Accidental Death of an Anarchist - Form and Structure

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Accidental Death of an Anarchist

Form and Structure considered by Rosa Scheewe

In the 'Accidental Death of an Anarchist' by Dario Fo we meet an extreme form of comedy; the farce. The term farce refers to a form of comedy in which plot and situations are exaggerated, the effects often being ridiculous. Although the subject is rather serious and has an awful background the audience is confronted with comedy elements throughout the play which still has an underlying social commentary which is being satirized. For example, probably the funniest moment in the play is when MANIAC appears in his ridiculous disguise to act in the role of CAPTAIN MARCANTONIO BANZI PICCINI who should of course be dressed rather respectably. This shows that Fo thinks the police is ridiculous wearing their uniforms and suits while being corrupt inside.

Besides the whole play is an improbable situation which is another element of a farce. MANIAC's staging of himself in three different roles, of which he is none, is so unlikely to normal people. Everyone would feel enormous pressure if he pretended to be someone else in front of the police. But Dario Fo arranged MANIAC so well because it is the role of a maniac that he plays first. In the end of the Author's Note in the beginning of the play there is a poem which is about a madman and some fools. The madman in this poem is allowed to do things for which 'normal' people would be punished by the law. So having MANIAC playing the madman first makes him some kind of untouchable during the rest of the play. Still he challenges everything in the establishment by his disguises.
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To underline his points and some important actions Dario Fo uses several

techniques as well as Brechtian style amongst others. Throughout the play the characters use slang words and colloquial language such as: 'I'll just give that bastard Bertozzo a call to bring up the files. No doubt you'll want a transcript of the interrogation.' This technique is called 'Realistic dialogue' and is used to make the play seem more realistic to the audience.

Besides, this technique espouses the effect of another one: there are sequences throughout the play that remind the audience that it ...

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