The Devil and the Good Lord - Jean-Paul Sartre

Summary

Jean-Paul Sartre's play "The Devil and the Good Lord" (original title: Le Diable et le Bon Dieu) explores the existential and moral journey of Goetz von Berlichingen, a ruthless German mercenary captain during the Peasants' War in the 16th century. Initially, Goetz believes himself to be inherently evil and seeks to commit acts of atrocity to spite God and assert his own freedom. However, through a series of provocations, he decides to commit to absolute good, attempting to build a "City of the Sun" where all are equal and peaceful. His efforts inevitably fail, leading to violence, famine, and betrayal. Confronted by the suffering caused by his pursuit of absolute ideals and the silence of God, Goetz ultimately renounces both good and evil as external constructs. He concludes that God does not exist, and therefore, humans are solely responsible for their actions and must define their own morality through engagement with the world and with other people, accepting the burden of leadership and the necessity of action in an absurd, godless universe.

Book Sections

Section 1: Act I

The play opens in Worms, Germany, during the Peasants' War (circa 1524-1525). Goetz, a brutal and feared mercenary captain, has just captured the city. He is presented as a man driven by a profound need to assert his freedom and defy God through deliberate evil. He plans to massacre the inhabitants and burn the city to ashes. His half-brother, Heinrich, a priest, attempts to dissuade him, appealing to his conscience and divine judgment, but Goetz is determined to commit the ultimate evil, believing that if God exists, He must intervene. If He doesn't, Goetz sees it as proof of his own absolute freedom.

Goetz's men, including Karl, a revolutionary, and the common soldiers, are restless. The peasants, led by Nasty, are preparing a revolt. Goetz makes a bet with his lieutenant, Karl: if a dice roll goes his way, he will massacre the city; if it doesn't, he will do something "good." The dice fall in a way that he interprets as a mandate for good. He declares he will build a "City of the Sun" where all will be equal, releasing the peasants he had captured, including Nasty and Hilda. This sudden turn shocks everyone, especially Heinrich, who struggles to comprehend his brother's drastic change from absolute evil to absolute good. Goetz's motivation shifts from trying to be the most evil man for God to trying to be the most good man for God, still seeking to provoke a divine response and prove his own power through extreme action.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Goetz	Ruthless, intelligent, philosophical, prone to extremes, charismatic.	To assert his freedom; to provoke God; to prove his existence and significance through extreme actions (evil or good); to find meaning.
Heinrich	Priest, Goetz's half-brother, devout but internally conflicted.	To save Goetz's soul; to maintain his faith in the face of Goetz's blasphemy; to understand divine will.
Nasty	Peasant leader, intelligent, cynical, revolutionary, pragmatic.	To lead the peasants to freedom and equality; to survive and improve the conditions of the oppressed.
Hilda	Accused witch, marginalized, vulnerable, eventually a follower of Goetz.	To survive persecution; to find safety and belonging; initially, to escape being burned.
Karl	Goetz's lieutenant, a pragmatic soldier and aspiring revolutionary.	To follow orders, but also to understand the deeper implications of Goetz's actions; later, to lead the peasant revolt.
Tetzel	Corrupt banker/burgher, representing the established, hypocritical powers.	To maintain his wealth and power; to manipulate situations for his own benefit.
Catherine	A woman held hostage by Goetz, later becomes his lover.	To survive; to experience love and connection; later, to understand Goetz's radical shifts.

Section 2: Act II

Two years have passed. Goetz has established his "City of the Sun" outside Worms. He has given away all his possessions, land, and wealth to the peasants, establishing a utopian community based on love and equality. He forces everyone to work, shares harvests, and preaches charity. However, his efforts are met with disastrous results. The peasants, unaccustomed to such radical equality and lacking proper organization, are inefficient. The land is barren, the harvest is poor, and famine looms. Goetz's attempt to legislate love and goodness fails spectacularly.

The people are suffering, and many are dying of hunger. Goetz, in his attempt to be absolutely good, has forbidden all violence, even self-defense. This leaves the "City of the Sun" vulnerable to attacks from mercenary bands and the established authorities, who exploit their weakness. Nasty confronts Goetz, arguing that his absolute good is impractical and harmful. Nasty believes that true liberation for the peasants requires struggle, violence, and the overthrow of the oppressors, not passive love. He wants to arm the peasants and join the wider revolt, but Goetz forbids it, clinging to his ideal of non-violence.

Heinrich, who has become a disillusioned priest, is also present. He questions Goetz's methods and struggles with his own faith, witnessing the catastrophic consequences of Goetz's pursuit of absolute good. Hilda, who was saved by Goetz, remains devoted to him, despite the suffering. Goetz continues to wait for a sign from God, a divine affirmation of his chosen path, but the heavens remain silent. He is increasingly isolated and tormented by the failure of his project and the suffering around him.

Section 3: Act III

The "City of the Sun" is on the verge of collapse. Famine and disease are rampant, and the peasants are dying. Goetz, still clinging to his ideal of absolute good, orders them not to fight back against the approaching mercenaries. Catherine, now his lover, tries to make him see the reality of the situation, urging him to take action to save his people.

Nasty, exasperated by Goetz's inaction and the ongoing suffering, leads a rebellion within the "City of the Sun." He calls for the peasants to arm themselves and join the wider revolt against the lords and the Church. He forces Goetz to confront the consequences of his absolute idealism: by prohibiting violence, Goetz has inadvertently caused more suffering than he prevented. Nasty challenges Goetz to abandon his search for divine approval and instead engage with the concrete realities of human suffering and political struggle.

In a pivotal moment, Goetz experiences an epiphany. He realizes that God is silent because God does not exist. His attempts to be evil for God and then good for God were futile attempts to define himself against a non-existent entity. He recognizes that humanity is alone, responsible for its own actions and the construction of its own values. This realization liberates him from the pursuit of absolute, external ideals.

Goetz now embraces the human condition of freedom and responsibility. He decides to act, not for God, but for humanity. He takes up his sword again, not as a leader seeking personal glory or divine validation, but as a man committed to fighting for justice alongside the oppressed, even if it means embracing violence for a concrete, human cause. He kills Catherine, seeing her as the last obstacle to his complete commitment to this new, brutal, yet necessary path. He declares himself the leader of men, recognizing that leadership is a solitary, burdensome task, demanding decisive action without divine guidance. He prepares to lead the peasants into battle, taking on the burden of collective human action and responsibility.

Genre

Philosophical drama, existentialist drama, historical drama.

Author Details

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, political activist, literary critic, and biographer. He was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism and phenomenology, and one of the leading figures in 20th-century French philosophy. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964 but declined it, stating that a writer should not allow himself to be transformed into an institution. His work often explores themes of freedom, responsibility, authenticity, bad faith, and the absence of God. Notable works include Being and Nothingness, Nausea, and No Exit.

Moral of the Story

The central moral of "The Devil and the Good Lord" is that human beings are radically free and solely responsible for their actions in a world without inherent meaning or divine guidance. Sartre argues against the notion that morality can be derived from God or absolute ideals of good or evil. Goetz's journey demonstrates the futility and danger of trying to live according to such absolute, external principles. When he tries to be "absolutely evil" or "absolutely good," he inevitably causes suffering because these ideals detach him from the concrete realities of human existence and the specific needs of others. The play suggests that true ethical action arises from engagement with the human condition, choosing one's values, taking responsibility for the consequences of those choices, and acting for humanity without the comfort of divine sanction or pre-determined moral codes. There is no "good" or "evil" in itself, only human choices and their impact on others.

Curiosities

• Historical Context: The play is set during the German Peasants' War (1524–1525), a period of widespread peasant revolt in the Holy Roman Empire driven by social, economic, and religious grievances. This historical backdrop provides a fertile ground for Sartre's exploration of revolution, class struggle, and the role of the individual in times of crisis.
• Goetz von Berlichingen: The protagonist is loosely based on a real historical figure, Götz von Berlichingen (c. 1480 – 1562), a German imperial knight with an iron hand. However, Sartre's Goetz is a highly fictionalized character, serving primarily as a vehicle for his philosophical ideas rather than a historically accurate portrayal.
• Existentialist Manifestation: The play is considered one of the most powerful dramatic expressions of Sartre's existentialist philosophy. It dramatizes key Sartrean concepts such as "existence precedes essence," radical freedom, the burden of responsibility, and the "absence of God."
• Political Allegory: Beyond its existential themes, the play can also be read as a political allegory, reflecting Sartre's concerns about totalitarianism, the failures of revolutionary movements that adhere to rigid ideologies, and the complex relationship between individual agency and collective action. Sartre himself was a committed Marxist and an engaged intellectual who often critiqued both fascism and Soviet communism.
• Length and Scope: "The Devil and the Good Lord" is one of Sartre's longest and most ambitious plays, spanning three acts and a significant passage of time. It features a large cast and deals with grand philosophical and political themes, making it a demanding but highly rewarding theatrical experience.