International Journal of Arts and Humanities (IJAH)

Common readings of Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros argue that Bérenger, the last man standing at the end of the play, is Ionesco’s hero, the savior of humanity who resists the temptation to conform to a herd mentality. Similarly, many Shakespearean critics argue that Hamlet undergoes a mental reformation that enables him to resolve the conflict presented to him at the start of the play about whether to avenge his father’s murder. Following E.M.W. Tillyard’s lead, who argues that Hamlet’s inability to decide leads to a paralysis and inaction, this paper argues that Bérenger also fails to take action and remains a coward, not the hero that Ionesco searches for.