“The fate of a Cockroach” is an original three-act play by Tawfiq al-Hakim. The play is the author’s complete dissatisfaction of people of the Egyptian population and social revolution that occurred during the time. The play is a reflection of the author’s reality of life for humans. The play is controversial as on one hand al-Hakim shows cockroaches being like humans and, contrary to that, he contrasts humans with Cockroaches. It is still difficult to determine if the writer is trying to mock all the vices of population and the Egyptian people specifically or is the shining illustration of the use of absurdity into the story. The principal objective of the author is to critique his Egyptian administration and army for accurately describing the current state of the nation and the results of the culture and political life in Egypt and made the people confront the real issues.
Analysis
The play by Al-Hakim Fate of a Cockroach was first published in the year 1966. Al-Hakim affirms that man is not in control over his fate as the main concept in his story. The idea that one is in control of their destiny results in a desire for the pursuit of the knowledge or power. Using his male characters, Al-Hakim attempts to depict the character of man as self-centered, arrogant and obsessed with science. The ladies in his plays represent the humble nature of nature. The characters in the play queen cockroach and Samia are depicted as self-deprecating in the course of their husband’s self-importance. In the same vein, we all are faced with the fact that we are not significant within the world as fate’s powerful force is in control.
Although the ants are regarded as less than the cockroaches as claimed by the Savant since they are only concerned with food production They are the biggest threat to the survival of the cockroach. When a cockroach falls and gets caught on its back, an ant immediately attacks and carries the carcass away to be used to be used for food. This is paradoxical because, though insects are thought of as being small in the cockroach’s world, they are shown to be crucial in determining how the life of the cockroach will turn out. Following the announcement by the Minister of the death of his son there is the queen that states that a solution to the problem of the ants needs to be found, and the King says there is no solution. In addition, the King’s role is diminished because he is unable to take on this challenge or “fulfill his formal functions”(pg.8).
In the play, as illustrated by the cockroaches. A sense of superiority prevents them from changing their ways of the ‘lesser Ants’ and, consequently maybe coming up with a solution for their dilemma. In a moment of clarity the Minister makes a suggestion to the Minister “Armies. Ants are threatening us with massive army. If we could organize ourselves and gather in large numbers, we’d find it simple to strike them by scattering them and then smash them to pieces under our feet.”(pg.9) In the immediate aftermath, the King was looking for an army, however the nature of cockroaches doesn’t permit cockroaches join in the army.
The King suffers his fate when he stumbles and falls on his back while in the bathtub as seen by Adil and Samia. Adil is fascinated by the King( Cockroach) as he observed how the cockroach fights continuously without tiring. In this book, the author discusses the concept of learning lessons about life by observing the smallest things around us. The determination of the cockroach is highlighted, as the reader gets to understand the strength and courage shown by the insect as a life lesson. He faces his fate as he drowns in the bathtub, after which the ants take him to their food supply.
Discussion
