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Death and the Maiden In the classic, traditional method of playwriting, there is a beginning, middle and end, a plot that is resolved, and a “happy,” or at least conclusive ending for the audience to be satisfied with; however, this is not the case for Death and the Maiden. Ariel Dorfman leaves the audience hanging in suspense and anxiety, leaving much of the play up to the audience to conclude. Also, the play has raised many issues regarding what “justice” truly is, threatening to alter their moral, emotional and political feelings. When the audience walks out of the theatre after watching Death and the Maiden, they proceed to question their own beliefs about justice and how society should be structured, leaving them in a state of discomfort; this is done through forcing the audience to relate to the characters, as well as possessing an ending that is inconclusive and subject to debate. The plot of Death and the Maiden is not particularly pleasant; a rape and torture of an individual is something that no one wants to witness or hear about, let alone that victim seeking “justice” on her perpetrator. Because of this controversial and atrocious storyline, the audience is already engaged in an uneasy subject, which