Brecht Collected Plays: 6: Good Person of Szechwan; The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui; Mr Puntila and his Man Matti (World Classics)

by Bertolt Brecht

  DEFENCE COUNSEL: Fish! Did they give you anything to drink at Dogsborough’s restaurant? Fish! Fish!

  GIRI, bellowing: Go on and shout! Looks like his tyre’s gone down.

  We’ll see who’s running things in this here town!

  Uproar. Darkness. The organ starts again to play Chopin’s Funeral March in dance rhythm.

  g

  As the lights go on for the last time, the judge stands up and in a toneless voice delivers the sentence. The defendant is deathly pale.

  THE JUDGE: Charles Fish, I find you guilty of arson and sentence you to fifteen years at hard labour.

  A sign appears.

  9

  a

  Cicero. A woman climbs out of a shot-up truck and staggers forward.

  THE WOMAN: Help! Help! Don’t run away. Who’ll testify?

  My husband is in that truck. They got him. Help!

  My arm is smashed … And so’s the truck. I need

  A bandage for my arm. They gun us down

  Like rabbits. God! Won’t anybody help?

  You murderers! My husband! I know who’s

  Behind it. Ui! Raging: Fiend! Monster! Shit!

  You’d make an honest piece of shit cry out:

  Where can I wash myself? You lousy louse!

  And people stand for it. And we go under.

  Hey you! It’s Ui!

  A burst of machine-gun fire nearby. She collapses.

  Ui did this job!

  Where’s everybody? Help! who’ll stop that mob?

  b

  Dogsborough’s country house. Night toward morning.

  Dogsborough is writing his will and confession.

  DOGSBOROUGH:

  And so I, honest Dogsborough acquiesced

  In all the machinations of that bloody gang

  After full eighty years of uprightness.

  I’m told that those who’ve known me all along

  Are saying I don’t know what’s going on

  That if I knew I wouldn’t stand for it.

  Alas, I know it all. I know who set

  Fire to Hook’s warehouse. And I know who dragged

  Poor Fish into the restaurant and doped him.

  I know that when Sheet died a bloody death

  His steamship ticket in his pocket, Roma

  Was there. I know that Giri murdered Bowl

  That afternoon outside of City Hall

  Because he knew too much about myself

  Honest old Dogsborough. I know that he

  Shot Hook, and saw him with Hook’s hat.

  I know that Givola committed five

  Murders, here itemised. I also know

  All about Ui, and I know he knew

  All this – the deaths of Sheet and Bowl, Givola’s

  Murderers and all about the fire. All this

  Your honest Dogsborough knew. All this

  He tolerated out of sordid lust

  For gain, and fear of forfeiting your trust.

  10

  Hotel Mammoth. Ui’s suite. Ui is sitting slumped in a deep chair, staring into space. Givola is writing and two bodyguards are looking over his shoulder, grinning.

  GIVOLA: And so I, Dogsborough, bequeath my bar

  To good hard-working Givola. My country

  House to the brave, though somewhat hot-headed Giri.

  And I bequeath my son to honest Roma.

  I furthermore request that you appoint

  Roma police chief, Giri judge, and Givola

  Commissioner of welfare. For my own

  Position I would warmly recommend

  Arturo Ui, who, believe your honest

  Old Dogsborough, is worthy of it. – That’s

  Enough, I think, let’s hope he kicks in soon.

  This testament will do wonders. Now that the old

  Man’s known to be dying and the hope arises

  Of laying him to rest with relative

  Dignity, in clean earth, it’s well to tidy up

  His corpse. A pretty epitaph is needed.

  Ravens from olden time have battened on

  The reputation of the fabulous

  White raven that somebody saw sometime

  And somewhere. This old codger’s their white raven.

  I guess they couldn’t find a whiter one.

  And by the way, boss, Giri for my taste

  Is too much with him. I don’t like it.

  UI, starting up: Giri?

  What about Giri?

  GIVOLA: Only that he’s spending

  A little too much time with Dogsborough.

  UI: I

  Don’t trust him.

  Giri comes in wearing a new hat, Hook’s.

  GIVOLA: I don’t either. Hi, Giri How’s Dogsborough’s apoplexy?

  GIRI: He refuses

  To let the doctor in.

  GIVOLA: Our brilliant doctor

  Who took such loving care of Fish?

  GIRI: No other

  Will do. The old man talks too much.

  UI: Maybe somebody’s talked too much to him …

  GIRI: What’s that? To Givola: You skunk, have you been stinking up

  The air around here again?

  GIVOLA, alarmed: Just read the will

  Dear Giri.

  GIRI, snatches it from him:

  What! Police chief? Him? Roma?

  You must be crazy.

  GIVOLA: He demands it. I’m

  Against it too. The bastard can’t be trusted

  Across the street.

  Roma comes in followed by bodyguards.

  Hi, Roma. Take a look at

  This will.

  ROMA, grabbing it out of his hands:

  Okay, let’s see it. What do you know!

  Giri a judge! But where’s the old man’s scribble?

  GIRI: Under his pillow. He’s been trying to Smuggle it out. Five times I’ve caught his son.

  ROMA holds out his hand:

  Let’s have it, Giri.

  GIRI: What? I haven’t got it.

  ROMA: Oh yes, you have!

  They glare at each other furiously.

  I know what’s on your mind.

  There’s something about Sheet. That concerns me.

  GIRI: Bowl figures in it too. That concerns me.

  ROMA: Okay, but you’re both jerks, and I’m a man.

  I know you, Giri, and you too, Givola.

  I’d even say your crippled leg was phony.

  Why do I always find you bastards here?

  What are you cooking up? What lies have they

  Been telling you about me, Arturo? Watch

  Your step, you pipsqueaks. If I catch you trying

  To cross me up, I’ll rub you out like blood spots.

  GIRI: Roma, you’d better watch your tongue. I’m not One of your two-bit gunmen.

  ROMA, to his bodyguards: That means you!

  That’s what they’re calling you at headquarters.

  They hobnob with the Cauliflower Trust –

  Pointing to Giri.

  That shirt was made to order by Clark’s tailor –

  You two-bit gunmen do the dirty work –

  And you – To Ui. – put up with it.

  UI, as though waking up: Put up with what?

  GIVOLA: His shooting up Caruther’s trucks. Caruther’s

  A member of the Trust.

  UI: Did you shoot up

  Caruther’s trucks?

  ROMA: I gave no orders. Just

  Some of the boys. Spontaneous combustion.

  They don’t see why it’s always the small grocers

  That have to sweat and bleed. Why not the big wheels?

  Damn it, Arturo, I myself don’t get it.

  GIVOLA: The Trust is good and mad.

  GIRI: Clark says they’re only

  Waiting for it to happen one more time.

  He’s put in a complaint with Dogsborough.

  UI, morosely: Ernesto, these things mustn’t happen.

 
; GIRI: Crack down, boss!

  These guys are getting too big for their breeches.

  GIVOLA: The Trust is good and mad, boss.

  ROMA pulls his gun. To Giri and Givola:

  Okay. Hands up!

  To their bodyguards:

  You too!

  Hands up the lot of you. No monkey business!

  Now back up to the wall.

  Givola, his men, and Giri raise their hands and with an air of resignation back up to the wall.

  UI, indifferently: What is all this?

  Ernesto, don’t make them nervous. What are you guys

  Squabbling about? So some palooka’s wasted

  Some bullets on a cauliflower truck.

  Such misunderstandings can be straightened out.

  Everything is running smooth as silk.

  The fire was a big success. The stores

  Are paying for protection. Thirty cents

  On every dollar. Almost half the city

  Has knuckled under in five days. Nobody

  Raises a hand against us. And I’ve got

  Bigger and better projects.

  GIVOLA, quickly: Projects? What

  For instance?

  GIRI: Fuck your projects. Get this fool

  To let me put my hands down.

  ROMA: Safety first, Arturo.

  We’d better leave them up.

  GIVOLA: Won’t it look sweet

  If Clark comes in and sees us here like this?

  UI: Ernesto, put that rod away!

  ROMA: No dice!

  Wake up, Arturo. Don’t you see their game?

  They’re selling you out to the Clarks and Dogsboroughs.

  ‘If Clark comes in and sees us!’ What, I ask you

  Has happened to the shipyard’s funds? We haven’t

  Seen a red cent. The boys shoot up the stores

  Tote gasoline to warehouses and sigh:

  We made Arturo what he is today

  And he doesn’t know us any more. He’s playing

  The shipyard owner and tycoon. Wake up

  Arturo!

  GIRI: Right. And speak up. Tell us where You stand.

  UI jumps up: Are you boys trying to pressure me

  At gunpoint? Better not, I’m warning you

  You won’t get anywhere with me like that.

  You’ll only have yourselves to blame for

  The consequences. I’m a quiet man. But

  I won’t be threatened. Either trust me blindly

  Or go your way. I owe you no accounting.

  Just do your duty, and do it to the full.

  The recompense is up to me, because

  Duty comes first and then the recompense.

  What I demand of you is trust. You lack

  Faith, and where faith is lacking, all is lost.

  How do you think I got this far? By faith!

  Because of my fanatical, my unflinching

  Faith in the cause. With faith and nothing else

  I flung a challenge at this city and forced

  It to its knees. With faith I made my way

  To Dogsborough. With faith I climbed the steps

  Of City Hall. With nothing in my naked

  Hands but indomitable faith.

  ROMA: And

  A tommy gun.

  UI: No, other men have them

  But lack firm faith in their predestination

  To leadership. And that is why you too

  Need to have faith in me. Have faith! Believe that

  I know what’s best for you and that I’m

  Resolved to put it through. That I will find

  The road to victory. If Dogsborough

  Passes away, then I decide who gets to

  Be what. I say no more, but rest assured:

  You’ll all be satisfied.

  GIVOLA puts his hand on his heart:

  Arturo!

  ROMA, sullenly: Scram

  You guys!

  Giri, Givola and Givola’s bodyguard go out slowly with their hands up.

  GIRI, leaving, to Roma: I like your hat.

  GIVOLA, leaving: Dear Roma …

  ROMA: Scram!

  Giri, you clown, don’t leave your laugh behind.

  And Givola, you crook, be sure to take

  Your clubfoot, though I’m pretty sure you stole it.

  When they are gone, Ui relapses into his brooding.

  UI: I want to be alone.

  ROMA, standing still: Arturo, if I

  Hadn’t the kind of faith you’ve just described

  I’d sometimes find it hard to look my

  Men in the face. We’ve got to act. And quickly.

  Giri is cooking up some dirty work.

  UI: Don’t worry about Giri. I am planning

  Bigger and better things. And now, Ernesto

  To you, my oldest friend and trusted lieutenant

  I will divulge them.

  ROMA, beaming: Speak, Arturo. Giri

  And what I had to say of him can wait.

  He sits down with Ui. Roma’s men stand waiting in the corner.

  UI: We’re finished with Chicago. I need more.

  ROMA: More?

  UI: Vegetables are sold in other cities.

  ROMA: But how are you expecting to get in?

  UI: Through

  The front door, through the back door, through the windows.

  Resisted, sent away, called back again.

  Booed and acclaimed. With threats and supplications

  Appeals and insults, gentle force and steel

  Embrace. In short, the same as here.

  ROMA: Except

  Conditions aren’t the same in other places.

  UI: I have in mind a kind of dress rehearsal

  In a small town. That way we’ll see

  Whether conditions are so different. I

  Doubt it.

  ROMA: And where have you resolved to stage

  This dress rehearsal?

  UI: In Cicero.

  ROMA: But there

  They’ve got this Dullfeet with his Journal

  For Vegetables and Positive Thinking

  Which every Saturday accuses me

  Of murdering Sheet.

  UI: That’s got to stop.

  ROMA: It will. These journalists have enemies.

  Their black and white makes certain people

  See red. Myself, for instance. Yes, Arturo

  I think these accusations can be silenced.

  UI: I’m sure they can. The Trust is negotiating

  With Cicero right now. For the time being

  We’ll just sell cauliflower peacefully.

  ROMA: Who’s doing this negotiating?

  UI: Clark.

  But he’s been having trouble. On our account.

  ROMA: I see. So Clark is in it. I wouldn’t trust

  That Clark around the corner.

  UI: In Cicero

  They say we’re following the Cauliflower

  Trust like its shadow. They want cauliflower, but

  They don’t want us. The shopkeepers don’t like us.

  A feeling shared by others: Dullfeet’s wife

  For instance, who for years now has been running

  A greengoods wholesale house. She’d like to join

  The Trust, and would have joined except for us.

  ROMA: You mean this plan of moving in on Cicero

  Didn’t start with you at all, but with the Trust?

  Arturo, now I see it all. I see

  Their rotten game.

  UI: Whose game?

  ROMA: The Trust’s.

  The goings-on at Dogsborough’s! His will!

  It’s all a machination of the Trust.

  They want the Cicero connection. You’re in

  The way. But how can they get rid of you?

  You’ve got them by the balls, because they needed

  You for their dirty business and connived at

  Your methods. But now they’ve fo
und a way:

  Old Dogsborough confesses and repairs

  In ash and sackcloth to his coffin.

  The cauliflower boys with deep emotion

  Retrieve this paper from his hands and sobbing

  Read it to the assembled press: how he repents

  And solemnly adjures them to wipe out

  The plague which he – as he confesses – brought

  In, and restore the cauliflower trade

  To its time-honoured practices.

  That’s what they plan, Arturo. They’re all in it:

  Giri, who gets Dogsborough to scribble wills

  And who is hand in glove with Clark, who’s having

  Trouble in Cicero because of us

  And wants pure sunshine when he shovels shekels.

  Givola, who smells carrion. – This Dogsborough

  Honest old Dogsborough with his two-timing will

  That splatters you with muck has got to be

  Rubbed out, Arturo, or your best-laid plans

  For Cicero are down the drain.

  UI: You think

  It’s all a plot? It’s true. They’ve kept me out

  Of Cicero. I’ve noticed that.

  ROMA: Arturo

  I beg you: let me handle this affair.

  I tell you what: my boys and I will beat

  It out to Dogsborough’s tonight

  And take him with us. To the hospital

  We’ll tell him – and deliver him to the morgue.

  UI: But Giri’s with him at the villa.

  ROMA: He

  Can stay there.

  They exchange glances.

  Two birds one stone.

  UI: And Givola?

  ROMA: On the way back I’ll drop in at the florist’s

  And order handsome wreaths for Dogsborough.

  For Giri too, the clown. And I’ll pay cash.

  He pats his gun.

  UI: Ernesto, this contemptible project of

  The Dogsboroughs and Clarks and Dullfeets

  To squeeze me out of Cicero’s affairs

  By coldly branding me a criminal

  Must be frustrated with an iron hand.

  I put my trust in you.

  ROMA: And well you may.

  But you must meet with us before we start

  And give the boys a talk to make them see

  The matter in its proper light. I’m not

  So good at talking.

  UI, shaking his hand: It’s a deal.

  ROMA: I knew it

  Arturo. This was how it had to be

  Decided. Say, the two of us! Say, you

  And me! Like in the good old days.

  To his men.

  What did

  I tell you, boys? He gives us the green light.