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No Exit and Three Other Plays

No Exit and Three Other Plays

A Play in One Act
ClassicsDrama
Pages
60
Published
1958
Language
English

Synopsis

Three damned souls are led into a single room, expecting the fire and brimstone of traditional Hell. Instead, they find only a stuffy sitting room and each other for company. As the doors lock behind them for eternity, they slowly realize that the true torture will be the inescapable judgment of the others in the room.

Genres

Classics Drama Literary Fiction Philosophy Plays Psychological Thriller

Authors

J
Jean-Paul Sartre

A French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, existentialism, and Marxism, and his work continues to influence fields such as Marxist philosophy, sociology, and literary studies.

Characters

All characters in No Exit and Three Other Plays

Frequently asked questions

  • Is this book a novel or a play?

    This work is a one-act play originally written in French under the title Huis Clos. It was designed for the stage and premiered in 1944 during the Nazi occupation of Paris.

  • Why is the phrase Hell is other people so famous?

    This line encapsulates the existentialist concept of the Look, which describes the psychological struggle of being perceived as an object by another person's consciousness. It suggests that our identity is often trapped by the judgments and gaze of those around us.

  • Are there other titles for this work?

    English translations of the play have been performed and published under several different titles, including In Camera, No Way Out, Vicious Circle, Behind Closed Doors, and Dead End.

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