Ariel Dorfman's play "Death and the Maiden" revolves around a husband and wife, Gerardo and Paulina, living under an unstable democracy after a long chapter of oppressive dictatorship. In this moral thriller, Paulina accuses a man named Roberto of being the doctor who tortured and raped her when she was kidnapped during the dictatorship. Gerardo meets Roberto on the road after having a flat tire and Paulina claims to recognize his voice. that of his alleged torturer. She then justifies holding Roberto captive when he visits Gerardo in the middle of the night, then demands an impartial trial under Gerardo's interrogation. With this probation, not only does Paulina contest the existence of her past brutal relationship with Roberto. , but also threatens her relationship with Gerardo. As images of Paulina's kidnapping flash through her mind, she also unearths the buried skeleton of Gerardo's betrayal. Ariel Dorfman also reveals the instability within Paulina and Gerardo's marriage through her use of sarcasm, repetition, and flashback. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Gerardo and Paulina use sarcasm as a way to communicate with each other. It usually takes a lot of knowledge of an individual to know if they are being sarcastic. Since Gerardo and Paulina detect each other's tones so easily, it shows the close bond between them. However, sarcasm can also reveal internal bitterness and contempt. For example, Dorfman foreshadows Gerardo's infidelity early in the play when Paulina is quick to assume that it was a woman who helped Gerardo fix his flat tire. She said, “Was she at least pretty?” Sexy?" [page 6]. This rhetorical question, which is also sarcastic, attacks Gerardo personally because Paulina digs into his past mistakes. This question sets off a series of sarcasm-saturated arguments when the couple brings up Gerardo's appointment as commissioner by the president They discuss vulnerability, certain limitations of the profession and the compromises they will have to make Paulina is hesitant to give Gerardo her blessing to accept his new profession because she thinks it would reopen old wounds. At first, she gives Gerardo a submissive yes, but Gerardo is unhappy with the lack of enthusiasm and says, "that's not the yes I need" [p. Gerardo's insensitivity, Paulina sarcastically retorts: "It's the only yes I have." This exchange of refusal to compromise creates tension in the couple. Moreover, Paulina does not like the fact that the Commission limits itself. to deal with cases that “end in death or the presumption of death” [p. 9], and she sarcastically describes these cases as “irreparable” [p. 9]. Paulina's use of the word "irreparable" is loaded, as it speaks to the emotional damage caused by her kidnapping, which is ultimately irrevocable despite her survival. Furthermore, she underlines her resentment when she, in another tense moment, launches another series of rhetorical questions undermining the so-called "judges" [p. 10] who will deal with the crimes. She ends her tirade with a soft, sarcastic laugh that evolves into “increasing hysteria” [p. 10]. His behavior in these conversations shows that the couple's traumatic past is destabilizing the foundations of their marriage. Gerardo's constant fluctuations between being deceptive and being a heroic savior make him an enigma that confuses the reader and Paulina herself. When Gerardo is accused of lying, he always has a sure recourse to redeem himself. For example, when Paulina assumed it was a woman.