The Condemned of Altona: A Play in Five ActsSartre summarizes the plot in the program notes of the play: "A family of big German industrialists, the von Gerlachs, live near Hamburg in an ugly old mansion in the middle of a park. When the curtain rises, the father, who has only six months to live, calls together his daughter Leni, his younger son Werner, and Werner's wife Johanna, in order to inform them of his last wishes. Johanna guesses that, after the father's death, her husband will be sacrificed, as always, to Franz, the elder son. The latter, who has been officially reported dead, has locked himself up, since his return from the front, and refuses to see anyone except his younger sister Leni. In order to save Werner, Johanna determines to investigate the mystery of Franz's seclusion. In doing so, she unwittingly serves her father-in-law's ends. Old von Gerlach makes use of her in order to obtain the interview with Franz which the latter has refused him for thirteen years ..." |
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Common terms and phrases
afraid beautiful believe Benzedrine Bible bolt brother calm ceiling century champagne CONDEMNED OF ALTONA Crabs Crustaceans dead dear death Decapods drink everything eyes face FATHER smiling FRANZ looks FRANZ shouting FRANZ turns Free as air French windows Gerlach Germany give glass goes going Hamburg head HEINRICH hell Huis Clos Incest JEAN-PAUL SARTRE JOHANNA looks JOHANNA nods JOHANNA smiling JOHANNA takes judge kill KLAGES knock leave listen Little prince live madame Nazis never night Old Hindenburg open the door play Pointing portrait of Hitler prisoners quickly reply rubs his hands Sartre sergeant major Short pause shrugs her shoulders silence sits slowly Smolensk softly soldier son's room speaking clock speaks spools stands stops suddenly surprised swear talk tape recorder tell told truth understand upstage violently voice Wait walks watch WERNER witness WOMAN words worry