The Absurdity of the Human Condition
The human condition is a subject that has been examined through a multitude of different perspectives. While there is no single objectively correct viewpoint, there are some that are more plausible than others. For many, one of the single most important and commonly accepted notions is that humans are beings of free will with the power to shape their own lives. However, many questions have been posed that argue the validity of this statement; do we truly have free will, or is it an illusion? Does a higher power control our every action? To explore this topic, I looked to absurdist film and literature, as I feel they present philosophy in a style that many can identify with. In Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, free will does not exist for the main characters, who have no control over the circumstances leading to their deaths. However, in Peter Weir’s The Truman Show, it is asserted that choice is a freedom that can be suppressed from an individual, but in the end, the human spirit will prevail.
Stoppard’s play is an interesting feat considering it is essentially another story (William Shakespeare’s Hamlet) taken into the perspective of different characters. In the plot of most other works, characters develop through making decisions and overcoming trials. In this play, however, absurdism rules, and the protagonists are instead forced to become almost passive observers simply along for the ride. Fate, it seems, is working against Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as a motif of unfavorable odds and missed chances recurs throughout the play. Introduced in the very first moments of the play, in which the two find that flipping coins has led to the same outcome time and time again, they find that many of their coincidences have uncanny results and implications. Coincidences such as meeting up with the group of tragedians whose performance seems oddly familiar in that the group performs Hamlet and predicts the deaths of the two. Despite all the warnings they are given, when the time finally arrives and they are absolutely certain of their fate, they simply accept it and move on. Right before their demise, Rosencrantz remarks, “I don’t care. I’ve had enough. To tell you the truth, I’m relieved,” (Stoppard, Act 3). Their lack of control becomes an exhausting and exasperating matter for the two, but despite this, their fear of death is still apparent, as it is mentioned multiple times. “Death followed by eternity… the worst of both worlds. It is a terrible thought,” (Stoppard, Act 2). Without the power to make meaningful decisions, life is pointless. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are given no options, they are given no control, and consequently, made to feel hopeless. Their situation, however, is believed to be the product of uncontrollable variables, outcomes that they had no input in to begin with. This echoes the common absurdist belief of trying to create meaning where none can be found. In a world where you can’t have any choice, you are stuck with random chance. “Life is a gamble, at terrible odds―if it was a bet you wouldn’t take it,” (Stoppard, Act 3).
Truman Burbank is a man who has been constantly filmed on television from the moment he was born, essentially living in a simulation of utopia for thirty years. However, when his father who had been presumed dead suddenly returns, Truman begins questioning everything he knows about his life, eventually gaining the courage to escape from his world. The concept of filming the mundane events of an average man’s life is absurd in itself, but the concept of creating an enormous dome and making an enormous set whilst not informing the main character of his involvement is even more so. Aside from posing metaphysical questions, however, evidence of the film’s philosophical message can be seen in abundance. For example, Truman’s love interest, Silvia, wears a pin that reads, “How’s it going to end?” The statement most likely refers to the television show, as she showed support towards freeing Truman from the set, but it could also be indicative of Truman’s life, or life in general, as a whole. Indeed, much of the film reflects upon the common fear of the unknown that everyone innately feels. Another thought-provoking excerpt comes from Christof, the director of Truman’s “life.” He states that, “We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.” For a long time, his sentiments prove to be accurate in Truman’s case, but his sense of adventure is never quelled, even after trauma and years of obstacles. This quote can also be related back to Stoppard’s play, in that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not attempt to change the course of their fates. While they may question about the condition of their world, they never take action to stop the future from coming.
An individual’s ability to form their own decisions is integral to their success, as demonstrated in the two scenarios presented here. Aside from assisting in self-actualization, however, choice represents mankind’s greatest power, and what makes every individual unique. In many respects, it is the essence of the human condition; what sets us apart from every other living thing is our ability to control the outcome of our life.
Stoppard’s play is an interesting feat considering it is essentially another story (William Shakespeare’s Hamlet) taken into the perspective of different characters. In the plot of most other works, characters develop through making decisions and overcoming trials. In this play, however, absurdism rules, and the protagonists are instead forced to become almost passive observers simply along for the ride. Fate, it seems, is working against Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as a motif of unfavorable odds and missed chances recurs throughout the play. Introduced in the very first moments of the play, in which the two find that flipping coins has led to the same outcome time and time again, they find that many of their coincidences have uncanny results and implications. Coincidences such as meeting up with the group of tragedians whose performance seems oddly familiar in that the group performs Hamlet and predicts the deaths of the two. Despite all the warnings they are given, when the time finally arrives and they are absolutely certain of their fate, they simply accept it and move on. Right before their demise, Rosencrantz remarks, “I don’t care. I’ve had enough. To tell you the truth, I’m relieved,” (Stoppard, Act 3). Their lack of control becomes an exhausting and exasperating matter for the two, but despite this, their fear of death is still apparent, as it is mentioned multiple times. “Death followed by eternity… the worst of both worlds. It is a terrible thought,” (Stoppard, Act 2). Without the power to make meaningful decisions, life is pointless. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are given no options, they are given no control, and consequently, made to feel hopeless. Their situation, however, is believed to be the product of uncontrollable variables, outcomes that they had no input in to begin with. This echoes the common absurdist belief of trying to create meaning where none can be found. In a world where you can’t have any choice, you are stuck with random chance. “Life is a gamble, at terrible odds―if it was a bet you wouldn’t take it,” (Stoppard, Act 3).
Truman Burbank is a man who has been constantly filmed on television from the moment he was born, essentially living in a simulation of utopia for thirty years. However, when his father who had been presumed dead suddenly returns, Truman begins questioning everything he knows about his life, eventually gaining the courage to escape from his world. The concept of filming the mundane events of an average man’s life is absurd in itself, but the concept of creating an enormous dome and making an enormous set whilst not informing the main character of his involvement is even more so. Aside from posing metaphysical questions, however, evidence of the film’s philosophical message can be seen in abundance. For example, Truman’s love interest, Silvia, wears a pin that reads, “How’s it going to end?” The statement most likely refers to the television show, as she showed support towards freeing Truman from the set, but it could also be indicative of Truman’s life, or life in general, as a whole. Indeed, much of the film reflects upon the common fear of the unknown that everyone innately feels. Another thought-provoking excerpt comes from Christof, the director of Truman’s “life.” He states that, “We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.” For a long time, his sentiments prove to be accurate in Truman’s case, but his sense of adventure is never quelled, even after trauma and years of obstacles. This quote can also be related back to Stoppard’s play, in that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not attempt to change the course of their fates. While they may question about the condition of their world, they never take action to stop the future from coming.
An individual’s ability to form their own decisions is integral to their success, as demonstrated in the two scenarios presented here. Aside from assisting in self-actualization, however, choice represents mankind’s greatest power, and what makes every individual unique. In many respects, it is the essence of the human condition; what sets us apart from every other living thing is our ability to control the outcome of our life.
Works Cited
Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. New York: Grove Press, 1967. Print.
The Truman Show. Dir. Weir, Peter. Perf. Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Ed Harris. Paramount Pictures, 1998. Film.
The Truman Show. Dir. Weir, Peter. Perf. Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Ed Harris. Paramount Pictures, 1998. Film.