We are group 3 and we are going to present the play The visit by Freidrich Durenmatt.

The Visit" is a thought-provoking allegorical play that explores the power of money and the irrationality of revenge. It elucidates the corruption of justice by wealth. It revolves around the theme Can justice be bought ? ------------------------The play opens at the railway station of a small town named Guellen. This ramshackled town has gone into huge debts, and the residents are suffering considerable hardship and poverty The Schoolmaster, the Mayor, the Priest, and Mr. Alfred Ill, the most popular man in town, arrive at the railway station. These four prominent townspeople are waiting for the millionairess' Claieres arrival. The famous Claire Zachanassian (previously Claire Wascher) was born and brought up in Guellen. She was coming to Gullen after a long long time. Her father was a builder in the town, and, long ago, Ill and Claire were lovers. Since the town Gullen has gone into huge debt, they hope that Claire would help. They discuss the ramifications of the impending arrival of Claire who was famous for donating extraordinary amounts of money to poor villages. Scene 1 The four prominent townspeople waiting at Railway station The opening scene starts with conversation between Ill and mayor ------------------------------------------------ILL - In our youth Claire was a great lover of justice, and was always a generous woman. Mayor - then informs Ill that he is to be named the successor to his office. -------------------------------------------Suddenly, the express train comes to a stop: Claire reaches before time. Claire is 63; her hair is still flaming red, and she is ostentatiously dressed. The overall effect of her appearance is both graceful and grotesque. Apparently, Claire had pulled the emergency brake on the express train, casting everything into disarray. The townspeople are thrown into a frenzy, not being fully prepared for her arrival. ------------------------------------------------------Claire arrives welcome- personal talk betwenn ILL and Claire

ILL - You are looking very graceful . Shows her hand what happened to the hand ILL - You have come with a great deal of luggage and - oddly enough - a coffin. Claire That only Time will tell declares that she wants to go to town. first wishes to revisit the places where she spent the most important moments of her youth. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

SCENE 2 Konrad's Village Wood, the first place which Claire visits
Looking at the sorroundings, Claire goes into a flashback where she recalls how deeply she and Ill were in love when she was seventeen and he was twenty. ---------------------------------------------------------------------FLASHBACK SCENE IN THE WOODS BETWEEN ILL AND CLAIRE -----------------------------------------------------------------When she became pregnant, he betrayed her by denying her paternity claim using false witnesses with the power of money. He then married Matilda Bluhard, the daughter of the owner of the general store where he worked. Claire, in disgrace, fled to a brothel, and after some years eventually married an old rich man named Zachanassian. Coming back to the present SCENE 3 Claire arrives at Golden Apostle where mayor is about to end a welcome speech. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mayor - prompted by Ill, then gives a long speech that concludes with the words "three cheers for the prodigal returned" Claire ===== happily announces that she will give Guellen one million dollars: half for the town, and half to be shared amongst the families. She states that her gift is conditional, but I'm buying myself justice Mayor - "Justice can't be bought Claire - that everything can be brought

Mayor - "You forget, we are not savages...I reject your offer; and I reject it in the name of humanity. We would rather have poverty than blood on our hands" Claire ominously declares, "I'll wait" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ill, felt relatively confident that the townspeople are on his side. The Crowd reinforced the idea that Ill is the most popular man in town, and discuss the fact that he will be elected mayor in the spring. Suddenly after some time, Ill notices that the townspeople in his shop are all wearing new yellow shoes. Shocked by this unexpected display of wealth, he begins to feel fearful. So he goes down to the mayor. SCENE 4 - Ill rushes down to the Mayor. The Mayor is smoking expensive cigarettes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ILL to mayor My life is under danger. Please do something Mayor - "You're forgetting you're in Guellen. If you're unable to place any trust in our community, I regret it for your sake, Mayor then adds that there is no way that you can expect to be voted into his office in the coming election. The post of Mayor requires certain guarantees of good moral character which you can no longer furnish --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Still Feeling helpless and frightened, ILL goes to the priest SCENE 5 Ill and the Priest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ill - goes to the Priest and alerts him to the "rise in the standard of living." ll expresses his fear about the fact that the townspeople are buying new washing machines and radios Priest - answers enigmatically: "It's the spectre of your conscience rising" declares the bell "rich and powerful. Ill - realizes that even the Priest is complicit in his slaughter. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Seeing that no one is ready to help him ILL feels that nothing good can happen in this town and decides to leave the town. After gathering much courage he goes to the railway station but he is still confused

whether he should board the train or not. He expects somebody to come and stop him. Seeing that nobody comes forward to stop him, he feels disappointed. ILL does not board the train. Ill doesn't seem to be able to board the train ILL collapses in the crowd, crying: "I am lost!"

SCENE 6
Petersens' Barn, where Claire stands wearing her wedding gown and veil. Conversation between Claire and schoolmaster ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Claire to Schoolmaster - She asks, "O, has he died? SCholmaster - We are loyal to our values, but that the town has gone into debt. Madam, we are not poor; we are merely forgotten. We need credit, confidence, contracts, then our economy and culture will boom. Claire - Claire takes this opportunity to reveal to them that she already owns everything in the town, and that she is the one who has orchestrated Guellen's downfall to avenge the injustice committed against her. In other words, she is implying that Ill himself is the root cause of their misery. Schoolmaster - Let your feeling for humanity prevail! Claire Feeling for humanity is not for me. The world turned me into a whore. I shall turn the world into a brothel ----------------------------------------------------------------------------SCENE 7 The scene opens into a view of Ill's store, which now boasts a new sign, a new counter, and new stock. Everyone is purchasing more expensive items. The townspeople comment on his guilty conscience and - in a marked reversal from the previous act express their sympathy for Claire for all that she has endured Conversatiob btw schoolmaster and ill --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Schoolmaster tells Ill - that he tried to help him: "That infamous million is burning up our hearts" (266), but

The hears will be corrupted. Ill - replies that he refuses to fight any longer, and that he recognizes that he is responsible for the town's downfall Schoolmaster to ill -, "They will kill you. I've known it from the beginning, and you've known it too for a long time, even if no one else in Guellen wants to admit it. The temptation is too great and our poverty is too wretched. But I know something else. I shall take part in it. I can feel myself slowly becoming a murderer. My faith in humanity is powerless to stop it ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Now Mayor arrives at the store. He enters carrying a rifle -------------------------------------------------------------------------Mayor - tells Ill that there is to be a public meeting that evening in the auditorium of the Golden Apostle to discuss his case and the pressure that Claire is placing on the town. He asks Ill whether he will submit to their judgment, Ill says that he will Mayor then suggests that Ill would make it easier for everyone if he just turned the gun on himself, Ill refuses, stating, "I have been through Hell. I've watched you all getting into debt, and I've felt death creeping towards me, nearer and nearer with every sign of prosperity...There is no turning back. You must judge me, now. I shall accept your judgment, whatever it may be. For me, it will be justice; what it will be for you, I do not know" (217). He goes on to add, "You may kill me, I will not complain and I will not protest, nor will I defend myself. But I cannot spare you the task of the trial" (271) ---------------------------------------------------------------------SCENE 8 On the way to the town meeting, Ill runs into Claire ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ill asks Claire about the child that she had claimed was his, and Claire says that it was a black-haired girl, whom she named Genevieve. Claire tells Ill that the girl's eyes never opened, and that she died of meningitis a year after she was born. Ill - tells her that he accepts whatever punishment she has in store for him: "I only know that my meaningless life will end"

Claire - Your love died many years ago. But my love could not die. Neither could it live. It grew into an evil thing, like me, like the pallid mushrooms in this wood, and the blind, twisted features of the roots, all overgrown by my golden millions. Y ou will soon be no more than a dead love in my memory, a gentle ghost haunting the wreckage of a house ------------------------------------------------------------SCENE 9 The scene then shifts to the town meeting in the auditorium of the Golden Apostle, where the press has gathered for the event. ---------------------------------------------------------Mayor - announces that Claire has offered to donate one million pounds, half for the town and half to be shared by the families. Schoolmaster - The Schoolmaster then asks, "What is her aim? Is it her aim to make us happy with money?...Her aim is to have the spirit of this community transformed - transformed to the spirit of justice. We, staggered by this demand, ask: have we not always been a just community? Mayor - calls Ill forward, and declares that it is because of him that they are receiving such a generous gift. Mayor - asks Ill whether he will accept the gift or refuse it, and Ill - that he will respect whatever decision is made. Mayor- asks the assembled people whether there are any questions Mayor - There is a vote to accept Claire's gift - unanimous save for Ill. Mayor - accept the money not for the sake of wealth, but in the name of justice Ill screams, "My God!" Ill is asked to remain, and the townspeople lock the doors of the auditorium and turn out the lights. Priest says, "I'll pray for you," to which Ill answers: "Pray for Guellen" (286). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------As we saw, the town accepted Claire's donation. They go through the formality of a vote, which is unanimous, and the mayor stated that they have Ill to thank for their newfound wealth. The doors were locked and the lights dimmed. The priest crosses Ill, and he is killed by a townsman.

Just as a reporter reappears in the auditorium, the doctor announces that Ill has died of a heart attack. The reporters gather and declare that Ill has died of joy. Claire examines the body, gives the mayor his cheque, The play concludes at the railway station, where Claire waits. She is accompanied by Ill's coffin, which the townspeople refer to as a "precious charge" (291). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------