarianism and death its faithful servant. Cadiz is closed down as Oran was in Camus' novel The Plague. In the second part we see Diego attempt to organize resistance but this fails and in act of desperation he takes an innocent hostage, sinking to the level of his enemy. In the third part we see a more effective resistance and Death hands over her book to the people who eagerly start crossing off the names of people they don't like, thus eliminating their enemies. How will Diego stop the bloodshed, reminiscent of the revenge attacks after the Liberation, and defeat the Plague and Death?

ANALYSIS

Albert Camus is known as a co-founder of Existentialism.

The play is trying to imply that if only people have enough courage to fight against the oppressors, they can definitely win but if they would allow the oppressors to victimize them, they would just become slaves.

Like what Existentialism believes, an individual is accountable for his actions- that's what the story is trying to prove.