The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

Book Review

"The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" is a work in which Bertolt Brecht, with filigree precision and satirical sharpness, exposes the mechanisms by which dictatorship comes to power. In this grotesque paraphrase of the events of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazism, the author transposes the action to gangster-ridden Chicago, where greed, fear, and betrayal become the driving forces of history. Brecht masterfully uses the techniques of epic theatre: he breaks the illusion of stage action, forcing the audience not only to observe but to reflect, to see the tragic essence behind the mask of farce. Critics note that the play, written in exile, is strikingly relevant even today: it not only unmasks the nature of evil but also warns of the fragility of human conscience in the face of the temptations of power. Brecht’s language is laconic yet rich in allusions and ironic detail, and the characters, despite their caricature, are frighteningly recognizable. This play is not just political satire, but a profound meditation on the nature of a society in which evil can grow from ordinariness and indifference. Brecht created a work that continues to disturb and unsettle, reminding us that history can always repeat itself if we are not vigilant.