Caligula (play)

Caligula is a play written by Albert Camus, begun in 1938 (the date of the first manuscript 1939) and published for the first time in May 1944 by Éditions Gallimard. The play was later the subject of numerous revisions. It was part of what the author called the "Cycle of the Absurd", with the novel The Stranger (1942) and the essay The Myth of Sisyphus (1942). A number of critics have reported the piece to be existentialist; however, Camus always denied belonging to this philosophy. Its plot revolves around the historical figure of Caligula, a Roman Emperor famed for his cruelty and seemingly insane behavior.

About

The play shows Caligula, Roman Emperor, torn by the death of Drusilla, his sister and lover. In Camus' version of events, Caligula eventually deliberately manipulates his own assassination. (Historically, this event took place January 24, AD 41.)

Here is the theme of the play presented by the author himself (in the U.S. edition of Theater in 1957):

"Caligula, a relatively kind prince so far, realizes on the death of Drusilla, his sister and his mistress, that "men die and they are not happy." Therefore, obsessed by the quest for the Absolute and poisoned by contempt and horror, he tries to exercise, through murder and systematic perversion of all values, a freedom which he discovers in the end is no good. He rejects friendship and love, simple human solidarity, good and evil. He takes the word of those around him, he forces them to logic, he levels all around him by force of his refusal and by the rage of destruction which drives his passion for life.

Caligula

Caligula (/kəˈlɪɡjələ/) was the popular nickname of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August AD 12 – 24 January AD 41), Roman emperor (AD 37–41). Born Gaius Julius Caesar (not to be confused with Gaius Julius Caesar), Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most beloved public figures. The young Gaius earned the nickname "Caligula" (meaning "little soldier's boot", the diminutive form of caliga, hob-nailed military boot) from his father's soldiers while accompanying him during his campaigns in Germania.

When Germanicus died at Antioch in AD 19, his wife Agrippina the Elder returned with her six children to Rome, where she became entangled in a bitter feud with Tiberius. The conflict eventually led to the destruction of her family, with Caligula as the sole male survivor. Untouched by the deadly intrigues, Caligula accepted the invitation to join the Emperor in AD 31 on the island of Capri, where Tiberius had withdrawn five years earlier. With the death of Tiberius in AD 37, Caligula succeeded his grand uncle and adoptive grandfather as emperor.

Caligula (moth)

Caligula is a genus of moths of the family Saturniidae. It is primarily an Oriental genus, found in India, China and Southeast Asia. The genus is often treated as a synonym of Rinaca. It is named after Roman emperor Caligula.

Species include:

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Caligula (musical)

Caligula, subtitled "An Ancient Glam Epic", is a stage musical which tells the story of the notorious Roman Emperor Caligula in the style of 1970s glam rock.

The musical's book, music, and lyrics are by Eric Svejcar. The musical was selected as a finalist for the 2003 Richard Rodgers Award. It was first presented publicly in May, 2004 in a concert production at the Zipper Theatre in New York City. The first full production was presented at the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) as one of the first shows of the inaugural festival. The production received the Golden NYMF audience award and played an extended run beyond the festival at the Theatre At St. Clements in New York City. The production was directed by Michael Unger and starred Euan Morton.

Subsequent workshop productions were presented in 2006 at the Actors Studio in New York City as well as further development in conjunction with Lafayette College in Easton, PA. In July 2009, a staged reading was presented (starring Morton, Anastasia Barzee, David Edwards, Autumn Hurlbert, and Matt Bogart) at New World Stages in NYC.