This volume brings together Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s provocative play The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi and his influential essay Problems of the Theatre. In the play, Dürrenmatt presents four men—a revolutionary, a public prosecutor, a politician, and a count—locked in conflict over one woman. Through sharp wit and inventive theatricality, he dissects the contradictions of justice, politics, and human morality, exposing a world where the innocent can be guilty and the guilty innocent.
Accompanying the play is Gerhard Nellhaus’s translation of Dürrenmatt’s essay Problems of the Theatre, in which the playwright reflects incisively on the state of modern theater and the crises shaping his work. Dürrenmatt argues that contemporary drama must confront the realities of a world scarred by violence and mechanized slaughter, where tragic heroes have been replaced by tragic absurdity.
This edition, translated by Michael Bullock, highlights Dürrenmatt’s enduring significance as one of the most important German-language dramatists since Brecht, blending dark comedy with searing social critique.
Technical Details
Author: Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Translator (play): Michael Bullock
Translator (essay): Gerhard Nellhaus
Publisher: Grove Press (Evergreen E-401)
Language: English (translated from German)
Original Title: Die Ehe des Herrn Mississippi
Format: Paperback
