''Caligula'' is a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

written by

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

, begun in 1938 (the date of the first manuscript is 1939) and published for the first time in May 1944 by

Éditions Gallimard Éditions Gallimard (), formerly Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française (1911–1919) and Librairie Gallimard (1919–1961), is one of the leading French book publishers. In 2003 it and its subsidiaries published 1,418 titles. Founded by Ga ...

. It premiered on 26 September 1945 at the

Théâtre Hébertot Théâtre Hébertot () is a theatre at 78, boulevard des Batignolles, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The theatre, completed in 1838 and opening as the Théâtre des Batignolles, was later renamed Théâtre des Arts in 190 ...

in Paris, starring

Gérard Philipe Gérard Philipe (born Gérard Albert Philip, 4 December 1922 – 25 November 1959) was a prominent French actor who appeared in 32 films between 1944 and 1959. Active in both theatre and cinema, he was, until his early death, one of the main ...

(

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanicu ...

Michel Bouquet Michel Bouquet (6 November 1925 – 13 April 2022) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1947 to 2020. He won the Best Actor European Film Award for ''Toto the Hero'' in 1991 and two Best Actor Césars for ...

and

Georges Vitaly Georges Vitaly, real name Vitali Garcouchenko, (15 January 1917 – 2 January 2007), was a 20th-century French actor, theater director and theater manager. The son of immigrants from the Russian revolution, he trained as actor from 1934. In 194 ...

and was directed by Paul Œttly. The play was later the subject of numerous revisions. It is part of what Camus called the " Cycle of the Absurd", together with the novel '' The Stranger'' (1942) and the essay ''

The Myth of Sisyphus ''The Myth of Sisyphus'' (french: link=no, Le mythe de Sisyphe) is a 1942 philosophical essay by Albert Camus. Influenced by philosophers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Friedrich Nietzsche, Camus introduces his philosophy ...

'' (1942). A number of critics have reported the piece to be

existentialist Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

, though, Camus always denied belonging to this philosophy. Its plot revolves around the historical figure of

, a Roman Emperor famed for his cruelty and seemingly insane behavior.

Overview

The play depicts Caligula, Emperor of Rome, torn by the death of

Drusilla Drusilla is a female given name deriving from the Roman cognomen Drusilla. History The name has its origin from the Latin cognomen (and later praenomen) ''Drusus'' which itself derived from the Greek ''drosos'' (dew). The diminutive "illa" t ...

, his sister and lover. In Camus' version of events, Caligula eventually deliberately manipulates his own assassination. (Historically, Caligula's assassination took place on January 24, AD 41.) Albert Camus wrote of his piece, "Caligula, a seemingly kind prince, realises upon the death of Drusilla (his sister and his mistress) that "men die and they are not happy." Obsessed by the quest for the Absolute and poisoned by contempt and horror, he tries to exercise through murder and systematic perversion of all values, a freedom, which he discovers in the end is not truly freedom. He rejects friendship and love, simple human solidarity, good and evil. He takes the word of those around him, he forces them to logic, he levels all around him by force of his refusal and by the rage of destruction which drives his passion for life." He continues, "But if his truth is to rebel against fate, his faculty is to oppose, and deny other men. One cannot destroy, without destroying oneself. This is why Caligula depopulates the world around him and, true to his logic, makes arrangements to arm those who will eventually kill him. Caligula is the story of a superior suicide. It is the story of the most human and the most tragic of errors. Unfaithful to man, loyal to himself, Caligula consents to die for having understood that no one can save himself all alone and that one cannot be free in opposition to other men."Camus, Albert. “Author's Preface.” Caligula & Three Other Plays, translated by Justin O'Brien, Vintage Books, New York, NY, 1972, pp. V-X.

Versions of ''Caligula''

The final version is the four-act version of 1944, first published jointly with ''

The Misunderstanding ''The Misunderstanding'' (French: ''Le Malentendu''), sometimes published as ''Cross Purpose'', is a play written in 1943 in occupied France by Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philos ...

'' then published alone in the same year. There is a three-act version of 1941, re-published in 1984, in the compilation ''Cahiers Albert Camus''. The changes between the versions show the effect of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

on Camus. The play is the basis for the 2006 German-language opera of the same name by Glanert.

References

{{Authority control 1938 plays Biographical plays about politicians Plays by Albert Camus Plays set in ancient Rome Cultural depictions of Caligula Plays adapted into operas Cultural depictions of Julia Drusilla