Download a PDF to print or study offline.
Study Guide
Bibliography
Course Hero. "The Flies Study Guide." Course Hero. 4 Oct. 2019. Web. 31 May 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Flies/>.
In text
(Course Hero)
Bibliography
Course Hero. (2019, October 4). The Flies Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved May 31, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Flies/
In text
(Course Hero, 2019)
Bibliography
Course Hero. "The Flies Study Guide." October 4, 2019. Accessed May 31, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Flies/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "The Flies Study Guide," October 4, 2019, accessed May 31, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Flies/.
Jean-Paul Sartre
1942
Play
Allegory, Mythology, Philosophy
The title The Flies (Les Mouches) refers to the plague of flies that the gods have sent to punish Argos for the citizens' complicity in the murder of King Agamemnon. Even within the play, the character Zeus says they are a symbol representing the torture of guilt the populace voluntarily undergoes. The flies are also associated with the Furies, the mythological beings who punish evil-doers. When Orestes murders Aegistheus, who murdered Orestes's father, his final words include the admonition "beware of the flies."
This study guide for Jean-Paul Sartre's The Flies offers summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.
Have study documents to share about The Flies? Upload them to earn free Course Hero access!
