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The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade

by Peter Weiss · 1964

This extraordinary play, which swept across Europe before coming to America, is based on two historical truths: the infamous Marquis de Sade was confined in the lunatic asylum of Charenton, where he staged plays; and the… more

16 quotes ★ 4.01 (5,189) Fiction

Quotes from the Book

Every death even the cruelest death drowns in the total indifference of Nature Nature herself would watch unmoved if we destroyed the entire human race I hate Nature this passionless spectator this unbreakable iceberg-face that can bear everything this goads us to greater and greater acts
27
We're all free and equal to die like dogs
25
Once and for all the idea of glorious victories won by the glorious army must be wiped out Neither side is glorious On either side they're just frightened men messing their pants and they all want the same thing Not to lie under the earth but to walk upon it without crutches (Roux, act 1, scene 19)
18
Long ago I left heroics to the heroes
10
Before deciding what is wrong and what is right first we must find out what we are
7
What's the point of a revolution without general copulation copulation copulation
7
Don't be taken in when they pat you paternally on the shoulder and say that there's no inequality worth speaking of and no more reason for fighting. Because if you believe them they will be completely in charge in their marble homes and granite banks from which they rob the people of the world under the pretense of bringing them culture. Watch out, for as soon as it pleases them they'll send you out to protect their gold in wars whose weapons rapidly developed by servile scientists will become more and more deadly until they can with a flick of the finger tear a million of you into pieces.
6
And the priests looked down into the pit of injustice and they turned their faces away and said, 'Our kingdom is not as the kingdom of this world. Our life on earth is but a pilgrimage. The soul lives on humility and patience,' at the same time screwing the poor from their last centime. They settled down among their treasures and ate and drank with princes and to the starving they said, 'Suffer. Suffer as he suffered on the cross for it is the will of God.' And anyone believes what they hear over and over again, so the poor instead of bread made do with a picture of the bleeding, scourged, and nailed-up Christ and prayed to that image of their helplessness. And the priests said, 'Raise your hands to heaven and bend your knees and bear your suffering without complaint. Pray for those that torture you, for prayer and blessing are the only stairways which you can climb to paradise.' And so they chained down the poor in their ignorance so that they wouldn't stand up and fight their bosses who ruled in the name of the lie of divine right.
4
These cells of the inner self are darker than the deepest stone dungeon, and as long as they are locked, all your revolution remains but a prison mutiny, to be put down by corrupted fellow prisoners.
3
What kind of town is this What sort of streets are these Who invented this who profits by it I saw peddlers at every corner they’re selling little guillotines with tiny sharp blades and dolls filled with red liquid which spurts fro the neck when the sentence is carried out. What kind of children are these who can play with this toys so efficiently and who is judging
3
OS QUATRO CANTORES Pobre Marat em tua casa cercada estás adiantado um século de nós Enquanto tine a lâmpada lá fora e tuas palavras se decompõe escorre-se em sangue toda a verdade que aprendeste,
1
SADE Olhai-os Marat olhai os antigos donos de todos os bens do mundo como transformaram em triunfo a sua queda Agora que lhes roubaram todos os prazeres O cadafalso guarda-os de tédio infindo Felizes sobem as escadas como se subissem ao trono Não é o cúmulo da corrupção
1
MARAT O que é uma banheira de sangue perto do sangue que ainda há de correr Um dia pensamos que algumas centenas de mortos seriam o bastate depois vimos que mesmo milhares eram insuficientes E hoje não podem mais ser contados ali e em todo lugar em todo lugar (...) Simonne Ouço o clamor dentro de mim Simonne Eu sou a Revolução.
1
Marat o que aconteceu com nossa Revolução Marat não queremos mais esperar até amanhã Marat continuamos sempre gente pobre e queremos hoje as mudanças prometidas.
1
The important thing is to pull yourself up by your own hair to turn yourself inside out and see the whole world with fresh eyes
Chorus: The Kings are our dear fathers Under whose care we live in peace The Kings are our dear fathers Under whose care we live in peace Marat: And the children repeated the lesson they believed it As anyone believes What they hear over and over again And over and over again the priests said Our love embraces all mankind Of every colour race and creed Our love is international universal We are all brothers every one And the priests looked down into the pit of injustice And they turned their faces away and said Our Kingdom is not as the kingdom of this world Our life on earth is out a pilgrimage The soul lives on humility and patience At the same time screwing from the poor their last centime They settled down among their treasures And ate and drank with princes And to the starving they said Suffer Suffer as he suffered on the cross For it is the will of God And anyone believes what they hear over and over again So the poor instead of bread made do with a picture Of the bleeding scourged and nailed-up Christ And prayed to that image of their helplessness And the priests said Raise your hands to heaven bend your knees And bear your suffering without complaint For prayer and blessing are the only stairways Which you can climb to Paradise And so they chained down the poor in their ignorance So that they wouldn't stand up and fight their bosses Who ruled in the name of the lie of divine right Chorus: Amen

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About Peter Weiss

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About the book

This extraordinary play, which swept across Europe before coming to America, is based on two historical truths: the infamous Marquis de Sade was confined in the lunatic asylum of Charenton, where he staged plays; and the revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat was stabbed in a bathtub by Charlotte Corday at the height of the Terror during the French Revolution. But this play-within-a-play is not historical drama. Its thought is as modern as today's police states and The Bomb; its theatrical impact has everywhere been called a major innovation. It is total theatre: philosophically problematic, visually terrifying. It engages the eye, the ear, and the mind with every imaginable dramatic device, technique, and stage picture, even including song and dance. All the forces and elements possible to the stage are fused in one overwhelming experience. This is theatre such as has rarely been seen before. Th

Book details

First published
1964
Genre
Fiction
Goodreads rating
4.01 (5k ratings)

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