The Visit

The Visit (original title: Der Besuch der alten Dame, "The Visit Of The Old Lady") is a tragicomedy play by the Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Even though it has a simple (minimalist) structure, it's a complex psychological work with several twists, encompassing 3 acts.

The play takes place in the 1950's. The extremely impoverished town of Guellen prepares to welcome home Claire Zachanassian, quite possibly the richest woman in the world, who was born in the sleepy Guellen but moved abroad years before. They intend to woo her with fond memories (since they place wasn't such a sty back then) and have her ex-boyfriend, Alfred Ill, try to woo her into giving them $100,000. She offers one billion, half to the town itself and half to be given out between the people... if the villagers can set aside their morals for her.

Due to the many twists in this play, some spoilers may end up unmarked. As many relating to the major twists (from the end of act 1 and the start of act 3) will be hidden as possible.

The play, together with The Pirate Jenny, inspired Dogville.


 * Batman Gambit: Claire knew the town needed her money
 * The Chessmaster: Claire. When asked to invest in the town's mill and mine, both of which could be extremely profitable if someone just used a little cash to open then
 * Cloudcuckoolander: The eunuchs Koby and Loby. A tragic variant, because
 * The Cuckoolander Was Right: But they say some disturbing things in the play that make perfect sense once you know everything...
 * Comically Missing the Point: The press thought Ill was screaming "Oh God!" in joy. Then again, Claire pointed out before that she can make the press do what she wants.
 * Deal with the Devil: Claire's deal is close enough. Sure, you can have your money...
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Most of the townsfolk go unnamed and are only known by their professions. Matilda, even though she is named, is called Mrs. Ill by the script.
 * Humans Are Bastards: Every plot point relies on it.
 * Living Prop: Literally, the trees in the forest are actually actors with their arms held out (going by the stage directions).
 * Money, Dear Boy: Another major plot point. Guellen needs money...but what are they willing to do for it?
 * It's also implied Ill married Matilda because her family owned the general store. They don't seem to care too much for each other, outside of the portrait plot point.
 * The Needs of the Many: Used as justification later about taking Claire's deal.
 * Only Sane Man: It dwindles down to the Doctor and the Schoolmaster, and then just the Schoolmaster, and then it's Ill.
 * Pragmatic Adaptation: A recent Dutch production team realized that the Netherlands don't have any mountain towns (due to there being no mountains in the whole country). The location was changed to a northern fishermen's island, with the train replaced by a boat and everyone doing northern accents. It worked beautifully.
 * Red Right Hand:
 * Rhymes on a Dime: All the names of the people who work for Claire. The butler is Boby, her bodyguards are former Manhattan gangsters Roby and Toby, and her eunuchs are Koby and Loby. Likewise, her three husbands she goes through in the play are named Moby, Hoby, and Zoby.
 * This is all on purpose. Claire admits she renames her husbands to match the butler, since the butler will outlast them. It's implied she did the same with the others, since we also get Koby and Loby's real names in the story.
 * Rule of Symbolism: Claire's pet panther, the yellow shoes, Claire's prosthetic parts, the hotel's name, the teacher being the last sane man...
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Claire insists she can buy justice.
 * Screw the Money, I Have Rules: The towns people's stance, which starts to break down
 * Serial Spouse: Claire. She arrives to Geullen with her seventh husband, divorces him and marries a film star, then divorces him too, and prepares to marry a Nobel Prize-winner.
 * Took a Level In Jerkass: Played with. Ill hasn't actually changed since the start of the play, but
 * To be fair, he did a very Jerkass thing in the past.
 * Unlucky Childhood Friend: Everyone sees Ill as this to the fabulously rich Claire, though they point out that if she'd married him she'd be as poor as the rest.
 * Woman Scorned: Dürrenmatt took cues from Medea for Claire.
 * Woman Scorned: Dürrenmatt took cues from Medea for Claire.