Dehumanization In Dürrenmatt

“Revenge is universal in human cultures, and is essentially personal and retributive” (McClelland 195). Vengeance is incorporated with human brain as “MRI scans have revealed that thinking about revenge activates the reward center—where dopamine is lodged—in much the same way that sweet foods or even drugs can” (Harmon). Humans have a tendency to hate and envy those who are happy and prosperous. In Dürrenmatt’s play, the townspeople want what Claire Zachanassian has, which is money and power. Dürrenmatt fictionally shows what humans are capable of, and proves that with enough money, anything is possible; like dehumanizing Anton Schill while corrupting the police, the law, and the civilians of Güllen. Claire’s black pet panther epitomizes the

Dürrenmatt shows Schill’s dehumanization vividly. Schill’s customers begin to purchase premium and luxurious goods from his store. Many of the customers buy premium goods on credit, expecting Schill’s death will free them of all debt. The townspeople unknowingly compared Anton’s life to a monetary value. Shortly, Claire’s pet panther escapes into the town. Citizens of Güllen were frightened when they heard of a wild cat running around on their streets, so they decided to hunt it down. The people of Güllen become ruthless killers, who’re hunting down an animal desperate for freedom. The panther’s death doesn’t bode well for Anton, who is Claire’s other “black panther” and who is dehumanized, preyed upon, and targeted by townsmen for the cash reward. The panther hunt was a symbol of the veiled fight between the town’s economic problem and Schill’s death being the solution. “The panther is Schill’s animal complement—a symbol of what he ultimately becomes in the eyes of his killers, which is something less-than-human and, therefore, conscionably killable”