Translation Ex.

The single story that the play tells is relatively simple, but describes Dürrenmatts typical pessimistic
understanding of justice. Claire wants simply - and touchingly - to buy herself justice for the shame
that she had to endure back then. – and is successful in this. With the moral convinctions of the
population of the Gullen [this] isn’t so distant [i.e. isn’t so difficult ] – as soon as Claire finances their
new clothes and cars, they find pleasure in the consumption [of such], and are ready to kill for
further financial injections. The question that Durrenmatt poses for the viewers with his piece is
sceptical, now almost an accusation: nobody in the town had placed themselves in opposition to the
the death – would you have acted differently? Durrenmatt’s theatre world is grotesquely
exaggerated - in the context of the portrayed reality however, the events are entirely consistent and
comprehensible. The actions resemble the theatre of Bertolt Brecht: the ‘reality’ is excessive and
alien, in order that the viewer scrutinises it in its entirety, and considers (/searches) the spectacle
relative with one’s own everyday life. Claire’s macarbe retinue - to which belong the castrated
witnesses and even a coffin for Alfred Ill – shows the dark humour of the piece. However,
considering the execution scene at the end of the play, the viewer’s laughter can stick in the throat.

The closing irony of the piece lies as much in the failure of the doomed actions of Alfred as also
those of Claire. Alfred had once shunned Claire, in order to marry the daughter of a shopowner and
secure himself a little prosperity in the town. But it is exactly on account of this that it turns against
him – Claire then manipulates the population of Gullen against him. Likewise, Claire is, on her part,
left a winner only at first glance by the end of the piece. Although she has got her revenge on Alfred
Ill, the price that she must pay for that is however high. After her many accidents she consists almost
entirely of prosthetics; she offered her human side completely in her thirst for revenge and cynicism.
Ultimately she is no resplendent victor, but rather a physical, spiritual and moral wreck.

1.1B Listening and writing worksheet

(1) B C D G I

(2) 1: begonnen

2: entwickelt

3: angebeten

4. besprochen

5. bezahlt

6. gebracht

7. enforscht

8. besitzen

9: überwacht
Die Flüchtlingsindustrie wuchs wegen des syrischen Bürgerkrieges – der erhöhte Immigrationsfluss
aus Nahen Osten und Teilen Nordafrikas, einschließlich Libyen, Libanon und die Türkei, gab
Schlepper die Gelegenheit, Meeresüberquerung nach Europa zu bieten. Menschenhändler können
hohe Gebühren für die Reisen erheben, also sind die Gewinne hoch. Einige Reisevorbereitungen sind
billiger, veranzulassen – zum Beispiel kann Man mit Schlauchbooten an der Ägäisküste
entlangfahren, staat über das Mittelmeer, da es kostengünstiger ist. In der Zukunft wird diese
Migrationsmuster aufgrund die vermehrte Seeüberwachung und das hohe Risiko bei
Passagenverlagern wahrscheinlich verlagern.