The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

Arturo Ui is a man in pursuit of power. He has a great capacity for violence, but—at the beginning of the play—he is stuck in a rut. His reputation as a violent man means that few people are willing to do business with him. He is looked down upon by the business community, represented by the men in the Cauliflower Trust. Since he feels marginalized, his violent tendencies and his vicious temperament fester and seethe. Thus, at the play’s opening, he feels powerless. This feeling of powerlessness is metastasizing into an increasingly violent methodology.

Significantly, Ui’s rise to power is facilitated through the corruption of others, highlighting The Dangers of Greed and Self-Interest. When the Cauliflower Trust embroils Dogsborough in a corruption scandal, Ui is ready to pounce. Ui may seem a formidable figure, but he is still inherently limited and fundamentally reliant on the failures of other people to further his own career. He is not an unstoppable force of nature, but an opportunistic, brutal charlatan who makes the most of his situation. In this sense, Brecht seeks to strip away the delusions of grandeur and greatness that become attached to authoritarian leaders, reminding the

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now