Weiss, Peter (Vol. 3) - Weiss, Peter 1916–
Weiss, Peter 1916–
A German-born artist and playwright now living in Sweden, Weiss is still best known for his play "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," known to English-speaking audiences as "Marat/Sade." (See also Contemporary Authors, Vols. 45-48.)
A tricky fellow, Peter Weiss. He writes or speaks in such as yet insufficiently explored art forms as the open letter and the interview, and has refined them to a point of Brechtianly artful dodging. He revises his political position and artistic intentions from one public statement to the next, and he has raised charges of misquotation, bowdlerization, and unauthorized publication to the level of dazzling rhetorical figures. Into this world of shifting meanings and stances, Weiss's play Marat/Sade fits perfectly. (I use the dehydrated version of the title; quoted in full,...
[The entire page is 2450 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
