Freedom or Insanity: Camus versus Suetonius

Steven D. Burham (Texas Tech University)

In the play “Caligula” by Albert Camus, Camus creates a character who has chosen to reject reality. The paradox of rejecting reality while having to exist in it is the main conflict of the play. This is not as simple as believing or not believing what happens in reality. As he is presented by Camus Caligula comes to know what reality is and decides after long and thorough thought that it need not and should not be accepted. The larger philosophical point of this paper is to question the rejection of reality, not in respect to the validity of such a rejection, but in respect to its causes and functions. How rejection is attempted and why rejection is attemtped will be explored.

The choice to center the play around a historical figure, and why Caligula in particular is an appropriate choice will be discussed. The issue central to understanding this choice lies in examining Camus’ source for his play, the historical account Caligula’s life by Suetonius. Which details of the play are historically attested events and attitudes, and which are supplied by Camus will be examined. Suetonius’ characterization of the emperor will be contrasted with the characterization used by Camus.

Second, to better understand the conflict of the play, three issues will be discussed: (1) by what means does Camus’ character Caligula reject reality, (2) why does Caligula reject reality, and (3) does Suetonius’ depiction of Caligula support Camus’? To answer these questions, we will (1) explore the character’s use of the ideas of power, freedom, subjection, guilt and innocence, (2) analyze how the character reacts to these ideas as they are applied to other characters of the play, and how he reacts to the effects of these ideas as they are applied to himself, and (3) investigate whether Suetonius provides similar examples in his account of the emperor’s life.