Meanwhile, the drive for industrial civilization is at an all-time high, and fertility rates are dropping very low. After marrying Harry Domin, General Manager of R.U.R., Helena presses scientists to modify some of the robots, so that their “souls” could develop quicker and more fully.

Hellman, psychologist in Chief) Helena Glory feels that it’s evidence and a sign of the emerging soul of Robots. The eccentric scientist Old Rossum was bent on assuming the role of the Creator by artificially reproducing a man in intricate detail, while the pragmatic economist/industrialist Young Rossum produces stripped-down versions of humanity to be sold as inexpensive workers-Robots.Įvery so often, one of the Robots will throw down their work and begin to gnash their teeth. They remember everything, but think of nothing original or unique. The Robots can clearly think for themselves, though they’re content to serve. The idealistic Helena Glory, President of The Humanity League, believes that Robots have (or are developing) souls, and feels that they should be freed. In Capek’s play, Rossum’s Universal Robots, Robots are mass produced by other Robots on assembly lines. Karel Čapek’s gravesite is in the Vysehrad National Cemetery.Brief Summary & Analysis of Karel Capek's play, ' Rossum's Universal Robots' He died of pneumonia on Christmas Day of 1938. Even though he was a sought after man, Karel Čapek refused to leave Czechoslovakia and passed away shortly after the Nazi regime annexed Bohemia. His works gained him popularity and fame due to his quick wit and sharp humor, however his commentary against dictatorships and social disasters was not lost on the Gestapo, who named him public enemy number 2 in Czechoslovakia.

Karel Čapek is placed with authors such as Huxley and Orwell in the genre of Speculative Fiction, which overlapped Science Fiction, a genre in which he wrote about mass production, robots, atomic bombs and post-human beings, as well as dictatorships and corruption. Although Karel Čapek introduced the word to fiction, the actual accreditation according to Karel belongs to his brother Josef Čapek. The play premiered in 1921 and the English language as thus since had the word robot to play with. One of the most influential Czech writers of the 20th century, Karel Čapek is responsible for coining the term ‘robot’ in his science fiction play R.U.R.

Karel capek robot 1921