The Creditor

by August Strindberg

Genre: Drama
Setting: International
Format of Original Source: Play
Recommended Adaptation Length:

Candidate for Adaptation? Not Likely

EXCERPT:

THEKLA. Go away! I’m afraid of you.

[She goes behind the sofa on the left.]

GUSTAV. Why?

THEKLA. You’ve robbed me of my soul.

GUSTAV [comes forward]. And I give you mine in exchange for it. Besides, you haven’t got any soul at all. It’s only an optical illusion.

THEKLA. You’ve got a knack of being rude in such a way that one can’t be angry with you.

GUSTAV. That’s because you know very well that I am designated for the place of honor–tell me now when–and where?

THEKLA [coming toward him]. No. I can’t hurt him by doing a thing like that. I’m sure he still loves me, and I don’t want to wound him a second time.

GUSTAV. He doesn’t love you. Do you want to have proofs?

THEKLA. How can you give me them?

GUSTAV [takes up from the floor the fragments of photograph behind the circular table on the right]. Here, look at yourself!

[He gives them to her.]

THEKLA. Oh, that is shameful!

GUSTAV. There, you can see for yourself–well, when and where?

THEKLA. The false brute!

GUSTAV. When?

THEKLA. He goes away to-night by the eight-o’clock boat.

GUSTAV. Then–

THEKLA. At nine. [A noise in the room on the right.] Who’s in there making such a noise?

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