''The Blind'' (), also known as ''The Sightless'', is a play that was written in

1890 Events January * January 1 – The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony in the Horn of Africa. * January 2 – Alice Sanger becomes the first female staffer in the White House. * January 11 – 1890 British Ultimatum: The Uni ...

by the Belgian playwright

Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count/Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize in ...

Information

It is an intense one-act play, which was one of the pieces mentioned in a list of

Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count/Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Lite ...

’s most characteristic plays. This list was highlighted in the speech given to honour Maeterlinck with the

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

in 1911. The play was originally written in

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

later to be translated into several different languages, such as

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and

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. The piece is not only a study of human condition in general but it appears to confront its reader with the effect of hope on the latter. Unlike most other theatrical pieces ''The Blind'' does not introduce its readers to readily shaped characters, but twelve de-personalised beings. These beings were not provided with names but titles describing their general condition, for instance ''the eldest blind man''. This method of writing gives an audience, or theatre professional an opportunity to read between the lines and interpret the piece according to personal desire.

has since been considered as the founder of a new type of dramatic writing, ''

Symbolism Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

''. Parallels have often been drawn with

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

’s ''

Waiting for Godot ''Waiting for Godot'' ( or ) is a 1953 play by Irish writer and playwright Samuel Beckett, in which the two main characters, Vladimir (Waiting for Godot), Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), engage in a variety of discussions and encounters w ...

'', which was produced in the mid 20th century and appears to construct a similar world of waiting and hoping, which is evident in ''The Blind''.

Translations and sources

*''The Blind'', translated by Richard Hovey (1894?) *''The Sightless'', translated by

Lawrence Alma-Tadema Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema ( ; born Lourens Alma Tadema, ; 8 January 1836 – 25 June 1912) was a Dutch people, Dutch painter who later settled in the United Kingdom, becoming the last officially recognised Denization, denizen in 1873. Born in ...

(1895?) *''Three Pre-Surrealist Plays: "The Blind", "Ubu the King", "The Mammaries of Tiresias"'' translated by Maya Slater (1997) *''I ciechi'', translated in Italian by Momo Longarelli (1913), edited by Casa Editrice Humanitas, in

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

Catalogue of Humanitas
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References

External links

Richard Hovey translationLaurence Alma Tadema translation
Plays by Maurice Maeterlinck Symbolist plays Plays and musicals about disability 1890 plays {{1890s-play-stub