Sartre's major preoccupation, the struggle for freedom in a world whose orders and systems make any choices hard, is the key theme that links the three plays in this anthology.

Four seminal plays by one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century. An existential portrayal of Hell in Sartre's best-known play, as well as three other brilliant, thought-provoking works: the reworking of the Electra-Orestes story, the conflict of a young intellectual torn between theory and conflict, and an arresting attack on American racism.

The full French text of Sartre's novel is accompanied by French-English vocabulary. Notes and a detailed introduction in English put the work in its social and historical context.

Two women and one man are locked up together for eternity in one hideous room in Hell. The windows are bricked up, there are no mirrors, the electric lights can never be turned off, and there is no exit. The irony of this Hell is that its torture is not of the rack and fire, but of the burning humiliation of each soul as it is stripped of its pretenses by the cruel curiosity of the damned. Here the soul is shorn of secrecy, and even the blackest deeds are mercilessly exposed to the fierce light of Hell. It is an eternal torment.

First published in 1985. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The respectful prostitute. Four plays written by the French existentialist philosopher and writer addressing such topics as hell, racism, and conduct of life.