L’œuvre dramatique pour interroger les questions de la condition humaine. Exemple d’Al-Muhimma (La Mission) de Naguib Mahfouz

Résumé

The Dramatic Work as a Means of Questioning the Human Condition: The Example of “Al-Muhimma” (“The Mission”) by Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz’s dramatic work adds a concise yet symbolically rich dimension to his better-known fiction. Focusing on “Al-Muhimma” (“The Mission”), this article examines how the one-act form, dramatic contrasts, dialogue, space and the changing relations of power among anonymous characters raise questions concerning the human condition. Drawing on reflections on absurdist theatre and existentialist thought, the study highlights the tension between freedom and responsibility, appearance and meaning, hope and despair. The protagonist’s encounters and failures gradually transform an apparently ordinary day into an allegorical trial in which the signs he has ignored return as moral and existential questions. The play thus emerges as a dramatic meditation on individual responsibility, the limits of human action and the search for meaning in an uncertain world.