Accidental Death of an Anarchist Characters

The Maniac is the play’s mysterious protagonist. As the kind of fool or jester character for which Dario Fo is famous, the Maniac takes on a series of different identities. In the first scene, he… read analysis of Maniac

Inspector Bertozzo is the policeman who interrogates the Maniac in the play’s first scene. He initially seems like a responsible, competent detective, but as the Maniac taunts and manipulates him, it gradually becomes clear that… read analysis of Inspector Bertozzo

Like Bertozzo, Pissani is a detective with the Milan security police. Along with the Superintendent and the Second Constable, he is one of the three people who were present during the anarchist’s… read analysis of Inspector Pissani

The Superintendent is the stern, sadistic head of the Milan security police and Bertozzo, Pissani, and the First and Second Constables’ boss. When he first appears, he is sweaty, furious, and brandishing… read analysis of The Superintendent

The Second Constable is the low-ranking officer who takes over for the First Constable in the play’s second and third acts and serves as an assistant to Pissani, the Superintendent, and the Maniac… read analysis of The Second Constable

Maria Feletti is the political journalist and Communist Party activist who comes to interview the Superintendent in Act 2 of the play. Professional, impassioned, and well-informed, she dismantles the police’s official narrative about the anarchist… read analysis of Feletti

The anarchist is a railway worker and left-wing activist who dies mysteriously in police custody, when he falls out a window. In Fo’s play, the Maniac investigates the circumstances surrounding the man’s death—the police claim… read analysis of The Anarchist

The characters in Accidental Death of an Anarchist frequently break the fourth wall by addressing the audience directly. Sometimes they do this for comic effect, such as when Bertozzo complains about Fo’s left-wing sympathies in… read analysis of The Audience