Marat/Sade

Marat/Sade

Marat/Sade, also known as The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, is a play by Peter Weiss. The play was first performed in 1963 and is a work of theatre that combines elements of historical drama and theatre of the absurd.

Plot[edit | edit source]

The play is set in the Charenton Asylum, where the Marquis de Sade directs a play performed by the inmates. The play within the play depicts the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat, a radical journalist and politician during the French Revolution, by Charlotte Corday. The action takes place on July 13, 1808, fifteen years after Marat's death.

Characters[edit | edit source]

Jean-Paul Marat - A revolutionary leader and journalist.
Charlotte Corday - The assassin of Marat.
Marquis de Sade - The director of the play within the play.
Simonne Evrard - Marat's common-law wife.
Coulmier - The director of the asylum.
Herald - The narrator of the play.

Themes[edit | edit source]

Marat/Sade explores themes such as revolution, power, madness, and the nature of theatre itself. The play juxtaposes the revolutionary ideals of Marat with the libertine philosophy of the Marquis de Sade, creating a complex dialogue on the nature of freedom and oppression.

Production History[edit | edit source]

The play premiered in 1963 at the Schiller Theater in West Berlin, directed by Konrad Swinarski. It gained international acclaim and was later adapted into a film in 1967, directed by Peter Brook.

Significance[edit | edit source]

Marat/Sade is considered a seminal work in modern theatre, notable for its innovative structure and its blending of historical and fictional elements. It has been influential in the development of political theatre and experimental theatre.