The unreasonable are dying out
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| Title: | The unreasonable are dying out |
| Genus: | Play |
| Original language: | German |
| Author: | Peter Handke |
| Publishing year: | 1973 |
| Premiere: | April 17, 1974 |
| Place of premiere: | Theater am Neumarkt in Zurich |
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The Unreasonable Die aus is a play by Peter Handke . It was published by Suhrkamp in 1973 and was premiered on April 17, 1974 under the direction of Horst Zankl in the Theater am Neumarkt in Zurich .
About the piece
The author Peter Handke uses the means of traditional illusion theater . In doing so, he distances himself far from his earlier experimental theater works such as public abuse (1966), self-accusation (1966) or Kaspar (1967). The piece is divided into two scenes. In the irrational die from not this is a classic action drama. The plot is only hinted at and the play is based on the tragedy , the hallmark of which is the death of the protagonist Quitts at the end. The dialogues are reminiscent of individual monologues by individual people. The stage design is extremely sparse. According to Peter Handke , only a few props are planned. A balloon loosing air, a melting lump of ice and a swelling dough as dynamic objects and the sandbag at the beginning and the rock block at the end as static objects. The location is not clearly indicated. One can assume, however, that it is outside a city because the silhouette of a city is mentioned in the stage directions. Some time must have passed between the scenes as the entrepreneurs are already in ruin. From an economic point of view, this process does not only take a few days. The end of the piece is open because you don't know whether the main character Quitt is still alive or not.
content
The main character Hermann Quitt, a successful entrepreneur, comes to the conclusion that the existing economic order of unconditional competition between capitalists is no longer up to date. He demands solidarity and joint action from his competitors. Quitt persuades them to form a cartel with agreements on product and pricing. After a while, Quitt breaks this agreement and gradually ruins the members of the cartel. In the end, Quitt runs his head several times against a stone block and remains motionless.
First Scene
Hermann Quitt trains on the sandbag in the first sequence. His long-time confidante Hans talks to him. They talk about life, dreams and crises of meaning in the individual. Quitt expects a visit from entrepreneurs and friends. After a while, Quitt leaves the room and leaves Hans behind. The small shareholder Franz Kilb appears, who, according to his own statement, is the horror of the supervisory board, the buffoon of all general meetings, the tick in the heart of the economy with the annoyance value 100 (p. 11). Hans wants to drive Kilb away, but soon gives up the venture because of resignation. The small shareholder says that he owns at least one share in every major corporation in the country . He attends general meetings and disrupts them by constantly interrupting them.
After a while, Hermann Quitt returns and, after a short conversation with Hans, meets Kilb. Hans goes to meet the entrepreneur Karl-Heinz Lutz. A short conversation follows between Quitt and Kilb. Hans returns with Harald von Wullnow, Karl-Heinz Lutz and Berthold Koerber-Kent. Koerber-Kent is a business priest for a Catholic Church company. A conversation begins and the subject falls on Kilb. Those present are divided about the small shareholder. Wullnow in particular is angry with him. The topic of conversation focuses on the good old days with their work ethic. The pride of the worker in the products he makes is particularly emphasized. Kilb tries to disturb, but does not succeed. The entrepreneurs continue unimpressed and for the first time address an association in the form of a cartel in order to be able to continue to exist in the free market economy as usual.
Paula Tax, also an entrepreneur, enters and sits down. Quitt's wife enters the room, sees Paula and leaves the group angrily with a scream. Wullnow urges those present to maintain absolute secrecy about what has been discussed. Kilb is scanned and searched for hidden microphones. None are found. Everyone's goal is to limit the manufacture of new products and thus make the market more manageable. Prices are too high, so lower wages are demanded to bring prices down. For Quitt, it is advisable to outsource the production facilities abroad. He energetically enumerates various points that would mean treason in the cartel. Then the establishment of the cartel is decided. It is toasted with champagne and Kilb spits at the feet of everyone present, grimaces in front of Paula Tax and utters wild insults. He is not paid any attention. After a while he begins to unbutton Paula's blouse. She just smiles and nobody reacts. Only when Kilb is about to pull the blouse out of his pants does Quitt jump in and complete the work. Some champagne glasses break in the commotion. Quitt spits in the faces of the bystanders, picks up a piece of glass and attacks Kilb. He tossed the glass and wedged Kilb's head between his armpits. After a while, Quitt pushes Kilb away and returns to the others. Hans cleans the floor and the entrepreneurs themselves. They begin to smile and only Hermann Quitt remains serious. Paula returns dressed and smiles too. After a short time the three men leave. Only Quitt, Paula Tax and Hans remain.
Quitt and Paula start a conversation about advertising , which is supposed to create a natural need for products in consumers. A little later, Quitt gets up and presses the woman to him. She wraps her arms around him, he lets go of her and is followed by her. Both stop and approach again. Quitt's wife enters the room and asks for an Austrian playwright to do a crossword puzzle. The dialogue between Quitt and Paula Tax is interrupted, but resumed after Mrs. Quitt has left. He throws Paula to the ground. Hans appears and helps Frau Tax, who has got up, into her fur coat. Shortly before leaving, she confesses her love for him to Quitt. Quitt's wife appears and tells about her day. She mentions that she stole a blouse. The entrepreneur accepts her confession almost without comment. She disappears again and the man is left sitting alone. (Enter Hans with a book in hand. Quitt asks his confidante to tell something about himself. Instead, Hans just reads aloud and Quitt decides to ruin his business friends after the story is over. This self-centered act of betrayal seems to instill new strength in Quitt. He is himself again, although all agreements of the cartel are broken. At the end of the scene, he lets out a loud scream.
Second scene
At the beginning of the second sequence, Hans sleeps in a deck chair. Quitt comes to the fore with a whistle, wakes his confidante and rebukes him for his submissiveness. The servant tries to emancipate himself with a few examples by stating that he is more like his master. The conversation is directed to Hermann Quitt's parents, who allegedly fell into a volcano while on a trip . Quitt's wife arrives and starts dancing with Hans while the entrepreneur sings a song. Business is good and everyone is happy.
Ms. Quitt and Hans leave Quitt alone because Wullnow, Lutz and Koerber-Kent appear. The entrepreneurs seem distant and reject all comforts. Quitt leaves the group. Wullnow foams with anger over Hermann Quitt's betrayal. Lutz tries to calm down. They come to the conclusion that they call in the small shareholder Kilb to avenge Quitt's betrayal. At the same moment, it returns unsuspecting. Wullnow appeals to the common past of the old business friends and speaks to Quitt about the breach of contract. Lutz interrupts and begins to talk about death and his own impermanence, but Quitt remains unmoved. Wullnow is furious and realizes that Quitt's approach is ruining the reputation of any entrepreneurship. The only answer he received was Quitt's brief remark that it was not the reputation but Wullnow, Lutz and Koerber-Kent that were ruined. Wullnow is acting wildly, screams Quitt at wild insults, but tries to give in one last time. Quitt remains tough and adamant. Wullnow is leaving for good.
Hermann Quitt then admits his breach of contract and Lutz confronts him with the measures for pricing his products. Karl-Heinz Lutz openly admits his weakness towards Quitt and begins to enumerate some childhood memories. For the last time, he invokes corporate values and the pride of their class. The effect on Quitt is missed and Lutz disappears sadly.
Koerber-Kent begins again to speak of death , whereby his counterpart tries to distract. Steps can be heard in the background. Paula Tax appears. Koerber-Kent begins to scream and tries to persuade Quitt to turn back by mentioning the fear of death. This request also remains unheard and the entrepreneur priest leaves. Quitt is left alone with Paula. After a while, Ms. Quitt enters the room. He strokes Paula, who suddenly begins to choke him. The two split up and Quitt's wife giggles in the background. The entrepreneur pushes Paula to the ground and turns away from her. She desires him, but is rejected. Quitt orders Paula Tax to leave. She gives in to Quitt's offer to buy from her company and disappears. After a while his wife runs away too.
Franz Kilb, the small shareholder, storms into the room with a knife, but immediately puts it away. Quitt thinks he is the only one left and is disgusted with himself. During a long monologue he hugs Kilb. This twists and turns until it finally falls to the ground. Quitt says goodbye with the words: The brain, is it solid, liquid, or gaseous? (P. 100). After a break, he runs his head against a stone block, gets up several times and repeats the process. In the end he too remains motionless.
expenditure
- Peter Handke: The unreasonable are dying out . Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt / Main 1973, ISBN 3-518-06668-4 (Suhrkamp Taschenbuch 168).
literature
- Rüdiger Dingemann : The unreasonable are dying out . In: Walter Jens (Ed.): Kindlers new literary dictionary . tape 7 . Kindler, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-463-43007-X , p. 260 .
- Georg Jäger: Remembering Mr. Quitt's feeling for the world . In: Raimund Fellinger (Ed.): Peter Handke . Suhrkamp , Frankfurt / Main 1985, ISBN 3-518-38504-6 , pp. 260 .
- Herbert Gamper: Deputy General? About “The Unreasonable Die Out” and the narrative program of “The Repetition” . In: Gerhard Fuchs and Gerhard Melzer (eds.): Dossier Extra. Peter Handke . Droschl , Graz 1993, ISBN 3-85420-337-3 .