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- Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
- Kategorie: Bildung
- Serie: BrightSummaries.com
- Sprache: Englisch
Unlock the more straightforward side of Exit the King with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of
Exit the King by Eugène Ionesco, an absurdist drama which follows the king of the title as he struggles to come to terms with his impending death. The apparently absurd play, whose title gives away its ending, contains plenty of strange and humorous situations, but also gives the author the opportunity to reflect seriously on important themes such as death, destiny and human relationships. Ionesco was a Romanian-born French playwright and one of the leading figures of the movement known as the Theatre of the Absurd. He wrote many plays, including
The Bald Soprano and
Rhinoceros, and his work is still performed around the world today.
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Exit the King in a fraction of the time!
This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection
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Seitenzahl: 30
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017
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Eugène Ionesco
French dramatist
Born in Slatina (Romania) in 1909.Died in Paris in 1994.Notable works:The Bald Soprano (1950), playThe Lesson (1951), playRhinoceros (1959), playBorn to a Romanian father and a French mother, Eugène Ionesco arrived in France as an infant and was made a French citizen in 1951. Although he was born in 1909, he always claimed he was born in 1912 to make himself appear younger. His theatrical works (such as The Bald Soprano; The Lesson; The Chairs, 1952) left their mark on literature: today, he is one of the most performed French dramatists in the world. He wanted to make sure his works were understood, so he wrote many commentaries on them (including Notes and Counter Notes, 1962; Fragments of a Journal, 1967). He was elected to the Académie française in 1970.
Ionesco was the leading figure of the Theatre of The Absurd, a new theatrical genre which rewrote the rules of classical theatre in the aftermath of the Second World War (1939-1945).
Exit the King
An unconventional play
Genre: playReference edition: Ionesco, E. (1994) Exit the King, The Killer, Macbett. Trans. Marowitz, C. and Watson, D. New York: Grove Press.1st edition: 1962Themes: anxiety, death, destiny, royalty, marriageThe single-act play Exit the King was published in 1962. The fact that the title alone sums up its plot (in French this is even clearer: the title is Le roi se meurt, or “The King Dies”) highlights the fact that Ionesco is on the margins of the theatre and rejects traditional writing, like other representatives of the Theatre of the Absurd. This characteristic can be seen throughout the play, especially in its structure, and particularly at the beginning.
The play depicts King Berenger’s reaction to the fact that he will die in just over an hour. Although initially he struggles to believe or accept this, he ultimately becomes aware of this reality and comes to terms with it, with the help of other characters. By depicting the death of the protagonist, the author does more than simply tell the story of a man’s destiny; he illustrates the path towards decline that we will all go down.
Summary
A kingdom in difficulty
The royal palace is facing its first problems. The elements are growing rebellious: in particular, the sun now refuses to give out heat. The two queens are worried about this. Queen Marie is also overcome with sadness at the idea of losing her husband, King Berenger the First. The king is plagued by a range of illnesses whose origins he does not understand. Although he has always been aware of the finality of death, he still does not realise that it will soon be upon him. His first wife, Queen Marguerite, tries to reason with Marie, telling her that crying will not change anything. She says that it is far better to act for the good of the king, the kingdom and the people by remaining stoical and agreeing to tell Berenger the truth about his condition.
The doctor of the kingdom then offers his opinion: the decline in the king’s health and his impending death are inevitable, and hope is useless. A general decline is confirmed by the collision of Mars and Saturn, and by earthquakes. The kingdom is also falling apart: there are no more ministers, there are less and less children in the schools, and the earth is becoming sterile and beginning to crack.
