The Chinese Wall

You can read biography of Frisch, a synopsis, an interpretation and a character analysis of Frisch's play, The Chinese Wall.

Synopsis:

The Chinese Wall is a highly theatrical German play with social criticism. It is an exemplary play in which Max Frisch employed theatrical means of representation that are similar to those once developed by Brecht and those that were used in Asian theaters. That's why Frisch called this play a "farce." The play is also typical for its universal contemporary significance with the appearance of many historical personages.
and hen all guests are assembled, it turns out that the empire has conquered everything-except the truth. There remains one last adversary in this empire, who calls himself the Voice of the People, Min Ko. But no one has ever seen this man. Only his sayings are known. Now the emperor wants to have him killed. He wants to seek him out and find him, ever to the remotes corner of the empire. But this adversary can't be identified. Since Olan's poor mute son can't "roar with joy" like others do when they see the emperor , his action immediately is considered as Min Ko's open defiance of the emperor and is arrested. Since he really can't speak any word, he is, again, believed to make fools of the emperor and his people. He is tortured to be forced to confess. The Contemporary confronts the torture of the mute in vain. On the other hand, the revolution is here. The prince becomes the head of the revolution. The Contemporary exposes him as playing the new part and tries in vain to speak the truth that her son is mute. The old woman, however, insists that her mute son is that important Min Ko.
With this, Frisch shows us his deeply pessimistic "world theater" in his The Chinese Wall.

Details by scene.
[Prologue] [Scene 1][Scene 2][Scene 3][Scene 4][Scene 5][Scene 6][Scene 7][Scene 8][Scene 9][Scene 10][Scene 11][Scene 12][Scene 13][Scene 14][Scene 15][Scene 16][Scene 17][Scene 18][Scene 19][Scene 20][Scene 21][Scene 22][Scene 23][Scene 24]

The Chinese Wall

Synopsis:

Details by scene. [Prologue] [Scene 1][Scene 2][Scene 3][Scene 4][Scene 5][Scene 6][Scene 7][Scene 8][Scene 9][Scene 10][Scene 11][Scene 12][Scene 13][Scene 14][Scene 15][Scene 16][Scene 17][Scene 18][Scene 19][Scene 20][Scene 21][Scene 22][Scene 23][Scene 24]

Details by scene.
[Prologue] [Scene 1][Scene 2][Scene 3][Scene 4][Scene 5][Scene 6][Scene 7][Scene 8][Scene 9][Scene 10][Scene 11][Scene 12][Scene 13][Scene 14][Scene 15][Scene 16][Scene 17][Scene 18][Scene 19][Scene 20][Scene 21][Scene 22][Scene 23][Scene 24]