The actions involved in “mob mentality” are an important and recurring trend in history, dating back to the beginning of human interaction. A complete social unit was once necessary for the survival and comfort of a group of people. Mob mentality is not just “social unity” or how people are influenced by their peers or a leader to behave and think a certain way; this usually includes an element of violence. Members of a crowd tend to forget their individual inhibitions and follow the impulses of the group, thus making violent acts "easier" to commit (due to the perceived lack of individual consequences). In the play The Visit, a town populated by poor people becomes the center of attention when a rich native returns to seek long-awaited revenge. She offers them a deal that could save them and the future of their city for the price of one man's head, sending the entire group into a tailspin centered on the decision of whether or not to honor the terms of the deal. Friederich Dürrenmatt shows the evolution of groupthink and the violence of mob mentality through the people of Güllen as they consider how to manage their end of the bargain and begin to act in response to the deal presented to them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get the original essay The tour begins with a group of people sitting near the town's train station waiting for the arrival of the famous and immensely wealthy Claire Zachanassian, an event in which all the inhabitants of the city participated. They hope to receive a large donation from the heiress to save their miserable house. When Claire appears, the expected gift is offered as part of a Faustian bargain that Zachanassian has waited years to present. At the town dinner, she calmly declares: “A billion for Güllen if someone kills Alfred III” (Dürrenmatt 35). After a brief moment of shocked silence, the mayor of Güllen stands up and retorts: "On behalf of the city of Güllen, I reject your offer... We would rather be poor than have blood on our hands." » This proclamation arouses tremendous applause (35). The "huge applause" with which the group immediately responds is a signal of the residents' affirmation of the mayor's response to Claire's offer and serves as a primitive indication of the groupthink that develops throughout the room. It's important to note that often crowds that commit violent acts first come together as a group for a benign reason or commonality (like this non-malicious agreement). Even though agreeing with the mayor's decision had the immediate consequence of not receiving money and keeping a good conscience, this agreement also skewed every citizen's thoughts from the start due to the The influence of what the group and its leaders also thought. The expansion of groupthink and changes in the behavior of the locals are explored further as Zachanassian awaits his justice. The Gülleners' actions develop steadily throughout Act II, ranging from subtle behavioral changes to outright physical intimidation (the closest they come to violence up to that point). ). This shift highlights the complexity of crowd mentality and the evolution of group behavior. Dürrenmatt also incorporates significant foreshadowing which adds greatly to the suspense of the inevitable Ill massacre. It is very important to note that there is not a single defined leader who interacts directly with residents to influence thesechanges (like the mayor did in Act I). There is also a direct contrast between the changes experienced by the townspeople and Claire, as she is static during this act, continuing to give people orders while sitting on her balcony and looking down at the townspeople below. She is not the "official" leader of the group, but it is easy to argue that her unchanging presence and her expectations for the conclusion of her deal puts her in a position to influence (indirectly) the evolution of the behavior of the townspeople. These changes also do not manifest themselves in the whole group at once, but in smaller groups and then by the city leaders. At the beginning of the act, the audience sees Ill's insecurity about his own family situation, as he tells his children that their mother could be there for them even if he wasn't. Customers then walk into his store, wearing new, expensive clothes, and load even more expensive items onto their accounts. He notices and points out the fact that yesterday they couldn't afford any of these things. One of the customers replies: “It's because we are on your side. We remain faithful to our Ill. Firm as a rock” (41). These people don't charge such expensive things to their accounts because they have the money to pay for them or because they support evil; they hope to get the money they need to buy things like these. The interactions with the policeman, the mayor, and the pastor all add suspicion and evidence of Ill's insecurity, as they too have new shoes, a gold tooth, and advice to "follow the path of repentance." The residents continue to deny that they are changing because of money, but it is obvious to the public that each of them has decided that someone else will fill the town's end of the bargain. Although this dominant groupthink is an important aspect of With the Mob Mentality, the real violence usually associated with mob action comes close at the end of Act II at the train station, when the townsfolk come together to intimidate Ill into staying in town. While no one touches him, the crowd surrounds him, making him feel like he can't leave. He misses his train because he thinks one of them will hold him back if he tries to get off the platform. The fact that the entire group comes together and acts the same way at this point shows that "the crowd has made up its mind" and the deal is accepted. Every city dweller has come to the same conclusion, and even if such a conclusion is the opposite of what the city had originally intended, the loss of individual consequences that a member of a crowd experiences allows the violence to become more easy for everyone. The inevitable end of the market is brought about by an act of real violence, led by the Mayor as a separate leader from Act III. Inevitably, the deal is made and the people of Güllen receive the check to save their town. The true emergence of Claire Zachanassian's role as the indirect orchestrator of the mob's formation is shown in Act III, when she converses with the Master and the Doctor. As they detail the devastation of their town, she calmly states an unexpected truth about their situation: "I own [the factories]...I asked my agents to buy up all the mess and close down all the businesses... I decided I would do it. come back one day. Now I set the conditions, I lead the market” (71-72). She decided to force the city to betray one of its most respected members, after causing its economic downfall, for her long-awaited revenge. Her exclamation also underlines the idea that she is the true leader, although somewhat indirect, because she is the one who sets the conditions of.