accidental death of an anarchist plot

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In 1960’s Italy there was a terrible massacre in Milan in which 16 peoples lives were taken due to a bomb explosion in the Agricultural Bank. This tragedy happened on the 12th of December 1969 a few days before Christmas, the attack was blamed on the anarchist community of the times and straight away investigation began. One of the anarchists under question, Giovanni Pinelli was found dead at the base of the police headquarters supposedly having jumped out of the window from the fourth floor to end his own life. The police announced that the suicide was down to Pinelli being convinced that the real culprits to the attack had been fellow members of his anarchist group. So the play is about the investigation into Pinelli’s death and whether it was like the police said, suicide.

Act One, Scene One

The play opens in an ordinary office of the Central Police HQ with dimwitted Bertozzo a middle-aged member of the Italian police force trying to interrogate the maniac. The maniac an eccentric crafty man whose mission is to out smart the police force in any ways possible is doing a good job. The inspector, the constable and Bertozzo are questioning him regarding his 16 counts of impersonation, the maniac claims he has done nothing wrong but already it is quite apparent that he has been up to mischief. He is this time in trouble for impersonating a psychiatrist and has been charging patients humongous sums of money to perform that of what he is incapable of as he is insane himself. He claims he spent 20 years training in 16 different psychiatric hospitals with the best shrinks in the business this in fact was time spent in psychiatric wards being looked after. As Bertozzo reads from his notes the things that the maniac claims to have done the maniac throws it all back with witty comments each time evading the question and making light of the situation making Bertozzo look more and more stupid. Bertozzo starts to lose his temper as he is outsmarted by the maniac he thumps the desk and screams ‘May we get on with this fucking statement’ (this shows one of the key themes of the play I think which is the brutality and tactical play the police will use to any extent to force answers out of there interviewees). He continues to shout and orders the constable, (a gullible push over of a policeman) to cuff the maniac, he attempts this but is threatened with the loss of his pension for restraining a madman.

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This threat well researched it seems (I think shows how very clever and prepared the maniac is for anything the police want to throw at him) he also mentions ‘I don’t want to defend. I’m like you, inspector. I like to accuse, convict, judge and pass sentence’. This I think is a reference to later happenings in the text.

The maniac continues to mock Bertozzo showing characteristics of blatant insanity until he is thrown out of the room with his bags.

He soon re-enters the room to find it is empty, he snoops round the desk and decides to ...

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