The Visit is primarily a work of social and personal criticism, and thus Dürrenmatt employs both elements of comedy and tragedy within his play in order to highlight the human flaws of greed and vengeance as they interfere with justice and freedom. The literary devices that he employs serve both as a vehicle for tragedy as well as comedy-- Dürrenmatt has masterfully interwoven these two opposites so that they two play off of each other in a way that skillfully guides the audience to their own interpretation of the play’s message. The tragic elements of the play allow the reader to connect to the characters on a much deeper level, and are much more upfront in their presentation of injustice, while the comic elements are sharper and more thought
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In foreshadowing the dark events of the play, Dürrenmatt creates a comic vibe by presenting these ideas in a way that is underhanded and witty. The most obvious bit of foreshadowing in The Visit is perhaps the use of the black panther to represent Ill. Most would think nothing of it when Claire first mentions that her pet name for Ill was her “black panther” (Dürrenmatt 13), however the significance of this unconventional nickname becomes clear when it is announced that Claire’s servants “carried a panther upstairs in a cage” (Dürrenmatt 20). The idea is initially funny because of its absurdity, encouraging the audience to consider the connection between Ill and the panther critically. This foreshadowing serves to highlight how the price that Claire has put on Ill’s head in an attempt to right past wrongs will not attain justice, but instead will tear away his freedom. The sleek and powerful panther being locked in a cage forces the audience to observe the way that Claire is asserting her power over Ill in more and more disturbing ways during her search for vengeance, bringing to the surface again the thin line between justice and …show more content…
Just as with Durrenmatt’s use of foreshadowing, the audience recognizes the larger implications of an object within the play and is able to appreciate the grander statement that Dürrenmatt is making. They are encouraged by the humorous presentation of the connection. When Claire reveals her prosthetic leg and hand, and Ill exclaims “Clara, is everything about you artificial?” the audience can see with sudden clarity the level to which she truly is “artificial” and inhuman. It’s funny at first because it follows so closely the stereotype of her gold-digging-widow character--cold, vain, and inauthentic. Deeper thought, however, also allows the tragic idea of a woman who has lost her humanity in the pursuit of warped justice to take hold. As more and more of Claire’s life is revealed through symbolism, Claire’s character becomes more developed and more relatable, which serves to draw the audience in and further focus their attention. Even within such a short play, symbolism allows the audience to truly understand and connect with the characters, which is what makes the tragic nature of the story so
In foreshadowing the dark events of the play, Dürrenmatt creates a comic vibe by presenting these ideas in a way that is underhanded and witty. The most obvious bit of foreshadowing in The Visit is perhaps the use of the black panther to represent Ill. Most would think nothing of it when Claire first mentions that her pet name for Ill was her “black panther” (Dürrenmatt 13), however the significance of this unconventional nickname becomes clear when it is announced that Claire’s servants “carried a panther upstairs in a cage” (Dürrenmatt 20). The idea is initially funny because of its absurdity, encouraging the audience to consider the connection between Ill and the panther critically. This foreshadowing serves to highlight how the price that Claire has put on Ill’s head in an attempt to right past wrongs will not attain justice, but instead will tear away his freedom. The sleek and powerful panther being locked in a cage forces the audience to observe the way that Claire is asserting her power over Ill in more and more disturbing ways during her search for vengeance, bringing to the surface again the thin line between justice and …show more content…
Just as with Durrenmatt’s use of foreshadowing, the audience recognizes the larger implications of an object within the play and is able to appreciate the grander statement that Dürrenmatt is making. They are encouraged by the humorous presentation of the connection. When Claire reveals her prosthetic leg and hand, and Ill exclaims “Clara, is everything about you artificial?” the audience can see with sudden clarity the level to which she truly is “artificial” and inhuman. It’s funny at first because it follows so closely the stereotype of her gold-digging-widow character--cold, vain, and inauthentic. Deeper thought, however, also allows the tragic idea of a woman who has lost her humanity in the pursuit of warped justice to take hold. As more and more of Claire’s life is revealed through symbolism, Claire’s character becomes more developed and more relatable, which serves to draw the audience in and further focus their attention. Even within such a short play, symbolism allows the audience to truly understand and connect with the characters, which is what makes the tragic nature of the story so