[Stage Voices]A World Ruled by Clowns

The Image of Clowns Criticizing Power in Musicals and Literature
A Stark Contrast with Reality... The Bitter Farce of Clownery

Clowns are active at the Opera House of the Seoul Arts Center. The protagonists of the musicals The Man Who Laughs and Cyrano, currently performing at the Opera Theater and CJ Towol Theater respectively, both possess the attributes of clowns. They captivate the audience with their unique appearances and dominate the stage.

The Man Who Laughs is based on the novel of the same name by the great French writer Victor Hugo. The protagonist, Gwynplaine, has a mouth torn at both sides, giving him a permanently smiling face. When the novel was adapted into a film in 1928, the protagonist’s appearance inspired the look of the villain “Joker” in the Batman series. The protagonist of Cyrano, Cyrano, is a nobleman who is skilled in poetry and swordsmanship?a perfect figure. However, because of his large and distinctive nose, he cannot confess his feelings to the woman he loves.

Actor Jo Hyung-kyun, who played the role of Cyrano in the musical 'Cyrano' [Photo provided by RG Company, CJ ENM]

Although their appearances are extraordinary, both characters carry attractive and powerful messages. Gwynplaine sharply criticizes the aristocrats who already possess wealth in the top 1% but greedily seek more. Similarly, Cyrano, as a military commander, mocks and criticizes nobles who only care about their own safety on the battlefield, standing on the side of powerless soldiers and becoming their hope. Both demand noblesse oblige from those who hold wealth and power.

The image of clowns criticizing power can also be found in medieval Europe. At that time, court jesters enjoyed the privilege of satirizing and mocking kings and the ruling class. In 2022, UNESCO designated Korea’s Talchum (mask dance) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highly appreciating its “values of social criticism and universal equality.”

In reality, however, clowns are more likely to flatter power than to criticize it. Essentially, clowns are figures meant to entertain kings or nobles, and their role is simply to amuse the ruling class. As shown by the clown Yorick, who appears as a skull in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, offending those in power often meant losing one’s life. The portrayal of clowns criticizing power in literary works, detached from such harsh realities, seems to stem from the nature of literature. Literature provides catharsis to readers by depicting events that are difficult to realize in reality. When clowns, who are prone to flattering power, are paradoxically portrayed as critics of power in works, readers gain greater satisfaction.

Musical 'The Man Who Laughs' protagonist Gwynplaine
[Photo provided by EMK Musical Company]

Recent news about the behavior of the deputy chief of the Presidential Security Service revealed the real-life image of a clown. The song he created to celebrate the president’s birthday was embarrassingly awkward. It was as if he willingly took on the role of a ridiculous clown. While this is the deputy chief’s own fault, the president’s mistake is also significant for distancing himself from those who offer harsh criticism and frank advice, and instead surrounding himself with those who tell him what he wants to hear.

The president is known to frequently watch broadcasts by YouTubers who make extreme political statements. The behavior of these YouTubers, who spread false information solely for the purpose of incitement and make extreme claims beyond the bounds of the law, is nothing but clowning around. Because proper regulation and control are lacking, they do not even need masks. This might be acceptable for ordinary citizens, but it became a tragedy because those in power were deceived by them.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.