Eugene Ionesco "Rhinoceros": summary, analysis

When the Second World War died down, people all over the world began to wonder how it could get out so that fascism arose in the middle of civilized Europe. Most of all, mankind was concerned with the question of how clever, educated and kind people allowed the extermination of millions of fellow citizens only for the reason that they were of a different origin.

One of the first attempts to explain the rise of fascism and similar movements was made by the French writer Eugene Ionesco. "Rhinoceroses" (in another translation, "Rhinoceros") is a play in which he described the mechanism of the appearance in society of an alien phenomenon that gradually turns into a norm.

Biography of Eugène Ionesco

A playwright was born in Romania in 1909, as his father was from there and his mother was French. Since childhood, the boy spoke several languages, including French. With the onset of the First World Relations between the parents, the boy was spoiled, and they parted. Mother took the children and went to their homeland, to France.

When Eugene Ionesco grew up, he tried to live with his father in Romania. Here he entered the University of Bucharest, planning to teach French. But in 1938 he returned to his mother's homeland and stayed to live in Paris forever.

Ionesco wrote his first poems in Romanian, and over the years of his life in Romania he began to forget French, so that, having returned to France, he had to learn the second native language again.

Becoming a playwright

Even while studying in Bucharest, Eugene found the birth of the popularity of pro-fascist movements. However, this enthusiasm of the people seemed wild to the playwright himself, later this experience became the theme of "Rhinoceroses" and other of his works.

Returning to Paris, Ionescu wrote a thesis about Charles Baudelaire, and also actively engaged in writing his own works. The most glorified Ionesco plays, but he also wrote stories and essays.

As a playwright Eugene made his debut in 1950 with the play "Bald Singer", which he wrote under the influence of a self-taught English teacher. It was this work that became a classic example of the "theater of the absurd" - the literary trend, which Ionesco adhered to in his work.

Eugene Ionesco died in March 1994. The most popular among the creative legacy were Ionesko's plays "Rhinoceros", "Bald Singer", "Chairs", "Disinterested Killer", "Macbeth", "Air Transition" and others.

The origins of the play "Rhinoceros" ("Rhinoceroses")

After the success of his first play, the playwright actively honed his ability to write in the genre of absurdity and paradox. Denying the realism of theatrical productions, he believed that it was necessary to return to the roots, when all the plays were full of hidden symbols and half-hints. In the late fifties, when Europe slowly recovered after the war, many began to think about the reasons for the appearance of fascism, for fear of a repetition of such a tragedy. Being an opponent of any totalitarian system since the time of training in Romania, no one knew the theme of Eugene Ionesco. "Rhinos" ("Rhinoceros") - the so-called his new play, published in 1959. In the same year, she was staged at the theater in Dusseldorf.

Eugene Ionesco "Rhinoceroses": a summary

The play consists of three acts. In the first near the cafe in the square sit two comrades, Jean and Beranger. Jean chastises his friend, who apparently drank a lot yesterday and had not yet recovered. Suddenly, a rhinoceros runs past them. Everyone around is frightened and discussing this outrageous event, expressing their indignation. Only Beranger indifferent to everything, while the cafe does not include the charming Daisy, in which the man is in love. Meanwhile, Jean reads his morals about the correct way of life and in the end Beranger agrees to devote tonight to cultural development.

Suddenly you hear a rumble and it turns out that the rhino has just crushed the mistress's cat. Everyone argues about how many rhinoceroses there were, and how they looked. Beranger unexpectedly states that nothing could be considered in the dust that the running rhino had raised. Jean takes offense at him, insults and leaves. A frustrated man orders a drink and decides to abandon the planned cultural program.

The second act of Ionesco's play "The Rhinoceros" unfolds in the service of Beranger in the office. Here, everyone is actively discussing rhinoceroses and an inexplicable increase in their number. They argue, quarrel, express different opinions, until they realize that their co-worker Beth never came to work.

Soon his wife comes and tells them with horror about the loss of her husband, followed by a giant rhinoceros. Suddenly, Madame recognizes her husband in it, and the beast answers her call. Sitting on his back, she leaves home.

Daisy calls firefighters to help the employees of the office go down, as the rhinoceros Beth broke the ladder. It turns out that there are already a huge number of rhinoceroses in the city, and their number is growing.

One of the workers, Dudar suggests Berenger to go for a drink together, but he refuses, since he decides to go to Jean and make up with him.

Arriving at the apartment of a friend, Beranger sees that he is not well. Gradually, almost in front of the hero's eyes, his friend turns into a rhinoceros. A frightened man is calling his neighbor to help, but he has already become a beast himself. Looking out the window, Beranger sees that on the street a lot of rhinoceroses are already crushing benches. In fright, he runs away to his house.

The third action of the play by Eugène Ionesco "Rhinoceros" takes place in the apartment of Beranger.

He feels sick, and his co-worker Dudar comes to him. During the conversation, Beranger all the time seems that he himself turns into a rhinoceros. It terrifies him terribly. However, the guest reassures the man, saying that this is normal, because the rhinoceros are quite nice, although slightly uncouth creatures. It turns out that many respected residents of the city, in particular Logic, have long been rhinoceroses and feel great. Beranger is terrified that so noble and sensible citizens have chosen this path.

In the meantime, Daisy comes running into the apartment. She tells the men that their boss has also become a rhino, so as not to lag behind this now fashionable phenomenon. Beranger reflects on the fact that rhinos can somehow be isolated from people in order to stop the growth of their population, but the guests convince him that the relatives of rhinos will be against, as well as animal rights advocates.

Dudara is clearly sympathetic to Daisy, though he is jealous of her towards Beranger, so he leaves his interlocutors and himself turns into a rhino voluntarily.

The two remaining Daisy and Beranger are frightened, as the roar of animals is heard everywhere, even on the radio. Soon the girl changes her mind, deciding that the rhinoceroses are worthy of respect and, getting a slap in the face of the indignant Beranger, goes into the herd.

The man remains alone, he thinks about whether he should be a rhino. As a result, he is looking for a gun, ready to defend himself to the last.

The protagonist of the play is Beranger

All the action that takes place in Ionesco's "Rhinoceros" is centered around Beranger.

Against the background of other respectable residents of the town, he seems an outcast. Unkempt, not punctual, often speaking inappropriately, a man irritates others, even the best friend of Jean. At the same time, he does not harm anyone at all, except to himself.

However, with the development of the action it turns out that the main fault of Béranger is only that he does not seek to conform to generally accepted norms or fashion. So, when everyone in the cafe is busy watching the rhinoceroses, the man thinks about the girl he loves. In addition, he does not try to lie to join the team, and accidentally convicts others of lies.

In contrast to the rational inhabitants of the city, Berange lives with feelings. He is in love with Daisy and because of her does not notice the surrounding problems. In addition, a man who clearly looks like an alcoholic, appreciates the friendship much more than the correct in every respect, Jean. After all, to make up with him, Beranger refuses even to go for a drink.

Another difference is the feeling of inferiority. When in the city everything is still, the hero looks unfavorable against the background of others. And when all the inhabitants become beasts for various reasons, refusing to become a rhino, Beranger again feels different.

Eugene Ionesco "Rhinoceroses": analysis

If today the style of the play and the ideas expressed in it look ordinary, at the time of its appearance in the sixties it was something new, outstanding. This was facilitated by the fact that this play included all the features of the theater of the absurd, which Eugene Ionesco ("Rhinoceroses") singled out in this direction. Criticism took the play positively, in particular, they found this work anti-fascist. However, the author himself reacted negatively to such an interpretation of his work, arguing that his ideas were much broader, but everyone is free to interpret them at his own discretion.

In his work, the writer actively protested against any totalitarian ideas, turning people into a humble gray mass, destroying individuality.

This play clearly traces such features of the theater of the absurd as the negation of realism - all events seem fantastic and meaningless. Viewers and readers understand what happened, but why people suddenly began to turn to rhinoceroses (punishment for sins, tricks of UFOs or something else), no one knows.

Rational, pragmatic thinking, which Ionesco considered the fault of all problems, is also criticized in the play. The only incoming irrationally character, Beranger, remains invulnerable to a strange disease that turns people into rhinoceroses.

It is interesting that in his play Eugene Ionesco described all the stages of technology for the legalization of any phenomenon alien to society, which only in the nineties of the twentieth century was formulated and called the Overton window. According to it, any idea, even the wildest, for example, cannibalism, can be accepted by society as a norm, having gone through six stages: unthinkable, radical, acceptable, reasonable, standard and normal.

Scenic fate of the play

After his magnificent performance in the Paris theater "Odeon" in 1960 was staged in many countries of the world drama "Rhinoceros". The play was initially perceived as anti-fascist, so at the premiere, some characters were dressed in a German military uniform. But over the years her perceptions changed, and new directors used different techniques to convey their vision.

"Rhinoceroses" were put on most of the most famous scenes in the world, and the greatest actors of theater and cinema were honored to play in this play. For the first time the role of Berange performed the French actor Jean-Louis Barro. Later this character was played by such famous artists as Victor Avilov, Kirill Pirogov, Laurence Olivier, Benedikt Cumberbatch and others.

The fate of the "Rhinoceroses" in the USSR

Having become a recognized anti-fascist work, after the premiere of "Rhinoceros" appeared in the USSR only five years later. The play was published in Foreign Literature. But it was soon banned, since the ideas expressed in the "Rhinoceroses", criticized communism and socialism. However, this did not prevent the spread of the play. Her text was copied, reprinted and transmitted from hand to hand. And the ban added unprecedented popularity to this work.

In 1982, a play was staged by one of the amateur theaters in Moscow. However, almost immediately after the premiere the play was closed, and until Perestroika was not allowed to be staged. However, after Gorbachev came to power, "Rhinoceroses" began their victorious march along the best scenes of the USSR, and then Russia.

Quotes from the "Rhinoceroses"

One of the integral elements of the theater of the absurd was the play of words by Ionesco. "Rhinoceros" (quotes below) contained a lot of verbal paradoxes. For example, thinking Logic about a cat.

Or a small dialogue about children:

"I do not want to have children." Such boring things.
"Then how are you going to save the world?"
"Why do you need to save him?"

Also, the hero's reflections on the truth are deep: "Evil is sometimes caused accidentally, not at all wishing it, or you unintentionally encourage it."

After more than fifty years after the premiere of the play Ionesco "Rhinoceros" is still not losing its relevance and is put in many theaters of the world.