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The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

(Student Editions)
Written by Bertolt Brecht DOI: 10.5040/9781408167984.00000054

Translated by Ralph Manheim

Scene 4

Dogsborough ’s country house. Dogsborough and his

son.

Dogsborough
I should never have accepted this estate.
Taking that package as a kind of gift was
Beyond reproach.

Young Dogsborough Of course it was.

Dogsborough And sponsoring

That loan, when I discovered to my own
Detriment that a thriving line of business
Was languishing for lack of funds, was hardly
Dishonest. But when, confident the shipyard
Would yield a handsome profit, I accepted
This house before I moved the loan, so secretly
Acting in my own interest – that was wrong.

Young Dogsborough
Yes, father.

Dogsborough That was faulty judgment

Or might be so regarded. Yes, my boy
I should never have accepted this estate.

Young Dogsborough No.

Dogsborough
We’ve stepped into a trap.

Young Dogsborough Yes, father.

Dogsborough That
Package of stocks was like the salty titbit
They serve free gratis at the bar to make
The customer, appeasing his cheap hunger
Work up a raging thirst.
(Pause.)
That inquiry
At City Hall about the docks, has got
Me down. The loan’s used up. Clark helped
Himself; so did Caruther, Flake and Butcher
And so, I’m sad to say, did I. And no
Cement’s been bought yet, not a pound! The one
Good thing is this: at Sheet’s request I kept
The deal a secret; no one knows of my
Connection with the shipyard.

The Butler (enters)

Telephone
Sir, Mr Butcher of the Cauliflower Trust.

Dogsborough
Take it, son.

Young Dogsborough goes out with the Butler . Church

bells are heard in the distance.

Dogsborough Now what can Butcher want?

(Looking out of the window.)
Those poplars are what tempted me to take
The place. The poplars and the lake down there,
like
Silver before it’s minted into dollars.
And air that’s free of beer fumes. The fir trees
Are good to look at too, especially
The tops. Grey-green and dusty. And the trunks –
Their colour calls to mind the leathers we used to
wrap around
The taps when drawing beer. It was the poplars,
though
That turned the trick. Ah yes, the poplars.
It’s Sunday. Hm. The bells would sound so
peaceful
If the world were not so full of wickedness.
But what can Butcher want on Sunday?
I never should have …

Young Dogsborough (returning)

Father, Butcher says

Last night the City Council voted to
Investigate the Cauliflower Trust’s
Projected docks. Father, what’s wrong?

Dogsborough My smelling salts!

Young Dogsborough (gives them to him)

Here.

Dogsborough What does Butcher want?

Young Dogsborough He wants to come here.

Dogsborough
Here? I refuse to see him. I’m not well.
My heart.
(He stands up. Grandly)
I haven’t anything to do
With this affair. For sixty years I’ve trodden
The narrow path, as everybody knows.
They can’t involve me in their schemes.

Young Dogsborough No. father.

Do you feel better now?

The Butler (enters)

A Mr Ui
Desires to see you, sir.

Dogsborough The gangster!

The Butler Yes

I’ve seen his picture in the papers. Says he
Was sent by Mr Clark of the Cauliflower
Trust.

Dogsborough
Throw him out! Who sent him? Clark? Good God!
Is he threatening me with gangsters now? I’ll …

Enter Arturo Ui and Ernesto Roma .

Ui Mr
Dogsborough.

Dogsborough Get out!

Roma I wouldn’t be in such

A hurry, friend. It’s Sunday. Take it easy.

Dogsborough
Get out, I said!

Young Dogsborough My father says: Get out!

Roma
Saying it twice won’t make it any smarter.

Ui (unruffled)
Mr Dogsborough.

Dogsborough Where are the servants? Call the

Police.

Roma I wouldn’t leave the room if I

Were you, son. In the hallway you might run
Into some boys who wouldn’t understand.

Dogsborough
Ho! Violence!

Roma I wouldn’t call it that.

Only a little emphasis perhaps.

Ui
Mr Dogsborough. I am well aware that you
Don’t know me, or even worse, you know me but
Only from hearsay. Mr Dogsborough
I have been very much maligned, my image
Blackened by envy, my intentions disfigured
By baseness. When some fourteen years ago
Yours truly, then a modest, unemployed
Son of the Bronx, appeared within the gates
Of this your city to launch a new career
Which, I may say, has not been utterly
Inglorious, my only followers
Were seven youngsters, penniless like myself
But brave and like myself determined
To cut their chunk of meat from every cow
The Lord created. I’ve got thirty now
And will have more. But now you’re wondering:
What
Does Arturo Ui want of me? Not much. Just this.
What irks me is to be misunderstood
To be regarded as a fly-by-night
Adventurer and heaven knows what else.
(Clears his throat.)
Especially by the police, for I
Esteem them and I’d welcome their esteem.
And so I’ve come to ask you – and believe me
Asking’s not easy for my kind of man –
To put a word in for me with the precinct
When necessary.

Dogsborough (incredulously)

Vouch for you, you mean?

Ui
If necessary. That depends on whether
We strike a friendly understanding with
The vegetable dealers.

Dogsborough What is your

Connection with the vegetable trade?

Ui
That’s what I’m coming to. The vegetable
Trade needs protection. By force if necessary.
And I’m determined to supply it.

Dogsborough No
One’s theatening it as far as I can see.

Ui
Maybe not. Not yet. But I see further. And
I ask you: How long with our corrupt police
Force will the vegetable dealer be allowed
To sell his vegetables in peace? A ruthless
Hand may destroy his little shop tomorrow
And make off with his cash-box. Would he not
Prefer at little cost to arm himself
Before the trouble starts, with powerful
protection?

Dogsborough
I doubt it.

Ui That would mean he doesn’t know

What’s good for him. Quite possible. The small
Vegetable dealer, honest but short-sighted
Hard-working but too often unaware
Of his best interest, needs strong leadership.
Moreover, toward the Cauliflower Trust
That gave him everything he has, he feels
No sense of responsibility. That’s where I
Come in again. The Cauliflower Trust
Must likewise be protected. Down with the
welshers!
Pay up, say I, or close your shop! The weak
Will perish. Let them, that’s the law of nature.
In short, the Trust requires my services.

Dogsborough
But what’s the Cauliflower Trust to me?
Why come to me with this amazing plan?

Ui
We’ll get to that. I’ll tell you what you need.
The Cauliflower Trust needs muscle, thirty
Determined men under my leadership.

Dogsborough
Whether the Trust would want to change its
typewriters
For tommy-guns I have no way of knowing.
You see, I’m not connected with the Trust.

Ui
We’ll get to that. You say: With thirty men
Armed to the teeth, at home on our premises
How do we know that we ourselves are safe?
The answer’s very simple. He who holds
The purse strings holds the power. And it’s you
Who hand out the pay envelopes. How could
I turn against you even if I wanted
Even without the high esteem I bear you?
For what do I amount to? What
Following have I got? A handful. And some
Are dropping out. Right now it’s twenty. Or less.
Without your help I’m finished. It’s your duty
Your human duty to protect me from
My enemies, and (I may as well be frank)
My followers too! The work of fourteen years
Hangs in the balance! I appeal to you
As man to man.

Dogsborough
As man to man I’ll tell
You what I’ll do. I’m calling the police.

Ui
What? The police?

Dogsborough Exactly, the police!

Ui
Am I to understand that you refuse
To help me as a man?
(Bellows.)
Then I demand
It of you as a criminal. Because
That’s what you are. I’m going to expose you.
I’ve got the proofs. There’s going to be a scandal
About some docks. And you’re mixed up in it.
Sheet’s
Shipyard – that’s you. I’m warning you! Don’t
Push me too far! They’ve voted to investigate.

Dogsborough (very pale)

They never will. They can’t. My friends …

Ui
You haven’t got any. You had some yesterday.
Today you haven’t got a single friend
Tomorrow you’ll have nothing but enemies.
If anybody can rescue you, it’s me
Arturo Ui! Me! Me!

Dogsborough Nobody’s going to

Investigate. My hair is white.

Ui But nothing else

Is white about you, Dogsborough.
(Tries to seize his hand.)
Think, man! It’s now or never. Let me save you!
One word from you and any bastard who
Touches a hair of yon white head, I’ll drill him.
Dogsborough, help me now. I beg you. Once.
Just once! Oh, say the word, or I shall never
Be able to face my boys again.

He weeps.

Dogsborough Never!
I’d sooner die than get mixed up with you.

Ui
I’m washed up and I know it. Forty
And still a nobody. You’ve got to help me.
&

&

Dogsborough
Never.

Ui I’m warning you. I’ll crush you.

Dogsborough Never
Never while I draw breath will you get away with
Your green goods racket.

Ui (with dignity)

Mr Dogsborough
I’m only forty. You are eighty. With God’s
Help I’ll outlast you. And one thing I know:
I’ll break into the green goods business yet.

Dogsborough
Never!

Ui
Come, Roma. Let’s get out of here.
He makes a formal bow and leaves the room with
Ernesto Roma .

Dogsborough
Air! Give me air. Oh, what a mug!
Oh, what a mug! I should never have accepted
This estate. But they won’t dare. I’m sunk
If they investigate, but they won’t dare.

The Butler (enters) Goodwill and Gaffles of the city

council.

Enter Goodwill and Gaffles .

Goodwill
Hello, Dogsborough.

Dogsborough Hello, Goodwill and Gaffles.

Anything new?

Goodwill Plenty, and not so good, I fear.

But wasn’t that Arturo Ui who
Just passed us in the hall?

Dogsborough (with a forced laugh)

Himself in person.
Hardly an ornament to a country home.

Goodwill No.
Hardly an ornament. It’s no good wind
That brings us. It’s that loan we made the Trust
To build their docks with.

Dogsborough (stiffly)

What about the loan?

Gaffles
Well, certain council members said – don’t get
Upset – the thing looked kind of fishy.

Dogsborough Fishy.

Goodwill
Don’t worry The majority flew off
The handle. Fishy! We almost came to blows.

Gaffles
Dogsborough’s contracts fishy! they shouted.
What
About the Bible? Is that fishy too?
It almost turned to an ovation for you
Dogsborough. When your friends demanded an
Investigation, some, infected with
Our confidence, withdrew their motion and
Wanted to shelve the whole affair. But the
Majority, resolved to clear your name
Of every vestige of suspicion, shouted:
Dogsborough’s more than a name. It stands for
more than
A man. It’s an institution! In an uproar
They voted the investigation.

Dogsborough The
Investigation.

Goodwill O’Casey is in charge.

The cauliflower people merely say
The loan was made directly to Sheet’s shipyard.
The contracts with the builders were to be
Negotiated by Sheet’s shipyard.

Dogsborough By Sheet’s shipyard.

Goodwill
The best would be for you to send a man
Of flawless reputation and impartiality
Someone you trust, to throw some light on this
Unholy rat’s nest.

Dogsborough So I will.

Gaffles All right

That settles it. And now suppose you show us
This famous country house of yours. We’ll want
To tell our friends about it.

Dogsborough Very well.

Goodwill
What blessed peace! And church bells! All one can
Wish for.

Gaffles (laughing)

No docks in sight.

Dogsborough I’ll send a man.

They go out slowly.

A sign appears.

Translation copyright for the play and texts by Brecht © 1981 by Stefan
S. Brecht. Copyright © 1957 by Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt am Main.
Commentary and notes copyright © 2002, 2007 by Non Worrall

Enquire about performing rights in the USA and Canada

at: Fitelson, Lasky, Aslan and Couture

Enquire about performing rights for professional

performances throughout the World excluding the USA
and Canada at: Alan Brodie Representation Ltd

Enquire about performing rights for amateur

performances throughout the World excluding the USA
and Canada at: Samuel French Ltd

All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and

application for performance etc. should be made before
rehearsals to the performance rights holder
holder. No
performance may be given unless a licence has been
obtained. No rights in incidental music or songs
contained in the Work are hereby granted and
performance rights for any performance/presentation
whatsoever must be obtained from the respective
copyright owners.

Bertolt Brecht

Methuen Drama, 2007

Search within this book Go

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No. Go

Front matter
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Student Editions)
Cast 3
Prologue 5-7
Scene 1 9-16
Scene 2 17-21
Scene 3 21-27
Scene 4 27-36
Scene 5 36-43
Scene 6 43-48
Scene 7 48-55
Scene 8 55-63
Scene 9 63-64
Scene 10 65-76
Scene 11 76-80
Scene 12 80-85
Scene 13 86-92
Scene 14 92-93
Scene 15 93-98
Epilogue 99

Back matter

SUBJECTS

Content Type: Genres And Forms:

Playtext Comedy, German drama, Satire

Period (First Performed): Plays:

Post-WWII: 1945-1980, 1951-1960 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

Playwrights: Setting:

Brecht, Bertolt Chicago, North America, United States of America

Themes:

History, Society, Ambition, Politics, Revenge

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