Summary

The prologue to Bertolt Brecht’s historical satire The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui should not be overlooked, as it contains key insights to the characters’ various motives, and quintessentially embodies Brecht’s uniquely didactic style. The play opens in a Chicago speakeasy during the height of the depression and before the Second World War, with a Master of Ceremonies setting both a satirical tone and alerting the audience to the historical relevance of the drama as he welcomes them to “Our great historical gangster play” (5). Wasting no time, the Master of Ceremonies gives a summary of the upcoming plot, signaling to the reader they will “Learn all about blackmail and frameup. Further:/ How to succeed in big business through murder!” (5). The MC then moves on to quickly summarize the happenings of the play, from the warehouse to fire to the murder...