The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
"The Visit" by Friedrich Dürrenmatt is a compelling drama that explores themes of justice, guilt, and the moral complexities of human nature. The story centers on Claire Zachanassian, a wealthy woman returning to her impoverished hometown of Güllen after a long absence. The townspeople, eager for financial assistance, anticipate her arrival, especially Alfred Ill, Claire's former lover. However, Claire's intentions take a dark turn when she offers the town a substantial financial gift—500 million marks—contingent upon the murder of Alfred, whom she holds responsible for past wrongs, including a betrayal that led to her disgrace.
As Claire's offer unfolds, the community's unity begins to fracture, exposing deep-seated greed and moral dilemmas. The townspeople, initially supportive of Alfred, gradually succumb to the temptations of wealth, grappling with their collective guilt. Ultimately, the play culminates in a tragic act of complicity, as the townspeople collectively murder Alfred, illustrating the consequences of their moral compromises. Through this intricate narrative, Dürrenmatt delves into the darker aspects of human nature and the societal pressures that can lead individuals to abandon their ethics in the pursuit of prosperity.
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The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
First produced:Der Besuch der alten Dame: Eine tragische Komodie, 1956; first published, 1956 (English translation, 1958)
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Tragicomedy
Time of plot: Mid-twentieth century
Locale: Güllen, Central Europe
Principal characters
Claire Zachanassian , a former local girl, now a multimillionaireToby andRoby , gum-chewers, part of Claire’s retinueKoby andLoby , both blind, part of Claire’s retinueAlfred Ill , Claire’s former loverTownspeople , identified by occupation or numberMiss Louisa , the only townsperson identified by name
The Story:
Claire Wascher leaves Güllen in disgrace forty-five years before the action begins. Now rich, she announces her intention to return to her impoverished native town. The townspeople, who hope that she might wish to help them out of the poverty they have endured for years, await her return with considerable anticipation. They hope that Claire’s emotional tie to Alfred Ill, her former lover, will induce her to be financially generous to her former town; Alfred Ill knows that if she makes the expected gift he will be a sure victor in the next mayoral contest. As the townspeople, who serve the function the chorus does in classical Greek plays, await Claire’s arrival, they are a model of community cohesiveness and congeniality. Poor as they are, they are united by the seemingly indestructible bonds that traditionally hold tightly knit communities together.
Claire arrives amid much celebration. She greets the townspeople and Alfred Ill, amused by their transparent cordiality. At a festive banquet she makes it clear that they are correct in their assumption: She is prepared to give the town a gift of 500 million marks. As with most large gifts, however, this one carries a stipulation.
Claire left Güllen forty-five years earlier after naming Alfred Ill in a paternity suit; he denied responsibility for her pregnancy and prevailed by bribing two witnesses to give false evidence. Claire was driven out of Güllen by its upstanding, self-righteous citizens, and after she left, Alfred Ill married a well-to-do woman who set him up in a business. Claire went to Hamburg, where she was forced to become a prostitute before eventually marrying the multimillionaire Armenian oil tycoon Zachanassian and becoming rich. Zachanassian, whose name she keeps despite many subsequent marriages, left her the bulk of her fortune.
Claire now dangles the dazzling prospect of the huge sum of money before the townspeople on the condition that they right the wrong they and Alfred Ill inflicted on her and her child, who lived for only one year: She will make the gift in return for the murder of her former lover. She wants, as she put it, to purchase justice. She introduces to the townspeople her butler, who was the former magistrate of Güllen who decided the paternity case against her, and two blind, castrated old men in her retinue, who are the two perjuring witnesses. Alfred Ill tries to assure her that the past is forgotten and forgiven, but Claire insists that nothing is forgotten, and that she will await the town’s decision.
During the weeks that Claire waits she marries three more times. She watches grimly as the insidiousness of her offer becomes increasingly apparent. Before long, the townspeople begin to buy things on credit. At first, when Alfred Ill thanks them for standing by him, they respond loyally. Then it occurs to him that they would not be buying expensive things on credit if they were not expecting their financial position to change. Gradually, attitudes toward him change. Those who supported him now begin to blame him for his indiscretion with Claire and revile him for the way he handled the paternity suit.
Alfred Ill vainly seeks protection from the mayor, the police, and the church. When he tries to flee Güllen, he is detained by the townspeople. Finally, he faces up to his guilt and publicly accepts responsibility for his misdeeds. The townspeople call for his suicide, but he refuses to give them this satisfaction. If they want Claire’s money, they will have to kill him and bear the guilt that comes with his murder. In a somber assembly, a group of townspeople murder him collectively so that no one person will have to bear the guilt. The doctor pronounces death by heart failure. Claire collects the corpse, presents the check, and leaves the town with her full retinue. At the newly refurbished train station, the prosperous townspeople silently watch Claire leave.
Bibliography
Bogard, Travis, and William Oliver, eds. Modern Drama: Essays in Criticism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. Adolf D. Klarmann’s contribution, “Friedrich Dürrenmatt and the Tragic Sense of Comedy,” remains one of the most significant appraisals of the playwright.
Crockett, Roger A. Understanding Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1998. An introductory overview, examining The Visit and other works by Dürrenmatt. Crockett describes the playwright’s view of a chaotic, Godless universe, while also pointing out the many elements of comedy in his work.
Donald, Sydney G. Dürrenmatt: Der Besuch der alten Dame. Rev. ed. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 1993. An eighty-page study guide to the play, designed for high school and undergraduate students.
Hammer, Carl, ed. Studies in German Literature. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963. Includes F. E. Coenen’s extended essay on modern German theater, which makes interesting observations about Dürrenmatt and places him within the broad context of German drama.
Peppard, Murray B. Friedrich Dürrenmatt. New York: Twayne, 1969. Peppard’s analysis of The Visit is penetrating and sensitive. He provides an excellent overview of the play, comments on elements of its composition, and interprets it in understandable terms. One of the best sources for those just beginning to read Dürrenmatt.
Price, David W. “The Political Economy of Sacrifice in Dürrenmatt’s The Visit.” Southern Humanities Review 35, no. 2 (Spring, 2001): 109. Analyzes The Visit by using the contemporary literary theories of René Girard and Roberto Calasso about the concepts of ritual, sacrifice, and economy in the modern world.
Shaw, LeRoy, ed. The German Theater Today. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1963. A valuable collection of essays drawn from a symposium on modern German theater. The material on Dürrenmatt’s early plays provides useful background to those unfamiliar with the playwright.
Whitton, Kenneth S. Dürrenmatt: Reinterpretation in Retrospect. Providence, R.I.: Berg, 1990. Whitton’s understanding of Dürrenmatt is impressive. His material on The Visit brings together a considerable amount of interpretive theory on the play.