The Visit Play Symbol Analysis

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In the play The Visit Durrenmatt uses literary elements to convey a deeper meaning than the superficial plot to convey a more important issue for the viewer to unveil. Accompanied with the language and style, Durrenmatt uses a great amount of symbolism to show the greater meaning of the play. Superficially we see The Visit as a tale of how moral justification is taken to an extreme and tested by the people’s greed. Although this is true, Durrenmatt showed through characters and objects how the town of Güllen is a true reflection of society itself. Taking the characteristics of this town and examining exactly what they represent is key to understanding this theme. Take for example Claire Zachanaissian. Claire’s “left leg is gone. A car accident“ (Dürrenmatt 13) caused it as seen in the scene with Ill and her in Act one. Durrenmatt uses this as a symbol of Claire’s artificial personality. In reality, Claire is a very uncaring human. We can see this with how she divorces her husbands so quickly and only names them after her butler, Boby. Claire represents how society shows its true faces, artificial and unconcerned. The town of Güllen is impoverished and becomes rich through her help but, in the end, she was just doing it so she could kill Ill. This artificial help is just a charade to her true motives and feelings. Even as Claire and Ill talk, Ill says, ““I lead a laughable life. Never once really managed to leave this township….”(10) Claire responds, “Why bother, anyway. I know what the world’s like…Because I own it.”(10) Claire has complete and total control of the town and is using it for her own whim to eliminate Ill. Other symbols are contained in objects, such as the yellow shoes that are seen later on in the play worn by all the Gülleners. After the town has said it will stand up for Ill, the townspeople are all seen wearing yellow shoes as they

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