A Comparison and Contrast between the Theme of Revenge in The Visit Essay

A Comparison and Contrast between the Theme of Revenge in The Visit and Death and the Maiden - Essay Example The story goes on to show how the people of this village are gearing up to present a great pomp and show of a welcome for Claire Zachanassian - a lady who had left the village for more prosperous shores years ago; a lady the villagers hardly remember. Claire was now believed to be returning to make a million pound donation to a village hungry for any kind of monetary gain. What the villagers do not know is that the person behind their state is Claire herself, who had actually left the village upon being betrayed and left with a ruined reputation by her lover, Ill. Claire then went onto marrying and widowing exceptionally well before she used her multimillions to ruin the village. Among an eerily commanding disposition, a misshapen entourage and several artificial body parts among other eccentricities in her general demeanour, Claire was remembered for a long time afterwards by the villagers for a chilling offer. Upon reaching her old home town, Claire the multimillionaire, agreed to part with a small fraction of her fortune at the condition that someone should first murder Ill, now a happily married shopkeeper. Revenge 2 The story then goes onto explore the shades of the vehement refusal to this offer by the mayor and the villagers alike, as well as the elements revolving around the fact that they are, at the end of the day, a very desperate lot, who begin to consider the proposition before them that can very well better their lives. This creates an air of 'will they, won't they', as a highlight in the plotline as it progresses from that point onwards. It makes for a fascinating portrayal of the internal struggle of the people of Guellen as they live their desperate lives and consider what it would take to improve their condition as Durrenmatt proceeds to demonstrate the changing emotions of Ill's family, friends and acquaintances with surprising insight and in frightening detail. This brings us to the next piece of work - Death and the Maiden, by Ariel Dorfman. More on the lines of a thriller, this story is one full of dramatic shades and a very strong moral element. The central character, Paulina Escobar is the wife of a prominent lawyer in an unnamed third World country. Paulina lives with Gerardo (her husband) in a desolate coastal setting. At the very onset, readers note Paulina's agitation concerning a news bulletin about the presidential appointment of a human rights commission charged with investigating abuses by the previous regime. According to the report, her lawyer husband has been appointed committee chair. The remainder of the story concerns victim, physician, and husband of that oppressive period who through strange circumstances are brought together during the night. The turn of events leading to this is such. One day a storm forces her husband to ride home with a neighbour - only to kick up an inner storm of sorts. That chance encounter brings up demons from her past, as Paulina is convinced that the neighbour Revenge 3 (Dr. Miranda) was part of the old fascist regime that tortured and raped her, while she had been mercilessly blindfolded. The story essentially centers on Paulina Escobar, who had been a political prisoner during the oppressive period, only to be tortured by her captors. After gaining her trust by treating her kindly and playing a tape of Schubert's Death and the Maiden, Dr. Miranda, a physician cruelly participated in the abusive treatment of his powerless