The White Plague (1937)

The civil war in Spain was the main inspiration to Karel Capek in writing this play. Karel Capek felt the necessity to warn the public of the menace wars. That's why he wrote not only The White Plague, but the Mother as well. The main characters of the play are: Doctor Galen, the Marshal, baron Krüg and court counsellor Sigelius. Dr. Galen is a great humanist, he is opposed to the war and he sometimes manifests his aversion to war in a fanatic way. He's also very honest and veracious and most importantly: he stands firmly behind his opinions. He always keeps his word. The Marshal and baron Krüg are advocates of the war. They are most interested in power. Human lives are of no importance to them, all they do is out of desire of power.

Summary:

Dr. Galen invents a cure for the White Plague. This disease spreads with a lightening speed manifests itself by a white insensible spot that spreads all over the body. The disease is a sort of leprosy. In its final stages pieces of flesh begin to fall off the patients' bodies and they die. Dr. Galen arrives at a clinic willing to cure people. The court consellor Sigelieus assigns him to the room 13, room for poor people who cannot afford a treatement against the disease. Doctor Galen pledges to heal only poor people. The doctor refuses to reveal the secret of his cure unless all the fighting in the world stops and enduring peace is put in place. His therapy is very successful, journalists and important people like the Marshal visit the clinic. However it is Sigelius who claims the credit for the success.

The director of armement factories baron Krüg gets the White Plague. He pays a visit to Galen who refuses to cure him unless he stops the armament. The baron refuses. He visits the Marshal (the dictator of the country) to inform him how many weapons have been produced. He also tells him that he has contracted the White Plague. Futhemore he tells him that he was thinking about Galen's condition. The Marshal orders him to intensify the armement. But because he appreciates Krüg he summons Galen and offers him a private clinic if he cures Krüg. The Doctor simply repeats his condition. Luckily for the Marshal who might have granted the Doctor what he was demanding the conversation is interrupted by a telephone call that reports that the baron Krüg has just commited suicide. Galen returns to his poor sick while the Marshal starts a great war. When he gives a speech in front of a zealous crowd while beating his chest, the Marshal realizes that he doesn't feel anything. Soon afterwards he discovers an immense white spot on his chest. His daughter and young Krüg (the baron's son) immediately summon Sigelius who tells them that the Marshal has only 6 weeks of life before him and that Galen is the only person capable of saving him. They call Galen straight away. He agrees to come only under the condition of an immediate ending of the war. The daughter and young Krüg at last persuade the Marshal and the doctor gets on his way to the palace. A crowd standing in front of it hails the war. Galen reacts saying: "No. No war!" The crowd tramples him down, he dies and his cure is lost.

Capek purposedly chose such an ending. In this way he sorted out Galen's aberrancy. He a doctor under Hippocrat's oath should have treated all patients. Galen had chosen the poor who have no power. He wanted the rich to fight for peace because they could stop the war. And he felt a doctor's duty was to remove the war. It was a complicated antagonism. Capek play does not end however in an altogether pessimistic way. The Marshal's daughter and the young Krüg - the two pacifists - are still there. The main idea was surely the pointless and naive fight of an individual against the society or organized violence. Capek wanted to warn against the absurdity of the war.
The play was premiered on January 29, 1937 at the Stavovske divadlo (Estates Theater) in Prague under the direction of K. Dostal. The play was also adapted for the silver screen with Hugo Hass in the main role of Dr. Galen.