[2] In performance it can reveal a surprising streak of black humor, and it can leave the audience with an astonishing and powerful impression.
[3] The story is about a man and wife who hate each other, who are brutally and ferociously vicious towards each other, who are trapped in a miserable marriage.
A type of underlying villain in this play are the state laws that unfairly govern divorce and child custody.
[5][6] In Dance of Death II, Alice explains that when the Captain fell down in Part I, it was nearly fatal and has left him paralyzed.
He is still able to make some financial speculations that ruthlessly benefit himself and cause Kurt to lose his money.
Judith, the couple's daughter, wants to marry Kurt's son, Allan, as the children are shown attempting to attain more happiness than their parents are able to find.