Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society
Rhinoceros and Other Plays: Includes: The Leader; The Future Is in Eggs; It Takes All Kinds to Make a World (Evergreen Original, E-259)
Through the absurd sight of an ordinary town turning into rhinoceroses, the plays expose conformity and the pressure of authoritarian thinking. It is among Eugène Ionesco's signature works.
Work Information
A book where laughter and nightmare coexist, defining the theatre of the absurd.
The gradual acceptance of the bizarre transformation makes collective psychology feel unsettlingly concrete. The book shows how Ionesco's theatre works as sharp social satire.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Grove Press
- Published
- 1994-01-11
- Pages
- 160 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 14.22 x 2.79 x 21.59 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780802130983
- ISBN-10
- 9780802130983
- Price
- 3096 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Arts & Photography/Performing Arts/Theater
In Rhinoceros , as in his earlier plays, Ionesco startles audiences with a world that invariably erupts in explosive laughter and nightmare anxiety. A rhinoceros suddenly appears in a small town, tramping through its peaceful streets. Soon there are two, then three, until the “movement” is universal: a transformation of average citizens into beasts, as they learn to move with the times. Finally, only one man remains. “I’m the last man left, and I’m staying that way until the end. I’m not capitulating!” Rhinoceros is a commentary on the absurdity of the human condition made tolerable only by self-delusion. It shows us the struggle of the individual to maintain integrity and identity alone in a world where all others have succumbed to the “beauty” of brute force, natural energy, and mindlessness. Includes Rhinoceros , The Leader , The Future Is in Eggs or It Takes All Sorts to Make a World
Reviews
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"My German engineer, I think, is a fool. He thinks nothing empirical is knowable. I asked him to admit that there was not a rhinoceros in the room, but he wouldn't" ~Bertrand Russell
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My first introduction to Eugène Ionesco's works. This was a great collection of works.
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"There are more dead people than living. And their numbers are increasing. The living are getting rarer."-Ionesco. Ionesco wrote this play in his traditional style, that is, using humor and the idea of the ridiculous to develop satire. Rhinoceros is a commentary on Nazism and a result of Ionesco's experiences with fascism, yet it is extremely readable, if one remembers not to take it to seriously. That being said, the lessons it offers are serious, concerning groupthink, the absence of rational thought in humanity, and the slippery slope to an unconventional, self-destructive conclusion. And yes, this book does contain plenty of rhinoceros, in a small town, stampeding out of control. Cue the ridiculous: enjoy!
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In high school drama class, a friend and I performed The Rhinoceros. It was great to read it again. It has a message that is just as relevant today.
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We can sometimes best recognize our plight through metaphor. Rhinoceros is about the German people in the 30s who actually were good people until they became Nazis by actions ordered by Hitler. These plays are a reflection of that time And for anyone who wants to recognize where we are in the history of our nation, this is an excellent display of how a great country was caught unawares.