Hello. I'm having trouble understanding a part in a play called Licking Hitler...
The situation is like this...
It's WWII and a team of British propaganda unit is devising up a plan to tarnish the image of the mayor of Cologne(Germany)... Duffendorf (or Burgomaster) is the mayor who gets caught with his mistress (Ilse Schmidt)... What I do not understand is the line by ANNA. What pun is she talking about? The Frau in the line above means Mrs. in German...
And what was the Burgomaster trying to deliver? and to whom?
ARCHIE: ...what Duffendorf's been up to. Everyone in Cologne is talking about what the telegram boy saw when he looked through the letterbox trying to deliver. What he saw was the Burgomaster trying to deliver to Frau... And what "particular path" is he talking about???
Thanks
ANNA: (Not looking up) That pun won't translate.
EILEEN: Ilse Schmidt.
ARCHIE: Trying to deliver to Frau Ilse Schmidt. Well we know how many people have been down that particular path before. But what is unusual is what she was wearing...
A leather bathing costume.
A leather bathing costume. And him standing with a hosepipe in his hand.
Sorry, there was a mistake in the question...
Hello. I'm having trouble understanding a part in a play called Licking Hitler...
The situation is like this...
It's WWII and a team of British propaganda unit is devising up a plan to tarnish the image of the mayor of Cologne(Germany)... Duffendorf (or Burgomaster) is the mayor who gets caught with his mistress (Ilse Schmidt)... What I do not understand is the line by ANNA. What pun is she talking about? The Frau in the line above means Mrs. in German...
And what was the Burgomaster trying to deliver? and to whom?
And what "particular path" is he talking about???
Thanks
ARCHIE: ...what Duffendorf's been up to. Everyone in Cologne is talking about what the telegram boy saw when he looked through the letterbox trying to deliver. What he saw was the Burgomaster trying to deliver to Frau...
ANNA: (Not looking up) That pun won't translate.
EILEEN: Ilse Schmidt.
ARCHIE: Trying to deliver to Frau Ilse Schmidt. Well we know how many people have been down that particular path before. But what is unusual is what she was wearing...
A leather bathing costume.
A leather bathing costume. And him standing with a hosepipe in his hand.
The Particular Path refers to previous encounters that Frau has had.
The Burgomaster is the most recent rendezvous the Frau has welcomed.
This type of slapstick comedy was typical of French, German, and US stage during the Vaudeville times, and is very vivid in the movie Cabaret, which is set during the 30's in Germany. Viewing that movie would give you some insight to the decandent times in Europe the play is obliquely refering. English, and in particular polite British society, view these shenagangs from a Victorian moralistic vantage, in in this play, mocked them.
I encourage you to see Cabaret.
In the play "Licking Hitler," the situation you described takes place during World War II, where a British propaganda unit is planning to tarnish the image of the mayor of Cologne, Germany, named Duffendorf. The specific part you are referring to involves a line spoken by Anna. Let's break it down and try to explain it further.
ANNA: (Not looking up) That pun won't translate.
In this line, Anna is suggesting that the pun being referred to is not translatable, meaning it may be a wordplay or joke that relies on the specific language or context. Since the play is set in Germany, it is possible that the pun Anna is referring to is a play on words in the German language or related to German culture, which may not easily translate for non-German speakers.
Moving on to the next part, you mentioned that the Burgomaster (Mayor Duffendorf) was trying to deliver something to Frau Ilse Schmidt. Although the exact nature of what he was trying to deliver is not explicitly stated in the provided dialogue, we can infer that it is something scandalous or incriminating. The use of the phrase "that particular path" suggests that there have been previous instances of people being involved with Frau Ilse Schmidt in a similar manner.
To add to the comedic element, it is revealed that Frau Ilse Schmidt was wearing a leather bathing costume, which is considered unusual. The line about the Burgomaster standing with a hosepipe in his hand could be understood as a suggestive innuendo, implying a potentially compromising or embarrassing situation involving Frau Ilse Schmidt.
To fully understand the nuances and subtleties of the scene, it may be necessary to read or watch the complete play, as the dialogue you provided is a snippet that lacks the larger context. However, based on the given information, this is the general explanation of the scene and the references mentioned.