Rhinoceros

What our readers say

What’s it like reading the play now? How has it aged? 

The play remains striking even today. It masterfully captures the subtle shifts in social conformity, showing how individuals can adopt ideologies without even realising. The circular, nonsensical debates are both humorous and chilling. By Act Three, Berenger’s self-doubt amidst a majority of Rhinoceroses is a poignant commentary on the isolating effects of being an outlier in society. It demonstrates how one can start doubting oneself, not necessarily because they align with the prevailing views, but because they feel out of place for not doing so. However, there’s a brief racial slur that now feels jarring and unnecessarily alienating, indicating some aspects of the play haven’t aged well.

What does it tell us about the past and the present? 

Delving deeper beyond the surface, the play is a response to the French middle classes’ passive acceptance of Nazism, particularly their collaboration with the Vichy regime during WW2. It’s both a retrospective critique and a cautionary tale. At its core, it’s an exploration of human nature, revealing the ease with which people can conform, the speed at which it occurs, and the immense challenge of resisting such conformity. Its themes remain pertinent today, even if one doesn’t directly associate it with specific historical or contemporary events

If you like this play, you might also like…? 

The Bald Soprano by Eugène Ionesco, The Lesson by Eugène Ionesco