The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Imagery

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Imagery

Flashing Cards

Brecht has stage directions involving place cards, which have historical facts upon them about Adolf Hitler's rise to power. This imagery coincides with the action of the play and reveals the reality of Hitler's monstrous ways, right after people may have just gotten a laugh out of the ludicrous nature of the play's action.

Out of Character

The actor playing Arturoi Ui address the crowd at the end of the play, taking off his mustache. This imagery along with his speech about our responsibility to wake up as a people and pay attention, causes us to understand that Brecht is talking about very real issues with the use of theatre, not merely entertaining everyone.

Bowl's Death

During the trial scene, we only hear a machine gun fire off in the street. However, the imagery created by the sound is that Bowl, a key witness, is dead. That on the very steps of justice, Ui and his men are making a mockery of the system, and asserting themselves as all-powerful through terrorizing the people of the city.

Angry Mob

Brecht presents the grocers at the end of the play as a mob who are angered about Ui's treatment of them and having extorted them all along. This quick-paced dialogue, which increases the pace of the play, is slowed by Ui's long speech to them. The imagery shows us how Ui takes everything that they believe in and crushes it with the force of his threat, simply that he will kill them if they don't vote for him. The horrifying reality of people having to choose a monster or death is put on display in this scene.

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