NICHILISMO E INCARNAZIONE NEL PILATUS DI FRIEDRICH DÜRRENMATT

Abstract

Friedrich Durrenmatt realized his Pilatus in 1946, while he was imposing himself as the critical consciousness of the Second Word War's Swiss society. Durrenmatt used the Pilate's character metaphorically, according to a specific literary tradition (from the Synoptic and Apocriphal Gospels to Anatole France and Roger Caillois, and later, Michail Bulgakov, Mario Soldati and many others). By using languages and images drawn on theatrical representations, Durrenmatt used to focus on the protagonist's inability to rebel against the burden of the power. Moreover, Pilate acknowledged the divine identity of Jesus but he was incapable to accept it fully. After Jesus conviction and death, Pilate was condemned to live in doubt and fear almost like a new Wandering Jew.