Postscript Summary

In the postscript, Durrenmatt gives a set of basic directions for anyone who wishes to produce his play. He says, first of all, that a director should not try to put more meaning into it than it deserves. It is, first of all, a comedy, and it is meant to entertain. There is no hidden, symbolic meaning, though it does certainly have serious themes, namely that money has the power to corrupt anyone and Durrenmatt admits that he might not act any differently than the people in his play. It is not meant to be an allegory, and thus any attempt to see Claire as a symbol for the Marshall Plan or justice or anything else is illegitimate.

The play is supposed to have similarities to Greek Tragedies, but it is also supposed to contrast with them. In the context of a Greek...