Money, Macabre and Revenge: Key Concepts of Durenmatt's Besuch der alten Dame

Money, Macabre and Revenge: Key Concepts of Durenmatt's Besuch der alten Dame

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will understand the key concepts of Durenmatt's Besuch der alten Dame, including the role of money, the macabre, and revenge.

This slide introduces the learning objective of the lesson.

Introduction

Durenmatt's Besuch der alten Dame is a play that explores the themes of money, the macabre, and revenge. It tells the story of a wealthy woman who returns to her hometown to seek revenge on a former lover who wronged her many years ago.

This slide provides an overview of the play and introduces the three main themes that the lesson will focus on.

Money

Money plays a central role in the play, as the wealthy woman offers to donate a large sum of money to the impoverished town in exchange for the death of her former lover.

This slide explains how money is used as a tool for revenge in the play.

Macabre

The play also has many macabre elements, such as the townspeople's willingness to commit murder for money and the woman's disfigurement due to a failed plastic surgery.

This slide introduces the macabre elements of the play and provides examples of how they are used.

Revenge

Revenge is the driving force behind the play, as the woman seeks to right the wrongs of her past and punish those who have wronged her.

This slide explains the importance of revenge in the play and how it motivates the main character.

Characters

The play has a small cast of characters, including the wealthy woman, her former lover, and the townspeople who are willing to do her bidding.

This slide introduces the main characters of the play.

Setting

The play is set in a small, impoverished town that is in desperate need of money.

This slide explains the setting of the play and how it contributes to the themes of money and revenge.

Symbolism

The play also uses symbolism to convey its themes, such as the disfigurement of the wealthy woman representing the ugliness of greed and revenge.

This slide explains how symbolism is used in the play to reinforce its themes.

Themes

The three main themes of the play are money, the macabre, and revenge. These themes are used to explore the darker aspects of human nature.

This slide provides a summary of the main themes of the play and their significance.

Analysis

Durenmatt's Besuch der alten Dame is a complex play that requires careful analysis to fully understand its themes and motifs.

This slide emphasizes the importance of critical analysis when studying the play.

Discussion

Discuss with your classmates the significance of the wealthy woman's disfigurement and how it relates to the themes of the play.

This slide provides a discussion prompt for students to engage with the material.

Quiz

Take this quiz to test your knowledge of the key concepts of Durenmatt's Besuch der alten Dame.

This slide provides a quiz for students to assess their understanding of the material.