"Błazny" i zagadnienie teodycei
Here Come the Clowns and the Notion of Theodicy

Author(s): Agnieszka Woźniakowska
Subject(s): Literary Texts, Fine Arts / Performing Arts
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Summary/Abstract: The article attempts an analysis of Here Come the Clowns, a play written by an American playwright, Philip Barry, through the lens of the notion of theodicy. The question of the reason for and the meaning of suffering, understood as something evil, is often connected with the feelings of distress, helplessness and a sense of the imminent “end of times,” as well as with the experience of death, including the death of a loved one. Barry’s inspiration for the play is deeply rooted in his own experiences; the protagonist of the play searches for God in order to ask him about the meaning of human suffering. The question becomes not only an attempt at explaining or finding justification for the experience of suffering, but also an accusation towards God, who allows for the suffering to continue. God, however, becomes freed of all responsibility—in his dying breath, the protagonist reaches anepiphany that everything is dependent on man and his free will.

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