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The Deceased: A Comedy with a Prelude and Three Acts
Pavle Maric, an architect, is furious with his wife because she is conducting an affair with Milan Novakovic, his best friend and business partner. Pavle leaves town to think things over. Weeks later, a deformed corpse is found washed up on the banks of the Danube and is identifed to be that of Pavle. The case is judged a suicide. Three years later, Pavle, now "the deceased," unexpectedly returns. He discovers that his heirs have not only plundered his estate, but also refuse to recognize him as being "legally" alive, and they unite to keep him "dead" to maintain the status quo. This is the first English translation of a masterful and darkly comic play that will enter its rightful place as a world classic. The fluid and natural translation lends itself to theatrical production. Comically absurd, filled with existential angst, it was ahead of its time in 1937. At once vaudevillian and modernist, it is distinguished by clever plotting and stinging dialogue. The play stands as a lasting and caustic satire of human greed, strangely consonant with todays society.
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
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About the author
Branislav Nušić
202 books126 followersBorn Alkibijad Nuša (Aromanian: Alchiviadi al Nuşa) in Belgrade, Principality of Serbia to a well-off family, Nušić enjoyed the benefits of a privileged upbringing for only a brief time. His father Đorđe Nuša was a well known grain merchant of Cincar (Aromanian Vlach) origin who lost his wealth shortly after his son's birth and was forced to move the family to Smederevo where young Alkibijad attended elementary school and first two grades of boarding school. During his teens, Nuša moved back to Belgrade where he graduated from boarding school. Upon turning 18 years of age, he legally changed his name to Branislav Nušić. In 1884, he graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School. During his studies, he also spent a year in Graz, Austria-Hungary.
Twenty-one-year-old Nušić fought in the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885 while serving in the Serbian Army. After the war, he published a controversial poem "Dva Raba" in Dnevni list for which he spent two years in prison. The poem ridiculed Serbian King Milan, namely his decision to attend the funeral of the Serbian-born Austro-Hungarian general Dragutin Franasović's mother instead of that of the war's hero, Captain Mihailo Katanić who died as a result of wounds sustained while saving the regimental flag from the hands of Bulgarians.
At first, Nušić's sentence was only two months, but the King pressured the judges to extend it. Despite harsh prison conditions, Nušić still managed to write a comedy: Protekcija (Protection).
When he first asked the prison intendant, Ilija Vlah, for the permission to write, Vlah told him that it was the writing that got him into prison, and denied his request. Knowing that intendant read all outgoing mail, Nušić wrote a brief letter to the second husband of his aunt (he was related to her first husband), who served as a minister of justice. Nušić addressed Gersic as uncle and told him how it would be much easier for him to serve 2 years if he could write. He noted that he had no interest in writing political texts, and signed the letter your nephew. One day later, Vlah allowed him to write literature.
In 1889, Nušić became a civil servant. As an official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs he was appointed to clerk of consulate in Bitola, where he eventually married (1893). He spent a decade in southern Serbia and Macedonia. His last post in this region was vice-consul in Pristina.[1]
In 1900, Nušić was appointed as a secretary of Ministry of Education, and shortly afterwards he became a head dramaturgist of the National Theatre in Belgrade. In 1904, he was appointed a head of Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. In 1905, he left his new post and moved to Belgrade to work as a journalist.
In 1912, Nušić returned to Bitola as a civil servant. During Balkan Wars in February 1913, Nušić, who was the prefect, was regarded as too moderate, and replaced by someone more sympathetic with the views of the military party and of "the black hand."[2] In 1913, he founded a theater in Skopje, where he lived until 1915. Due to the World War I, Nušić fled the country and lived in Italy, Switzerland and France for its duration.
After the war, Nušić was appointed to be the first head of the Art Department of the Ministry of Education. He remained at this post until 1923. Afterwards, he was appointed head of Narodno pozorište (National Theater) in Sarajevo. In 1927, he returned to Belgrade.
Twenty-one-year-old Nušić fought in the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885 while serving in the Serbian Army. After the war, he published a controversial poem "Dva Raba" in Dnevni list for which he spent two years in prison. The poem ridiculed Serbian King Milan, namely his decision to attend the funeral of the Serbian-born Austro-Hungarian general Dragutin Franasović's mother instead of that of the war's hero, Captain Mihailo Katanić who died as a result of wounds sustained while saving the regimental flag from the hands of Bulgarians.
At first, Nušić's sentence was only two months, but the King pressured the judges to extend it. Despite harsh prison conditions, Nušić still managed to write a comedy: Protekcija (Protection).
When he first asked the prison intendant, Ilija Vlah, for the permission to write, Vlah told him that it was the writing that got him into prison, and denied his request. Knowing that intendant read all outgoing mail, Nušić wrote a brief letter to the second husband of his aunt (he was related to her first husband), who served as a minister of justice. Nušić addressed Gersic as uncle and told him how it would be much easier for him to serve 2 years if he could write. He noted that he had no interest in writing political texts, and signed the letter your nephew. One day later, Vlah allowed him to write literature.
In 1889, Nušić became a civil servant. As an official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs he was appointed to clerk of consulate in Bitola, where he eventually married (1893). He spent a decade in southern Serbia and Macedonia. His last post in this region was vice-consul in Pristina.[1]
In 1900, Nušić was appointed as a secretary of Ministry of Education, and shortly afterwards he became a head dramaturgist of the National Theatre in Belgrade. In 1904, he was appointed a head of Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. In 1905, he left his new post and moved to Belgrade to work as a journalist.
In 1912, Nušić returned to Bitola as a civil servant. During Balkan Wars in February 1913, Nušić, who was the prefect, was regarded as too moderate, and replaced by someone more sympathetic with the views of the military party and of "the black hand."[2] In 1913, he founded a theater in Skopje, where he lived until 1915. Due to the World War I, Nušić fled the country and lived in Italy, Switzerland and France for its duration.
After the war, Nušić was appointed to be the first head of the Art Department of the Ministry of Education. He remained at this post until 1923. Afterwards, he was appointed head of Narodno pozorište (National Theater) in Sarajevo. In 1927, he returned to Belgrade.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 30, 2021
Ova drama se svrstava u građansku dramu, ali ovo je prikaz prave tragedije jednog čoveka, Pavla Marića. Eto ti pravednog društva, kad se urote protiv tebe nekoliko ljudi, a ti mali i nemoćan stradaš zbog pakosti, sebičnosti i ličnih interesa. Živ čovek, proglašen mrtvim, vraća se tri godine kasnije da povrati imanje, ugled i čast. Oteli mu kuću, naučno delo i ženu. Međutim, ti razbojnici, ti otimači su skovali plan protiv njega u panici da ne izgube stečene stvari. Nakon toga, Pavle ostaje još veći 'pokojnik', uzevši mu i ime!
December 9, 2025
یک کمدی تلخ و البته با سرعت بالا 👌👍
October 3, 2014
طول مدة قرائتي المسرحية بسأل نفسي
الصراع بين الحق و الباطل صراع قديم، من المذنب في انتصار الباطل ؟ هل هو الانسان نفسه ؟ أم الواصف و ما به من تشابك للمصالح ؟ أم النفس البشرية تميل إلي الاضرار بالآخرين ؟
August 3, 2015
Genijalan kao i uvek, Branislav Nusic majstorski oslikava srpsko drustvo i licemerje, korupciju i koristoljublje koji vladaju zemljom vise od sto godina. Kada citate Pokojnika, imate osecaj kao da citate o 21. veku u Srbiji, apsolutno nista se nije promenilo. Svaka preporuka.
January 29, 2017
"Nevaljalstvo je sila, sila, gospodine, i to sila starija i jača i od samog zakona."
April 19, 2021
Omiljeno mi delo Branislava Nušića. Mislim da je čak potcenjeno u odnosu na popularnost drugih. Kada sam ga pročitala, sve prijatelje sam molila da ga pročitaju i pitala se kako je moguće da ovako nešto postoji, a da nisam znala za njega!
July 2, 2013
Odlican prikaz tadasnjeg drustva. Kao i nepravde koja moze iz lazi i spletki postati jedina realnost samo ako vecina to podrzi i prihvati kao stvarnost...:)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews