Ethics in Tawfiq AL-Hakim's The Sultan's Dilemma

Abstract

Ethics is an extremely fundamental issue in our lives. It addresses moral values and principles, by debating the rightness and wrongness of a particular action. It seeks by this the happiness of both the individual and society. Therefore, it has been the concern of many philosophers and writers throughout history, who came up with many theories, including deontological ethics, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics. One of the major writers who were concerned with ethics is Tawfiq AL-Hakim (1898- 1987), who is regarded as the pioneer of Arabic drama. Among his many literary works, The Sultan's Dilemma is the most prominent. In it, the hero, who is the Sultan, is faced with an ethical dilemma that defies the very existence of his power. Thus, the aim of this research is to analyze the ethical elements in AL-Hakim's The Sultan's Dilemma. In it, ethics proves to be a fair and equitable conductor for the welfare of everyone.