Abstract
Caligula's revolt has been interpreted by various Camus scholars as historical, philosophical, or aesthetic in nature, and a convincing case can be made for each of these approaches.' A careful study of the text, however, suggests another possibility that I would like to explore, that is, the notion of Caligula as an ironic shaman who, having experienced a ritual initiation through a mythic descent into hell, seeks to re-create the primordial chaos of pre-history and a lost paradise through a systematic destruction of the foundations of Western rationality and morality. Let us recall the principal stages of Caligula's evolution. The most significant event takes place before the play begins: following the death of his sister Drusilla, Caligula disappears for three days and returns disturbingly transformed. Camus's source, Suetonius, does not elaborate upon the length of this disappearance, stating only that:
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