Largo Desolato by Václav Havel
**Largo Desolato** is a play by Václav Havel, written in 1985, that explores themes of identity, political dissent, and existential anxiety in the context of totalitarianism. The narrative centers around Professor Leopold Nettles, who is in a state of emotional turmoil as he grapples with the repercussions of a controversial essay he published. Throughout the play, Leopold is visited by friends, family, and government agents, each highlighting his increasing isolation and the pressure to conform to political expectations.
The structure of the play consists of several scenes that repeat elements and dialogues, underscoring Leopold's paralysis and the cyclical nature of his predicament. As he contemplates his identity and the moral implications of signing a statement disavowing his work, the audience witnesses his struggle between personal integrity and the oppressive realities of his environment.
Havel’s work reflects his own experiences under a repressive regime, and through Leopold's character, the play addresses broader questions of courage, authenticity, and the human condition in the face of overwhelming societal pressures. Overall, *Largo Desolato* serves as a poignant commentary on the complexities of life under totalitarianism and the pursuit of truth in a world rife with uncertainty.
On this Page
Largo Desolato by Václav Havel
First produced: 1985; first published, 1985 (English translation, 1987)
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Absurdist
Time of plot: Late 1970’s or early 1980’s
Locale: Prague
Principal characters
Professor Leopold Nettles , a philosopherEdward , his friend and his wife’s companionSuzana , Leopold’s wifeFirst Sidney , a mill workerSecond Sidney , a mill workerLucy , Leopold’s loverBertram , a friend of LeopoldFirst Chap , a government agentSecond Chap , a government agentFirst Man , the agents’ assistantSecond Man , the agents’ assistantMarguerite , a student
The Story:
In scene 1, Professor Leopold Nettles sits on the couch in his living room, watching the front door. After a while he walks to the door, peers through its peephole, and listens at the door as if expecting someone; he appears tense. After a long pause, the curtain drops.
Scene 2 repeats scene 1 exactly. Scene 3 begins in the same way, but it continues until the doorbell rings and Nettles jumps. After he recognizes the man at the door, he opens the door and Edward, his friend and his wife’s companion, enters. The two engage in small talk, mostly about Leopold’s digestion and nerves; Edward expresses concern that Leopold is drinking too much and that he has not gone outside in some time. Suzana, Leopold’s wife, returns from shopping and asks Leopold about his activities of the day. He details his morning’s tidying and fixing of breakfast. Suzana chastises him for eating his eggs with a silver teaspoon. She then leaves, and Leopold and Edward resume their conversation. Leopold appears very anxious and concerned that he will soon be arrested, although he does not reveal where he thinks he will be taken or by whom.
The doorbell rings again, startling Leopold. Two workers from a paper mill, First Sidney and Second Sidney, whom Nettles met two years ago but had forgotten, have come to request that Leopold take some sort of action, described only in the vaguest of terms. The two Sidneys declare themselves fans of Leopold and claim that many people are looking to him for direction. The doorbell rings again, and Lucy, Leopold’s mistress, enters; the ensuing conversation repeats much of what has already been said. The two Sidneys, having overstayed their welcome, eventually leave, promising to return with writing paper and imploring Leopold to maintain his courage. When Leopold and Lucy are finally alone, Lucy also encourages Leopold to resume his writing and suggests that her love should be an inspiration to him. Leopold remains unresponsive, and the curtain falls.
When scene 4 begins, it is night. Leopold’s friend Bertram is sitting on the sofa. Like Edward in scene 3, he asks Leopold about his drinking and his nerves and alludes to Leopold’s inactivity. He repeats that many people are concerned about Leopold, and, like the two Sidneys, presents himself as an emissary representing Leopold’s supporters. Bertram refers to uncertainties and possible danger, suggesting that Leopold’s anxieties are related to past actions and future consequences. Lucy emerges from Leopold’s bedroom, causing Bertram some embarrassment. After Bertram leaves, Lucy insists on talking with Leopold about their affair, which Leopold refuses to acknowledge. Lucy asserts that she has entered the relationship in order to stimulate him to some sort of intellectual activity, but now she feels used; Leopold claims he is incapable of love. Their discussion is interrupted by the doorbell and the appearance of First Chap and Second Chap, government agents representing the source of Leopold’s fears. The Chaps have Lucy removed by the First Man and the Second Man; they then inquire about Leopold’s activities.
The Chaps have come to offer a resolution to Leopold’s difficulties, which are revealed to have come about because of an essay he published called Ontology of the Human Self. If Leopold will sign a statement saying that he is not the same Professor Nettles who wrote the essay, he will be exonerated and the matter will be dropped. The Chaps assure Leopold that many others in similar predicaments have accepted such offers. Leopold, however, is visibly disturbed and requests time to consider his decision. The scene ends with Leopold sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket.
Leopold is alone at the beginning of scene 5. He alternately paces, checks the front door’s peephole, takes vitamins from a collection of vials on the table, and retires to the bathroom to wash his face. Suzana enters with shopping bags, and their conversation parallels that of the third scene. Leopold describes the visit of the previous night and the Chaps’ offer. Suzana is angered that Leopold would even consider accepting and exits to her room. Leopold repeats the actions of the opening of the scene.
Next, Edward arrives and questions Leopold about his digestion, his drinking, and the events of the previous night. Leopold continues to pace, take vitamins, and leave the room to wash his face. The two Sidneys arrive with writing paper and suitcases full of documents from the mill. They repeat their encouragement and support. Bertram arrives, and he, the two Sidneys, Suzana, and Edward repeat lines from earlier scenes, all calling on Leopold to act. Leopold orders them out, and, as the curtain falls, he can be heard running water in the bathroom. The doorbell rings again.
Scene 6 continues from where scene 5 ends. Leopold emerges from the shower to answer the door. The caller, Marguerite, is a philosophy student who admires his work; like Lucy, she offers her love as an inspiration to Leopold, and it appears that Leopold has decided to replace Lucy with Marguerite. They are interrupted by the doorbell and the reappearance of the two Chaps. Leopold announces that they might arrest him, for he refuses to sign their paper and relinquish his identity; however, the Chaps reply that they have not come to arrest him or to require his signature, but to inform him that his case has been postponed indefinitely. Leopold begs to be arrested rather than to continue in limbo with an uncertain future. As the curtain falls, he has collapsed on the floor. Scene 7 repeats the opening scene.
Bibliography
Goetz-Stankiewicz, Marketa. The Silenced Theatre: Czech Playwrights Without a Stage. Toronto, Ont.: University of Toronto Press, 1979. Comprehensive study locates the Czech theater of the absurd in a Czech rather than a Western European literary tradition. Chapter 2 features discussion of Havel’s early plays Zahradni slavnost (pr., pb. 1963; The Garden Party, 1969) and Vyrozumění (pr. 1965; The Memorandum, 1967), which introduce themes also evident in Largo Desolato.
Havel, Václav. “Stories and Totalitarianism.” In Open Letters: Selected Writings, 1965-1990. Edited and translated by Paul Wilson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991. Presents a discussion of Havel’s views on the relationship between literature and politics.
Kriseova, Eda. Václav Havel: The Authorized Biography. Translated by Caleb Crain. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993. Biography explores Havel’s development as a writer in conjunction with his political activism. A brief chapter on Largo Desolato details the autobiographical elements of the play.
Pontuso, James F. Václav Havel: Civic Responsibility in the Postmodern Age. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004. Focuses on Havel’s political philosophy and demonstrates how these ideas are expressed in his plays.
Rocamora, Carol. Acts of Courage: Václav Havel’s Life in the Theater. Hanover, N.H.: Smith and Kraus, 2004. Chronicles Havel’s involvement in the Czech theater during three decades of Communism and the risks he and others undertook to produce his plays. Includes discussions of his ten full-length and eight one-act plays.
Skloot, Robert. “Václav Havel: The Once and Future Playwright.” Kenyon Review 15, no. 2 (Spring, 1993): 223-231. Takes a critical look at Havel’s later plays, including Largo Desolato. Valuable essay presents a dissenting voice in a field of largely adulatory response to Havel’s work.
Soderberg, Douglas. “Life Under Absurdity: Václav Havel’s Largo Desolato.” In Critical Essays on Václav Havel, edited by Marketa Goetz-Stankiewicz and Phyllis Carey. New York: G. K. Hall, 1999. Analysis of Largo Desolato is part of a collection of essays that discuss Havel’s individual plays and his career in the theater as well as his involvement in Czech politics.
Vladislav, Jan, ed. Václav Havel or Living in Truth: Twenty-two Essays Published on the Occasion of the Award of the Erasmus Prize to Václav Havel. London: Faber & Faber, 1987. Rich collection of essays by sixteen of Havel’s contemporaries provides a variety of insights into influences on Havel as a dramatist and the significance of his work artistically, philosophically, and politically.