Ratcatcher

Page fifteen opens with ‘pipe music’, this gives the audience a sense of what the story of Der Rattenfanger is about even if they fail to understand the German title. Pipe music is usually associated with the story of the Pied Piper, which is what we later discover Der Rattenfanger expresses. As Faith reads the title of Der Rattenfanger Eva asks her ‘Mutti’ the question of what an abyss is, this is significant in regards to describing the character of The Ratcatcher, an abyss is usually associated with separation and loss, both of which The Ratcatcher personifies. That he is mentioned with association to an abyss foreshadows what is to happen with Eva and the relationship that she currently shares with her ‘Mutti’. Page sixteen is the Ratcatcher’s first appearance in the play, he materialises from Faith and the audiences imagination and his first lines are rhetorical questions “Who is not counting?”, “Who has forgotten their blessings?” .The rhetorical questions are intended to influence the audiences’ opinion rather than requiring an answer to the questions posed. The cross-dialogue between Helga and The Ratcatcher ensures that all of The Ratcatcher’s lines are declaratives “I will find you”, “I will search you out whoever wherever you are”. This enforces the idea of The Ratcatcher being a dominant character, The simile “eyes as sharp as razors” creates the impression that The Ratcacther is a being who inspires fear and gives the idea of an entity that haunts one’s nightmares. The dynamic verbs that are used when describing The Ratcatcher’s speech are all associated with antagonists, “It hissed”, “It spat”, referring to The Ratcatcher as an ‘It’ rather than a he dehumanises the character and adds to the antagonist or even entity feel. “A train whistle blows. Sounds of busy railway station” the whistle of the train can be interpreted as symbolic of the Der Ratenfanger, the pied piper of Hamlen lured the children away from the town of Hamlen with his music