"The Visit" by Friedrich Durrenmatt

First written in German by Durrenmatt in 1956, the translated play The Visit explores the story of billionairess Claire Zachanassian, and the visit she pays to her impoverished hometown of Gullen.

However, this is now lighthearted visit. In truth, Claire is planning a murder!


Act I

ILL:

I wish time were suspended, my little sorceress. If only life hadn’t torn us apart.

CLAIRE ZACHANASSIAN:

You wish that?

ILL:

Just that, nothing else. You know I love you! (He kisses her right hand.) The same cool white hand.

CLAIRE ZACHANASSIAN:

You’re wrong. Another prosthesis. Ivory.

ILL: (Dropping her hand, horrified)

Clara, is everything about you artificial?!

This play undertakes a misanthropic lens, as it's most impressionable themes include:

  1. theme of dehumanisation in the Gulleners' slow crumbling to corruption and selfish desire.

  2. the role the Marxist Lens plays in illustrating the global issue of wealth gap.

  3. the motif of artificiality. (EG. in the excerpt above!)


Questions to think/talk about:

  • There is a running theme of dehumanisation throughout the entire play. Looking at the passage above, how does the motif of artificiality appear in the characterisation of both Ill and Claire? In what way does this motif contribute to the theme of dehumanisation?

  • Humour is evident in the excerpt above. How?

  • What element of this story do you think makes it most satirical?