La cruelle fatalité de l’existence, ou la représentation du mal dans La Possession d’Henry Bataille

Summary

Henry Bataille’s name is often classified among authors who are fond of the poetics of “boulevard theater”, which seems to perpetuate the canonical form of drama. However, at the turn of the twentieth century, this theater underwent an undeniable crisis that undermined the very foundations of Aristotelian aesthetics, particularly those of action. The questioning of tradition is manifested primarily through a new approach to conflict, the origin of any dramatic intrigue, which evolves from a dispute between antagonists into a resolute intrapersonal confrontation unfolding within the troubled souls of characters grappling with acute suffering. While delving into evil and its scenic representation, Henry Bataille approaches this issue in an unusual manner for a French playwright of the late nineteenth century. In the play La Possession, we witness, on one hand, the expression of cruelty fueled by animosity between characters, and on the other hand, we observe metapsychological violence descending upon the poor, defenseless creatures facing the irrevocability of fate. If the first conflict (interpersonal) physically pits adversaries against each other—with physical violence being replaced by a battle unfolding on moral and psychological levels, the second one (intrapersonal) takes place within the heart and psyche of the hero, who, paralyzed by existential anguish, is torn between his fantasies and his relationship with reality.