Monologue

Ragged Person Monologue from To Damascus

From To Damascus by August Strindberg

male · anguished · 1:03 min

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Is there anything wrong with it? (The people murmur.) BEGGAR (comes forward, supporting himself on crutches; he strikes the table so hard with his crutch, that some mugs are broken.) Mr. Chairman! May I speak? (He breaks some more crockery.) Gentlemen, in this life I've not allowed thyself to be easily deceived, but this time I have been. My friend in the chair there has convinced me that I've been completely deceived on the question of his power of judgment and sound understanding, and I feel touched. There are limits to pity and limits also to cruelty. I don't like to see real merit being dragged into the dust, and this man's worth a better fate than his folly's leading him to.

About this piece

The Ragged Person addresses a group, expressing disillusionment with a leader's judgment and a sense of injustice regarding the treatment of a deserving individual.

30s · sadness · power · merit · cruelty · deception

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