Le Malentendu and the Failure of Recognition, or Why “You Should Never Play Games”

In order to understand the critical failure of Le Malentendu, this study examines the philosophical tension in the play between the absurd and revolt. These super-imposed philosophies will serve to link, on a spatio-geographic level, the play’s theatrical setting and Camus’s own experiences at the time. In conclusion, Camus’s refusal to yield to the expectations of his public will be juxtaposed with the fatal issue of (non)recognition on the part of both the play’s characters and its audiences.