Foreshadowing death is a recurrent theme in classical tragedy as in modern and contemporary drama. This article sheds light on the dramatic function of the Messenger within the tragedy portrayal system. Favoring a historical and sociocritical approach, the analysis delves into the examination of the vicissitudes of the Messenger figure in modern theatre. Revived by the symbolist author Maurice Maeterlinck in the play Interior (1894), the theme of heralding death unfolds with the aid of an explicit classical intertext all the while bringing about the transition towards modern expression. A glance into a recent production of this text, from Québec director Denis Marleau, wraps up this study by suggesting that theatre may be one of the last places in which death rises to the dimensions of collective and symbolic speech.