Introduction
The French Resistance to the German threat is the force of good keeping France hopeful during truly dark and desperate times. The Resistance plays a substantial role in the “Europe-wide struggle against fascism” (Faucher and Humbert 209). Nevertheless, the movement should be more mindful of its inner philosophy and motivations. This article argues that despite William Shakespeare’s Hamlet’s cultural and philosophical significance, the French Resistance should not incorporate its nihilism and dejection as its inner ideology. Instead, it should turn closer to home and observe Jean-Paul Sartre’s philosophy of existentialism expressed in his work The Flies. Existentialism, as a movement focused on the actions of humans, can provide the Resistance with a much-needed perspective on the motives of the enemy and their role in the war (Zuraikat and Mashreqi 1). Thus, it will allow the members of the French Resistance to garner a better understanding of the human experiences of the opposition and their own.
The Flies, Orestes, and Revenge
The Flies is a play by Jean-Paul Sartre based on the Electra myth first introduced to readers by Sophocles. The piece retells the story of Orestes and Electra, two siblings who embark on the quest to avenge the death of their father, the king of Argos, Agamemnon (Sartre 55). Their revenge includes the murder of the people responsible for the killing of Agamemnon: their mother Clytemnestra and her husband Aegisthus at the end of Act II (Sartre 104). Although Orestes and Electra are united in their wish for revenge, they react differently to the deed after it is committed. Orestes believes the murder was a just act and rejects pondering whether it is morally right or wrong. In his dialogue with Zeus in Act III, Orestes says, “I am doomed to have no other law but mine” (Sartre 119). He refuses to let his act be interpreted by anyone else but himself and be judged for the act he deemed necessary for his future and that of the people of Argos. Although his revenge leads to him being exiled and abandoned by his sister, Orestes does not regret his choices.
Hamlet: Forced Revenge without Meaning
If the play The Flies dwells on human experiences and choices in the context of the act of revenge, William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, offers a different view. The protagonist is hesitant about avenging his father, the former king of Denmark. Hamlet himself fails to understand his unwillingness to act despite, as he mentions in Act II Scene II, having “the motive and the cue for passion” (Shakespeare). The young prince shows hesitance to act on the request of his father’s ghost throughout the play. It can be argued that Hamlet’s motivation is not his own and is meaningless to him despite a seemingly personal reason. Although he promises revenge on the ghost, he truly resolves to murder Claudius after his uncle tries to kill him and after the death of his mother in Act V Scene II (Shakespeare). Moreover, Hamlet shows little remorse for the deaths he causes, even joking about his murder of Polonius, stating that his body is safely stored (Shakespeare). Although he ultimately chooses revenge, Hamlet sees no meaning in it, his other actions, and his existence as a whole.
Existentialism vs. Nihilism
Existentialism exhibited in Sartre’s play is a more constructive concept than the nihilistic nature of Shakespear’s piece of literature. If Orestes exemplifies existentialism, Hamlet can be viewed primarily as the embodiment of nihilism. Hamlet acts with little convection or deep commitment, allowing his hand to be forced by different events in his life. He sees no value or meaning in revenge or death and has no purpose apart from that imposed on him by his father’s ghosts. As shown in Hamlet, nihilism promotes the absence of all values and the ultimate insignificance of human choices (Zuraikat and Mashreqi 3). Meanwhile, Orestes is highly motivated and dedicated to revenge and accepts responsibility for his actions. Existentialism teaches that individuals create values, and what is chosen is always the better choice (Zuraikat and Mashreqi 6). Therefore, the French Resistance should not surrender to what is imposed on them by other movements or groups but determine for themselves the values they are to follow. The movement has to realize that their actions are not without meaning and fight for the ideals they believe in while accepting responsibility for those acts.
Conclusion
In summary, existentialism offers the French Resistance a more sound and dependable philosophy than nihilism. Although The Flies and Hamlet portray similar events and outcomes, the protagonists of the two plays exhibit different attitudes to their choices. If Orestes is committed to the act of revenge and holds himself accountable for it, Hamlet sees no value in both the revenge for his father’s murder and accepting responsibility for it. The French Resistance should consider following Sartre rather than Shakespeare and incorporate existentialism into the movement philosophy rather than nihilism. Overall, the Resistance stands no chance of victory if it believes that its actions are meaningless and do not affect the lives of the French people and the citizens of all countries involved in the conflict.
Works Cited
Faucher, Charlotte, and Laure Humbert. “Introduction – Beyond de Gaulle and beyond London: the French external resistance and its international networks.” European Review of History: Revue européenne d’histoire, vol. 25, no. 2, 2018, pp. 195-221.
Sartre, Jean-Paul. No Exit: And Three Other Plays. Vintage International, 1989.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.” Project Gutenberg, 2021, Web.
Zuraikat, Malek J., and Sarah Mashreqi. “The Death of God in Sartre’s The Flies.” Acta Scientiarum. Language and Culture, vol. 42, no. 2, 2020, pp. 1-8.