The
Coronation (Le Couronnement)
by Fernando Arrabal — Character Analysis
The characters in The
Coronation (Le Couronnement) do not develop like characters in conventional
realistic drama. They exist within an unusual, dreamlike world where identity,
relationships, and behaviour are constantly changing. Their actions are often
exaggerated, irrational, and disturbing, and they frequently function as parts
of the play's larger atmosphere of absurdity and uncertainty.
Giafar
Giafar is the central figure of the play and
the character through whose experiences much of the strange action is
presented. At the beginning, he appears primarily as a lover who is emotionally
attached to Sylda. His affection for her leads him into the mysterious
situation that eventually places him in a position of helplessness.
Giafar's most
important characteristic is his vulnerability. He is repeatedly
subjected to imprisonment, humiliation, manipulation, and cruelty. Instead of
controlling events, he is forced to react to situations whose rules he cannot
understand. His physical captivity also reflects his psychological inability to
escape the strange world surrounding him.
As the play
progresses, Giafar becomes increasingly separated from the ordinary assumptions
of everyday life. He tries to understand the people around him, but their
behaviour constantly defeats his attempts at rational interpretation. His
experience therefore makes him an important representation of the individual
confronted by an irrational and unpredictable existence.
Sylda
Sylda is one of the most complex and
disturbing figures in the play. She is initially presented as the object of
Giafar's love, but her role quickly becomes much more ambiguous. She can appear
affectionate and vulnerable at one moment and controlling or cruel at another.
Her apparent death
and subsequent return to life establish her as a figure associated with transformation
and uncertainty. She cannot be understood simply as a conventional romantic
heroine. Her relationship with Giafar continually shifts between intimacy and
domination, making her both the focus of his desire and a source of his
suffering.
Sylda's connection
with Arlys further complicates her identity. Through this connection, the play
questions whether identity is stable and whether a person can be understood
through a single fixed role. Sylda therefore embodies much of the uncertainty
that defines the dramatic world of the play.
Arlys
Arlys is a mysterious figure whose
significance lies particularly in her connection with Sylda. Her presence makes
the boundaries between separate identities increasingly uncertain. Rather than
functioning simply as an independent character, she contributes to the play's
exploration of transformation and divided identity.
Arlys also
reinforces the dreamlike quality of the drama. Her relationship to Sylda
prevents the audience from relying completely on appearances or conventional
explanations. Through her, the play creates a world in which one identity may
overlap with another and where familiar distinctions become unstable.
Sylda's
Father
Sylda's Father represents a distorted form of family
authority. In a conventional drama, a father might provide protection,
discipline, or stability. Here, however, his presence does not restore order to
the situation surrounding Giafar and Sylda.
His participation in
the strange events demonstrates the breakdown of normal family structures.
Instead of standing outside the disturbing world of the play, he becomes part
of it. His character consequently contributes to the sense that ordinary
sources of authority and security have lost their familiar meaning.
Sylda's
Mother
Sylda's Mother similarly belongs to the distorted
family environment of the play. Her presence reinforces the idea that the
strange behaviour surrounding Giafar and Sylda is not limited to the central
relationship but extends into the wider family structure.
She does not
function as a conventional maternal figure who resolves conflict or offers
emotional security. Instead, she becomes part of the bizarre theatrical
situation, contributing to the play's atmosphere of uncertainty and
abnormality.
The
Two Men
The Two Men are secondary but important figures
because of their treatment of Giafar. They participate in his humiliation and
turn his suffering into something resembling a game. Their behaviour combines
violence with playfulness, producing one of the most disturbing features of the
drama.
They do not appear
primarily as psychologically developed individuals. Instead, they function as
agents within the strange system of domination that surrounds Giafar. Their
presence intensifies the atmosphere of cruelty and demonstrates how easily
suffering can be transformed into entertainment in the world of the play.
Overall
Characterization
The characters of The
Coronation are best understood as figures within an absurd and
theatrical world rather than as conventional realistic personalities. Their
identities and relationships remain unstable, while their actions frequently
move between seriousness, humour, cruelty, and ritual. Giafar provides the
central human perspective through his vulnerability, while Sylda represents
emotional and personal instability. Arlys deepens the uncertainty of identity,
and the remaining characters contribute to the distorted family and social
environment.
Together, they
create a world in which conventional roles—lover, victim, aggressor, parent,
and authority figure—cannot remain fixed. This instability is essential to the
dramatic experience of The Coronation and gives its characters their
distinctive, unsettling quality.
Comments