Drama Review

Slawomir Mrozek's Striptease :
󺸹̸ Ǹüũ [ƮƼ]

Mr. I and Mr. II as Archetypal Characters
Representing Two Polar Attitudes Inherent in Us

츮ӿ ϴ ΰ ش µ ݿϴ ιμ [ϳ] []


By Prof. Ryu Yung-kyun

Dept. of English Language & Literature
The University of Seoul
, øб а ( )

     A humanbeing is like a pendulum of a clock that constantly sways inbetween two extremities. ΰ ΰ شܻ̿ Ӿ Դٰ 鸮 ڸ ð谰 𸥴.He rarely sticks to one constant idea, mood, or attitude for very long.ΰ Ѱ , , Ǵ µ ϴ 찡 . He tends to move back and forth inbetween two extremes placed on a continuum of his cognition. ΰ ν Ӽ ش̸ܻ ϴ ִ . 

    Such a tendency is especially more conspicuous in young people װ Ư ε巯 -- let's say college students whose intellectual curiosity is at its height. ȣ л װ Ÿ.The amplitude of the pendulum is, in their case, probably the biggest. ð 鸲 Ǵ л ũ.In one moment, they leap with joy; ⻵ ٴٰ but right the next moment, they find themselves deeply depressed for no good reason. ƹ ̳ ⵵ Ѵ.On the whole, they are fairly optimistic; ü ̵ 翡 ſ ̴ ; but every now and then, they show the symptoms of a manic-depressive. ׷ ׵ ɰ ﺴ Ÿ.They are attracted by one viewpoint. ׵ Ѱ Ư ŷȴ.But it is quite possible for them to be deeply involved the next moment in another viewpoint which turns out to be quite contradictory to the one they just had.׷ ݵǴ ٸ ⵵ Ѵ.  

     Striptease (1961) presents two archetypal characters who succinctly represent such polarities inherent not only in young people but in people in general.󺸹̸ Ǹüũ ܸ [ƮƼ] Ӹ ƴ϶ 鿡  ̰ ѷϰ 뺯ϴ ι ϰ ִ.  I personally felt that this particular play could throw some light on the reality we are currently incased in. ѵ ν̶ ӿ ִ 츮 Ȳ 巯 ݰ ִ ǰ̶ . In my opinion, what this play is about is very much pertinent to the problems we are facing every day. 츮 ϰ ִ ſ ϰ ǥϰ ִٴ ̴.

       Slawomir Mrozek (1930 - ) is a Polish playwright who wrote a number of plays that could be notably placed in the European tradition of the theatre of the absurd.󺸹̸ Ǹüũ(1930 -    ) ӿ ǰ ſ ǰ ϴ ǰ ۰.   In one of his plays which is titled "Striptease," two characters -- a Mr. I, an intellectual; a Mr. II, an activist -- are thrown by an unknown force into a basement room with only two doors and two chairs. װ ǰ ϳμ [ƮƼ] ǰ [ϳ] ൿ []̶  ִ Ͻǿ з 鼭 ۵ȴ. The men are identical in appearance. ܰ߻ .They act as a foil to each other.̵ ΰ θ ߴ ſ(foil) . Like the two sides of a coin, they look very much alike. ó, ׵ ſ ϸ鼭 Yet, they present a curious contrast to each other in terms of their personalities and their actions dictated by them. ̳ ̿ ൿĿ ־ ſ Ư Ÿ.They have never veered from their smooth course in life. ׵ ² ź λ ƿ԰ ű⿡  . Now that they find themselves forced into an unexpected situation, ׷ ׵   Ȳӿ Ǿ.they attempt to understand this situation, each utilizing his characteristic method of reasoning. ׵ Ͽ ̰ Ȳ Ϸ ־.

   Mr. I is a passive type, who believes in his "inner freedom."  [ϳ] " " ϴ ι̴. He claims that their main task be to preserves their calm and their personal dignity in order to remain in control of the situation. ״ Ȳ Ϸ ħ ϴ ̶ּ Ѵ. He contends that if he left right now while the doors are still open, he would limit the idea of freedom. ״ Ͻǿ ִ ٸ Ѱ踦 ϴ ȴٰ Ѵ.He explains his idea of freedom as follows: ״ װ ϴ Ѵ : He says, "What is freedom? It is the capacity of making a choice.״ " ΰ?" [] ִ ɷ̶ ڹڴѴ. As long as I am sitting here, knowing that I can walk out of this door, I am free. But as soon as I get up and walk out, I have already made my choice. I have limited the possible course of action. I have lost my freedom. I become the slave of my own locomotion." ̾ ״ " ִٴ ˸鼭 ̷ ɾ ִ, Ӵ. ׷ Ͼ , ̹ ϴ¼̰ ׷Ƿ ൿ ׸ŭ ϴ ȴ. Ұ ȴ. ڽ 뿹 ȴ." Ѵ.

     Mr. II, practical and banal, vehemently defies Mr. I's idea of freedom ̰ [] [ϳ] ̰ ϰ ݹѴ.saying that sitting and not walking out is just another way of making a choice.״ ɾƼ ʴ ϳ ̶ Ѵ. Declaring that he believes in "external freedom," he is about to leave the room. But before he even hits the door, it close slowly upon him. ״ " " ϴ´ٰ ϰ 濡 Ѵ. ׷ װ ó ʿ ϱ⵵ õõ .

     A series of event follow this. ̾ Ϸ ǵ Ͼ.  Mr. II, being an activist, tries every possible means that he can think of in order to get out of this pent-up situation.ൿ [] ˸ ⱸ ʴ ̰ ﴭ Ȳ  װ س ִ ˴ ϰ ̰  õѴ. He knocks on the wall, sings, ε ūҸ 뷡 غ ҿ . and finally chooses "willingly" to be subservient to the Hand who appears each time and relieves Mr. I and Mr. II, in turn, of shoes, belt and suspenders, trousers, and jackets. Ź ū Ÿ λԼ , , ủ, , ϳ . ħ ״ "ڹ" ū տ ϰ ϰ ÷ϴ ƹ ҿ .    Thus, the Hand forces them to realize that their futures have been determined no matter what they do. λ ̷ ׵ ϵ  ϵ ̹ Ǿִٴ λ νϵ ū ϰ ִ ̴. Each time, the two blame what happens to them on each other -- Mr. II blames it on Mr. I's "idiotic theory" while Mr. II blames it on Mr. II's "vulgar pragmatism." ׷   λ Ͼ װ ̶ θ ϱ⿡ ޱѴ -- [] [ϳ] "ٺ ̷" ̶ [ϳ] ϰ [ϳ] [] " ǿ" ̰ ٰܳ [] Ѵ. 

     All this time, they do nothing but bitching, blaming and hurting each other. ٰ θ ϰ Ƴ ó ִ ϸ ϴ . The last appearance of the Hand leaves them handcuffed to each other and blinded by dunce caps placed over their heads.ū Ͽ տ ʾ ä Ӹ ڸ Ѵ.   It is not until then that they realize that they are after all on the same boat no matter what and who they are.׵ ϵ ̵簣 踦 ź ó̸ Ÿٴ ݰ ȴ. It is ironical that they don't realize it until they are physically bound together. Ͽ ϳ λ ڽŵ ü ϴ ſ ū ̷ϴ. Being frantic, they finally agree on a course of action -- that is to leave the room to follow the second Hand which appears just in time. ʻ Ǿ   ° ū ߿ Ѵ. For the first time in the play, they help each other groping for their briefcases and stumble obediently toward the second Hand. ؿ ó   ã Ѿ ں鼭 аϰ ° ū ̲´ ã θ ش.  Would they have a chance whether they are inside the room or out in the world? ̵鿡 ̷ ? ̵鿡 ѹ ȸ ? ȿ ״ ? ƴϸ ٱ   ̰ ɼ ? Is it not too late to face life as it is and try to solve the problems as they go through it? ִ ״ ޾Ƶ̰ ư鼭 ذذ ϱ⿡ ʹ ʾ? I think it is a compelling parable to life in general -- problems we now have and problems every living human being faces all the time. ǰ 츮  ſ Ѵ. 󺸹̸  Ǹüũ ܸ [ƮƼ] 츮 츮 ԰ ִ ϳ  ħ ż̰ Ǵ 'Ʈ ' Ͽ  츮 ް ִ ׸ ΰ ޴ ٽ 巯 ִ ̴. What could be done?̰ Ȳ 츮 ؾ ұ? The task of making choices is left to each of us. 츮 ؾ ִ. (THE SUNGKYUN TIMES) (հ б ڽŹ Ÿ)