Ghostly Mysteries: A Mystery Of Love And The Posthumous Joke (Marquette Studies in Philosophy)

184 Pages·2004·0.54 MB·english

by  Gabriel Marcel

A Mystery of Love
A Drama in Four Acts
and
The Posthumous Joke
A Three Act Comedy
by
Gabriel Marcel
The Cover Illustrations depict the Commemorative Medal struck by
L’Hôtel des Monnaies, the National Mint of France, honoring Gabriel
Marcel’s outstanding contributions to the culture and nation of France.
The face offers a likeness of Gabriel Marcel; the reverse side represents
the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and bears the captions fidelity,
availability, and hope. Orpheus was such a gifted musician that he was
able to charm the Gods of the underworld and by doing so gained
their permission to retrieve his wife Eurydice from the underworld.
There was one stipulation; he could not look back to see her until
he had reached the world above. He could not resist however, turned
around and lost her back to the netherworld. This myth highlights
the importance of music in Marcel’s life as well as his concern with
the presence of loved ones from beyond death.
A Mystery of Love
A Drama in Four Acts
and
The Posthumous Joke
A Three Act Comedy
by
Gabriel Marcel
Existential Playwright Philosopher
(1889-1973)

Introduction and Reflections by the Translator
Katharine Rose Hanley
Marquette Studies in Philosophy No. 39
Andrew Tallon, Series Editor
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Marcel, Gabriel, 1889-1973.
[Iconoclaste. English]
Ghostly mysteries / by Gabriel Marcel ; introduction and refl ections by the trans-
lator Katharine Rose Hanley.
p. cm. -- (Marquette studies in philosophy ; no. 39)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-87462-662-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Marcel, Gabriel, 1889-1973--Translations into English. I. Marcel, Gabriel,
1889-1973. Divertissement posthume. English. II. Hanley, Katharine Rose.
III. Title: Mystery of love. IV. Title: Posthumous joke. V. Title. VI. Series. VII.
Marquette studies in philosophy ; #39.
PQ2625.A755I313 2004
842’.912--dc22
2004017515
© 2004 K.R. Hanley
Contents

Acknowledgements ...................................................................................7
About the Translator and Author (of Introduction and Reflections) ..........9
Introduction ...........................................................................................11

A Mystery of Love ....................................................................................17
The Posthumous Joke .............................................................................101

Reflections ............................................................................................171
Sources .................................................................................................179

Gabriel Marcel Resources .....................................................................181
Additional Reading ..............................................................................183

Acknowledgements

Profound gratitude to Monsieur Jean-Marie and Madame Anne
Marcel for their cherished friendship, kind help and encouragement,
and generous permission to publish the first English translation of
these two Gabriel Marcel plays L’ Iconoclaste and Le Divertissement
Posthume.
Deep appreciation goes to Ellen M. McCauley for her faithful
friendship, her longstanding and contagious enthusiasm for sharing
the work of Gabriel Marcel and for her helpful association in produc-
ing this book.
Special thanks to Penny Marten, for her artistic skill in creating the
cover illustrations.
To Le Moyne College alumni, whose generous contributions made
this book possible, and to family, friends and members of the Le Moyne
College community for all their encouragement I extend my sincere
gratitude.

About the Translator and Author
(Introduction and Reflections)
Dr. K. R. (Katharine Rose) Hanley received her Ph. D. from the
Higher Institute of Philosophy at Louvain University in Belgium. An
internationally respected expert on Gabriel Marcel’s theatre and phi-
losophy, she has lectured extensively in the US and at various national
and international philosophical meetings in France, Canada, China
and Japan.
Her first book, Dramatic Approaches to Creative Fidelity: A Study in
the Theater and Philosophy of Gabriel Marcel (1987, University Press of
America), announced and illustrated her perspective for appreciating
Marcel’s work. So that others could experience the benefits of this
approach, she then published translations (and commentaries) of
seven Gabriel Marcel plays.
Dr. Hanley first met Gabriel Marcel when he lectured at Louvain
University. They met again in 1965, (the 300th anniversary of Simon
Le Moyne, S.J.), when he came to Le Moyne College, in Syracuse,
NY, to lecture and receive an honorary degree. There was also an
especially meaningful conversation, between the two, at Marcel’s home
in Paris in September 1973, just three weeks before his death, when
he inscribed his book Five Major Plays, to her, “In remembrance of a
spiritual bond which once renewed shall not be broken.”
Hanley has taught at Le Moyne College since 1961. Students’
enthusiasm for the realism and meaningfulness of Marcel thought,
and its concrete accessibility through comedy and drama, encouraged
and supported her continuing involvement with his work. Plays were
staged, televised and preserved as videos, and performed on the road
as dramatic readings. Most recently she produced two audio CDs of
Marcel plays performed by professional actors.
Dr. Hanley’s book Gabriel Marcel’s Perspectives on The Broken
World, published by Marquette University Press in 1998, contains
a gold mine of information: the play - The Broken World, his essay
“Concrete Approaches to Investigating the Ontological Mystery”
10 Gabriel Marcel
reflecting on issues raised in the play, and appendices listing Marcel’s
biblio-biography, his dramatic and philosophic works in French and
their English translations, his books as drama critic, and titles of his
musical compositions.
This work GHOSTLY MYSTERIES presents, in a drama and a
comedy, something of Marcel’s investigations and reflections on a
theme dear to his heart, the presence of loved ones from beyond
death. Hanley’s Introduction and Reflections serve as background
information as well as grounds for personal inquiry.
Dr. Hanley finds the Marcel inscription, written over thirty years
ago to her, a fitting dedication for this volume; both to Gabriel Marcel
and you, the reader…
“In remembrance of a spiritual bond which once renewed shall not be
broken.”