Die Ehe des Herrn Mississippi

The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi (1952)

Friedrich Dürrenmatt 

Comedy about justice.

Florestan Mississippi, a public prosecutor and a fanatic exponent of Mosaic law, has murdered his wife. He visits Anastasia, who confesses to having murdered her husband. After Mississippi has persuaded Anastasia to marry him as a gesture of grotesque retribution, the two dedicate themselves to presiding over a governmental system of "absolute justice" under which Mississippi sentences victims to death and Anastasia presides over their execution. Five years of their blood rule prove unpopular, and the Minister of Justice, Diego, is sent to ask for Mississippi's resignation. Saint-Claude, an old friend, also comes to urge Mississippi to exchange his views for those of Marxism. In each case the prosecutor refuses to reconsider his position.

Übelohe, Anastasia's former lover, who was forced to pursue evil ways for inadvertently helping her murder her husband, returns and tries to convince Anastasia that she must face the truth of their earlier affair and the related murder of her husband. She is unable to do so, however, and Ubelohe departs after engaging in a discourse with Mississippi on truth and love. Anastasia attempts to poison her new lover, Saint-Claude, who has fallen into disrepute with the Communists and wants Anastasia to become a prostitute in order to support him. Mississippi drinks the poisoned coffee intended for Saint-Claude, and Anastasia dies after drinking coffee poisoned by her husband. At the end, three Communists come to liquidate Saint-Claude.