Paul Ingram
Paul Ingram
Professor Marheine
English 1B, Tu-Th
25 March, 2013 Persuasive arguments of Marat/Sade
Peter Weiss develops an important philosophical dialogue in his play Marat/Sade, by mixing contemporary concepts with prominent french revolutionist theories. Jean-Paul Marat, a Jacobin, usually characterized as the voice of reason, justice, and equality, fighting for the liberty and freedom of the French people. While Marquis de Sade, a member of the Girondist, is viewed as a nihilistic, perverted absurdist, looking only to exploit and fulfill his sexual desires. This play is often characterized as an intellectual struggle between two powerfully radical revolutionists, debating heavily over the important central themes of the piece, Nihilism, Revolution and social justice, violence, freedom, and most importantly, equality. While Sade creates compelling and concise arguments that need to be considered, Marat is clearly victorious because of his positive expectations of the revolution and society as a whole. Sade argues that nature is a cold and “unbreakable iceberg-face” that is unmoved by the death of man, and he expresses his hatred for nature adamantly. But where Sade comments about his hatred for nature by saying “Every death even the cruelest death/drowns in the total indifference of Nature/Nature herself would watch unmoved/if we destroy the entire human race/I hate Nature” (24), Marat shows his optimism for the very same point in which Sade argues by responding “Against Nature's silence I use action/In the vast indifference I invent a meaning/I don't watch unmoved I Intervene/And say that this and this is wrong/and I work to alter them and improve them” (26). What Marat is conveying is that to be a Nihilist is to lack imagination, and to therefore intelligence. Marat believes that if life has no meaning, he will create meaning for it, therefore unhinging his possibilities. Where Sade simply gives up on trying
Professor Marheine
English 1B, Tu-Th
25 March, 2013 Persuasive arguments of Marat/Sade
Peter Weiss develops an important philosophical dialogue in his play Marat/Sade, by mixing contemporary concepts with prominent french revolutionist theories. Jean-Paul Marat, a Jacobin, usually characterized as the voice of reason, justice, and equality, fighting for the liberty and freedom of the French people. While Marquis de Sade, a member of the Girondist, is viewed as a nihilistic, perverted absurdist, looking only to exploit and fulfill his sexual desires. This play is often characterized as an intellectual struggle between two powerfully radical revolutionists, debating heavily over the important central themes of the piece, Nihilism, Revolution and social justice, violence, freedom, and most importantly, equality. While Sade creates compelling and concise arguments that need to be considered, Marat is clearly victorious because of his positive expectations of the revolution and society as a whole. Sade argues that nature is a cold and “unbreakable iceberg-face” that is unmoved by the death of man, and he expresses his hatred for nature adamantly. But where Sade comments about his hatred for nature by saying “Every death even the cruelest death/drowns in the total indifference of Nature/Nature herself would watch unmoved/if we destroy the entire human race/I hate Nature” (24), Marat shows his optimism for the very same point in which Sade argues by responding “Against Nature's silence I use action/In the vast indifference I invent a meaning/I don't watch unmoved I Intervene/And say that this and this is wrong/and I work to alter them and improve them” (26). What Marat is conveying is that to be a Nihilist is to lack imagination, and to therefore intelligence. Marat believes that if life has no meaning, he will create meaning for it, therefore unhinging his possibilities. Where Sade simply gives up on trying