Death and the Maiden (play)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Death and the Maiden (La muerte y la doncella) is a play by Ariel Dorfman, first published in 1991.

Dorfman is a Chilean exile, having escaped the regime of Augusto Pinochet.

[edit] Synopsis

Paulina Escobar, a now-freed political prisoner in an unnamed Latin American country who had been raped by her captors, led by a sadistic doctor whose face she never saw. The rapist played Schubert's composition Death and the Maiden while raping her; hence the play's title.

Years later, after the (also unnamed) repressive regime has fallen, Paulina lives in an isolated country house with her husband, Gerardo. When Gerardo comes back from a visit to the president, he gets a flat tire. A stranger named Dr. Roberto Miranda stops to assist him. Dr. Miranda drives Gerardo home and later in the night he returns. Paulina recognizes Miranda's voice and mannerism as that of her rapist, and takes him captive in order to extract a confession from him.

Unconvinced of his guilt, Gerardo acts as Roberto Miranda's lawyer and attempts to save his life. After hearing the full story of her captivity from Paulina, Gerardo formulates a confession with Roberto to appease Paulina's madness and set her free from her past. Paulina records the entire confession and has Roberto write it out and sign it. She sends Gerardo out to get Roberto's car so he can go home. While they are alone for the last time, Paulina accuses Roberto of being unrepentant and guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. She reveals that she lied to her husband in her story and that Dr. Miranda corrected the errors. The scene is cut off before Paulina finishes her speech and it is left up to the audience whether or not Roberto is killed. The final scene shows Gerardo and Paulina at a Schubert concert much later talking to people. Gerardo discusses the success of the committee he is on to investigate the crimes of the former regime. Roberto is seen at a distance also at the play and whether or not he is really there or just in Paulina's mind is also left up to the audience.

[edit] Movie adaptation

In 1994, Roman Polański directed a film of the work, starring Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, and Stuart Wilson

[edit] External links

• Death and the Maiden at the Internet Movie Database
• Synopsis of the movie. New York University, The Literature, Arts & Medicine Database

Films of Roman Polański

Rower • Uśmiech zębiczny • Rozbijemy zabawę • Morderstwo • Dwaj ludzie z szafą • Lampa • Gdy spadają anioly • Gros et le maigre, Le • Ssaki • Nóż w wodzie • Les Plus belles escroqueries du monde • Repulsion • Cul-de-Sac • The Fearless Vampire Killers • Rosemary's Baby • Macbeth • What? • Chinatown • The Tenant • Tess • Pirates • Frantic • Bitter Moon • Death and the Maiden • The Ninth Gate • The Pianist • Oliver Twist