Why is Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialist play titled Huis Clos No Exit?

Answer 1

It is titled 'Huis Clos' because the characters are trapped with other people who are their hell. They cannot escape from each other and are damned to be with them for all eternity. Near the end of the play when the door flies open, Garcin cannot even exit because he needs Ines' approval that he is not a coward. Even with an exit right in front of them, they cannot escape the ridicule of others. The famous quote, "L'enfer, c'est les autres" means hell is other people. This is the primary concept Sartre develops, and he does so in a one act play where all characters are condemned to one space.

Answer 2

The title "Huis Clos" translates to "No Exit" in English. It represents the existentialist theme of the play, where the characters are trapped in a room together for eternity, symbolizing the idea that there is no escape from their own choices and the consequences of their actions.