Work · Jean-Paul Sartre
The Devil and the Good Lord
During Germany's peasant wars, Goetz turns from absolute evil to absolute goodness before encountering action's human contradictions.
Understanding the text
First staged in 1951, the play uses the German peasant wars to test moral purity against responsibility for people caught in historical conflict.
Key points
- 01
Absolute
Trying to be wholly good or evil may preserve the same narcissism.
- 02
Religion
Appealing to God can evade answering to affected people.
- 03
Action
Collective engagement requires abandoning guaranteed perfect innocence.
How to read it
Track what changes when Goetz reverses his ideal and then abandons the search for absolutes.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗