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** The Visit - Study Questions 11 **

** 1 1. Guellen is a "just" community. Agree or disagree?**
I think it cannot be determined whether or not Guellen was a just society, due to the varying perspectives of the characters, and the ambiguous concept that is justice. On the one hand, the murder of Ill was just to Claire and the entire town of Guellen, though excluding Ill. Even his family came around to the idea and betrayed him, due to conformity. This makes the act of his execution ‘just’, according to the utilitarian theory at least, as they carried out the execution as a united town, with a single opinion that the act was right. This can be seen in act III on page 96, when the lights are dimmed prior to and during Ill’s death, so it is unknown who killed him, suggesting it was a unanimous and accepted occurrence. Furthermore, even Ill began to accept his fate, as he stopped resisting and became submissive to the town. This depicts both the impact of majority influence on altering states of mind and allowing act to be carried out, and the absurdity of Guellen, in determining that murder is ‘just’ if wrong has been done. However, as the event of Ill’s death was incredibly publicized, with involvement of the media and nearly the whole town present for his execution, the morbid enjoyment of the town is conveyed, depicting their attitudes as more sinfully corrupt than just. In addition, Ill’s execution was in exchange for money which the town desperately needed/wanted, so their actions due to this cannot be perceived as anything other than with agenda, and therefore they are not impartial to justice. Overall, I believe the ‘justness’ of Guellen is open to interpretation, and the audience must form their own decision.



Bex :-]]