Exit the King (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Eugene Ionesco
- First Published: 1963
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Absurdist
- Time of Work: The modern era
- Setting: The throne room of a king
- Genres: Drama, Absurdist literature
- Subjects: Death or dying, Kings, queens, or royalty, Existentialism, Life, philosophy of, Aging
Characters Discussed
Bérenger the First, the king. Costumed in a deep crimson coat and a crown, and carrying a scepter, Bérenger is both a human and a mythic figure. He stole fire from the gods, invented gunpowder, and split the atom. He built Rome, New York, Moscow, and Geneva and wrote tragedies and comedies under the name of Shakespeare. On this day, however, he is dying, and his kingdom and all nature are likewise coming to an end. Bérenger struggles mightily against death, passes through many stages, and finally fades into the mist.
Queen Marguerite,...
[The entire page is 584 words long]
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