The Plague is personalized in Albert Camus’ play State of Siege. It comes into a town in the form of a man who is accompanied by his secretary. The Secretary carries a notebook in which she often makes entries. She is always smiling, but at a stroke of her pencil, a person can be struck with plague and die. Few have the courage to challenge this threatening team. But a young medical student by the name of Diego does. At one point in the play, he says to The Secretary, "But of course only masses count with you; it’s only when you are dealing with a hundred thousand men or more that you condescend to feel some interest. Then you can compile statistics - and statistics are conveniently dumb."

A little later when The Plague orders The Secretary to proceed with their deadly work, she is hesita…