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The Prodigal Son: a dramatic renarration written by Norwegian author and philosopher Peter Wessel Zapffe
(1899–1990) in 1951, is a dramatized reproduction of the circumstances around the Jesus
figure, named Immanuel in Zapffe's play.
of Jesus
, influenced by the philosophical thoughts represented in the essay Den sidste Messias
(en. The Last Messiah) published in 1933 and Zapffe's philosophical treatise, Om det tragiske (en. On the Tragic) published in 1941. Zapffe asserts that Jesus, like most people in the past and present, misinterpreted what it means to be human on this earth. He intentionally solicited the betrayal himself in order to fulfill the Messianic prophecies, through which he wanted to apprehend what he considered his birthright: the throne of King Herod
. Zapffe thought Jesus was fully convinced he was the only living son of Herod Antipas, hence his only heir (except for Salomé
). Judas is a central character in the play, being Jesus' closest friend from childhood. It could be argued that Judas' speeches in the introduction are close to Zapffe's own views on Christianity
.
The play has never been produced because of its extensive requirements, including entire cities with massive buildings and numerous extras.
, Zapffe explains that the dramatic character of the material he gathered made him decide that a play was the best solution. Zapffe is said to have considered Jesus to be western culture's most tragic character, according to his findings presented in his treatise On the tragic (1941) and its definition of the objectively tragical.
His findings were later presented in his short biography of Jesus called Rikets hemmelighet (en. The Secret of the Kingdom
) of 1985.
Peter Wessel Zapffe
Peter Wessel Zapffe was a Norwegian metaphysician, author and mountaineer. He was well known for his somewhat pessimistic view of human existence and his philosophy is widely considered to be pessimistic, much like the work of the earlier philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, by whom he was inspired...
(1899–1990) in 1951, is a dramatized reproduction of the circumstances around the Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
figure, named Immanuel in Zapffe's play.
Summary
The play is a dramatic biographyBiography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, influenced by the philosophical thoughts represented in the essay Den sidste Messias
Den sidste Messias
Den sidste Messias , published in 1933, is one of Peter Wessel Zapffe's most significant essays as well as concepts, which sums up his own thoughts from his book, On the Tragic, and, as a theory describes a reinterpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche's Übermensch...
(en. The Last Messiah) published in 1933 and Zapffe's philosophical treatise, Om det tragiske (en. On the Tragic) published in 1941. Zapffe asserts that Jesus, like most people in the past and present, misinterpreted what it means to be human on this earth. He intentionally solicited the betrayal himself in order to fulfill the Messianic prophecies, through which he wanted to apprehend what he considered his birthright: the throne of King Herod
Herod Antipas
Herod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
. Zapffe thought Jesus was fully convinced he was the only living son of Herod Antipas, hence his only heir (except for Salomé
Salome
Salome , the Daughter of Herodias , is known from the New Testament...
). Judas is a central character in the play, being Jesus' closest friend from childhood. It could be argued that Judas' speeches in the introduction are close to Zapffe's own views on Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
The play has never been produced because of its extensive requirements, including entire cities with massive buildings and numerous extras.
Methodology
In the forewordForeword
A foreword is a piece of writing sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the writer of the foreword and the book's primary author or the story the book tells...
, Zapffe explains that the dramatic character of the material he gathered made him decide that a play was the best solution. Zapffe is said to have considered Jesus to be western culture's most tragic character, according to his findings presented in his treatise On the tragic (1941) and its definition of the objectively tragical.
His findings were later presented in his short biography of Jesus called Rikets hemmelighet (en. The Secret of the Kingdom
The Secret of the Kingdom
The Secret Of The Kingdom is a 1959 novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari about the early days of Christianity. The story is told through the eyes of Marcus, a Roman citizen who arrives in Jerusalem on the day Jesus is crucified. As he rides into the city he sees a distant hill on which three men...
) of 1985.