Sequence of Events in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Anonymous

In The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, by Bertolt Brecht, a violent gang gains power through the vegetable trade, attaining near dictatorial status in a chillingly short amount of time. One thing leads to another in a rapid sequence of events that ultimately results in the frightening scenario of a completely authoritarian society ruled by terror. Though the complicated progression of incidents is in the play may seem hard to believe, the plot directly parallels Adolf Hitler's ascent to power in the years leading up to the Second World War. Written shortly after the actual events took place, Brecht stresses through his play the fact that such a situation could easily arise anywhere, at any time. Many of the key factors that trigger the first incidents in the chain of events can be found in many places other than postwar Germany or the one portrayed in the play - and thus, the same incidents may very well occur again.

As the play opens, it is evident that Chicago is suffering from a devastating depression, and the directors of the Cauliflower Trust describe how "this awful change from glut to destitution/has come more quickly than a maiden's blush." (9). Because of the extreme nature of their situation, the...