No Exit

No Exit (French: Huis Clos, literally "Closed Door") is a 1944 existentialist play by Jean-Paul Sartre. It is a one-act play that explores themes of existentialism, free will, bad faith, and the nature of hell. The play is set in a drawing room in Hell, where three characters – Garcin, Inès, and Estelle – find themselves trapped together for eternity.

The central premise of No Exit is that "Hell is other people." This concept is illustrated through the interactions of the three characters. They are not physically tortured, but instead are subjected to the psychological torment of constantly judging and being judged by one another. Each character is trapped by their own insecurities, desires, and past actions, and they are forced to confront these aspects of themselves in the presence of the others.

Garcin, a pacifist journalist, attempts to prove his courage and integrity. Inès, a cynical postal worker, is drawn to Estelle and relentlessly exposes the others' flaws. Estelle, a socialite who murdered her child, seeks validation and affection from Garcin and Inès, but finds only disillusionment.

The play concludes with the characters realizing they are eternally bound to each other, unable to escape the judgmental gaze of the others, thus confirming the adage that "Hell is other people." The absence of traditional torture devices and the focus on psychological manipulation underscore Sartre's philosophical ideas about responsibility, freedom, and the consequences of one's choices. No Exit is a key work in existentialist literature and continues to be widely studied and performed.