The Rats (play)

"The rats" is a stage drama in five acts by Gerhart Hauptmann (1862-1946), which premiered in 1911, one year before the author won the Nobel Prize for Literature.^[1] Unlike other Hauptmann plays, such as The Weavers (play) (1892) and The Assumption of Hannele (1893), this one does not seem ever to have been performed on Broadway.^[2]

Dramatic characters, place, and time

Harro Hassenreuter, former theatrical manager

Mrs. Harro Hassenreuter
Walburga, their daughter
Pastor Spitta
Erich Spitta, postulant for holy orders, his son
Alice Ruetterbusch, actress
Nathanael Jettel, court actor
Kaeferstein, Dr. Kegel, pupils of Hassenreuter
John, foreman mason
Mrs. John, charwoman to Hassenreuter
Bruno Mechelke, her brother

Pauline Pipercarcka, a servant girl
Mrs. Sidonie Knobbe
Selma, her daughter
Quaquaro, house-steward
Mrs. Kielbacke
Policeman Schierke
Two infants

Time: late 19th or early 20th century Scene: Berlin

Plot

In "The rats", Mrs John, Hassenreuter's charwoman, offers to take the unborn baby of Pauline, abandoned by her lover, away from her. Hassenreuter, a former theatrical manager, brings to his housekeeper a milk-boiler. Walpurga, Hassenreuter's daughter, arrives, who loves Erich Spitta. When Pauline comes to look at her baby, Mrs John casts looks of hatred at her. Pauline informed the registrar's office of the birth and now a man from the guardian office will come over. The next day, Hassenreuter receives the visit of Pastor Spitta, Erich's father, who finds a photograph of Walpura in his son's room. Hassenreuter warns his daughter to repudiate him, or else he'll do so to her. Pauline comes in carrying a baby, neglected, according to her, by Mrs. John, which Hassenreuter refuses to believe. Sidonie Knobbe arrives and asserts she has lost her boy, too. On seeing the baby, she claims it as hers. But it is found to be dead.

In the Johns' home, Mr John says his wife went with the baby out to his married sister's in Hangelsberg. He learns that Sidonie Knobbe's baby has died. Quaquaro, the house-steward, reveals that the police know that Bruno, brother to Mrs John, was seen in company of Pauline and now both have disappeared. Meantime, Spitta has quarreled with his father and they part company. Mrs John arrives from her supposed trip, followed by Bruno, at which point Mr John, hating him, leaves. Bruno describes his night with Pauline and how he murdered her. Later, Spitta looks over Mrs John sleeping on her couch: "Great drops of sweat are standing on her forehead." Mrs Hassenreuter comes to intervene in the young couple's favor against her husband, together with news that he has been appointed as manager of a theatre. He reveals to Mrs John that Mrs Knobbe's baby is dead, as well as the news that the police have discovered she never went in Hangelsberg, having been seen by the park near the river. Mr John decides to bring the baby over to his sister, whereupon Mrs John says that the child is not his. Mrs Knobbe's daughter arrives, refusing to go with Mr John as hired help, because the police have concluded that she brought down Pauline's baby from Hassenreuter's loft to her. Mr John accuses his wife: "So you bargained for that there kid someway an' when its mother wanted it back you got Bruno to kill her?" She counters with: "You ain't no husband o' mine! How could that be! You been bought by the police!" In a fit of rage and despair, Mrs John takes the baby, but is prevented. She blindly rushes out and kills herself in the street.