Death and the Maiden: Act 2, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis

It’s lunchtime. Gerardo spoon-feeds Roberto soup at the table. Roberto’s hands are now tied in front of him, rather than behind his back. Gerardo insists on addressing Roberto as “Doctor Miranda”—as if he were a client. Paulina watches from the terrace. Roberto says Paulina is “mad” and needs some sort of “psychiatric treatment.” Gerardo says that, “to put it brutally, you are her therapy, Doctor.”

Gerardo tells Roberto that he needs to confess, otherwise Paulina will kill him. Roberto protests that he has nothing to confess, though he is aware that some doctors were used by the secret police as “consultants in torture sessions.” Gerardo says he must confess, unless he has a way of denying it. Roberto complains that he’d have to change his voice, skin and smell to deny Paulina’s charge against him.

Roberto continues to profess his innocence, describing himself as “a quiet man.” He says the only mistake he’s made is stopping to help Gerardo. Gerardo tells Roberto that he thinks the best idea is for them to “indulge” Paulina. He suggests that Roberto pretend to confess in order to free himself. Roberto angrily tells Gerardo that “instead of proposing dishonorable solutions” he should be “convincing that madwoman of yours to cease this criminal behavior before she ruins your career and ends up in jail or in an insane asylum.” Roberto asks if Gerardo is incapable of imposing “a little order in your own house?”

Paulina comes back in. Gerardo asks if she can leave so that he can finish his conversation with Roberto. She agrees, saying, “I’ll leave you men to fix the world.” She returns to the terrace.

Gerardo again suggests that Roberto falsify a confession in order to “indulge” Paulina and be freed. He thinks that might “liberate her from her phantoms.” Roberto accuses Gerardo of conspiring with Paulina; he thinks Gerardo will kill him as soon as he’s finished his confession: “it’s what any man would do, any real man, if they’d raped his wife, it’s what I would do if somebody had raped my wife. Cut your balls off.”

Roberto’s comments anger Gerardo and he gets up to fetch the gun. He pauses and says that, actually, first he will follow Roberto’s advice and cut his balls off. He calls Roberto a “fascist,” taking offence at Roberto’s suggestion that he is not a “real man.” When Roberto tries to reason with him, Gerado says that “Gerardo is gone” and that now he’s going to apply the philosophy of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

Roberto tells Gerardo that he was only “joking.” Gerardo says that he is going to fetch Paulina and let her have the pleasure of killing Roberto. Gerardo says he’s tired of being in the middle. Roberto admits that he’s scared. After a brief pause, Gerardo’s tone changes and he admits that he, too, is scared.

Roberto agrees that he will forge a confession, but asks Gerardo to acquire all the details he’s going to need in order to make it credible. Gerardo asks if Roberto is suggesting he deceive his wife; Roberto counters that he is asking him to “save the life of an innocent man.” He asks if Gerardo believes in his innocence, saying he cares what Gerardo thinks (but not Paulina): “She isn’t the voice of a civilization, you are. She isn’t a member of the president’s Commission, you are.” Gerardo leaves to tell Paulina that Roberto needs “a piss.”