Judges in the Plays of Albert Camus

JUDGES IN THE PLAYS OF ALBERT CAMUS DURING THE LAST DECADE, appreciation of Albert Camus has grown not only because of his skill as aliterary artist but also because of his insight as an examiner of our times. Much has been written about the political and ethical content of Camus' novels and essays, but while his plays have been examined for such well-known philosophical concepts as "the Absurd" and "Revolt," little attention has been paid to their social commentary. Camus was intensely concerned with the administration of justice and the legal systems in society. For example, his hatred of capital punishment is emphasized in La Peste,l Reflexions sur la Peine Capitale ,2 Le Myth de Sisyphe,3 CEtranger,4 La Chute,5 and some of his shorter essays. But evidence of his interest in law and justice also abounds in his plays. Consequently, judges receive much attention, and it is with these I shall concern myself. Though not all of those I shall mention are judges in the legal meaning of the word, most of them are in the sense that human lives depend upon their judgments. Before passing sentence on an individual, society must be certain that it has the right to do so, and that its judgments are free from error. In executing the law for society, the judge carries the burden of meeting these requirements. And I think Camus sees another necessity confronting the judge: he must remember he is judging human beings, not simply administrating legalities. The judges in Camus' plays fall into two categories, dependent upon whether or not they meet these requirements . On the one hand there are those who do not, those I have called the "arbitrary judges," and on the other there are those who do, the Camus rebels, the "just judges." What is probably Camus' most direct comment on the judge is found in CEtat de Siege.6 In this play the Spanish city of Cadiz is aroused from its quiet routine by the appearance of a comet in the sky. The comet, and a buzzing sound heard overhead, are interpreted as omens of evil and greatly disturb the populace. The governor reassures them that the comet it not a sign of war or any impending tragedy. He tells them that nothing has happened, that they have not seen anything 1. Albert Camus, La Peste (Paris, 1947). 2. Arthur Koestler and Albert Camus, Retlexions sur la Peine Capitale: Introduction et Etude de lean Bloch-Michel (Paris, 1957). 3. Albert Camus, Le Mythe de Sisyphe (Paris, 1942). 4. Albert Camus, L'Etranger (Paris, 1942). 5. Albert Camus, La Chute (Paris, 1956). 6. Albert Camus, L'Etat de Swge (Paris, 1948). 47 48 MODERN DRAMA May unusual, and that they should go home quietly. Two people remain skeptical, however. One is Diego, a student who emerges as the hero of the play; the other is a drunkard significantly named Nada. The governor's reassurances are quickly forgotten when one of the men in the city square drops dead. Doctors called to examine him discover that his death was caused by plague. The people are seized with terror. The efforts of the priest to quiet them are soon undone by the appearance of the Plague in person, accompanied by a secretary who symbolizes death. These two quickly oust the governor and seize control of the city. The nihilist Nada aids them as an administrator. As the city gates are one by one closed, Cadiz falls into a state of seige. The Plague controls the city by means of his bureaucratic administration and his power to inflict death through the secretary. It is Diego's sacrificial death which ultimately releases the city from the grip of the Plague. By choosing to die for the people of the city rather than to have life with his fiancee Victoria, Diego succeeds in a true Camusian revolt. Victoria is the daughter of Judge Casado, and it is through the latter's role that Camus makes his criticism of the judge particularly apparent. Casado makes his appearance early in the play, and what Philip Thody calls his hypocritical "bourgeois morality" is quickly revealed.7 The judge calls...