Arsenic and Old Lace

“HARPER. Have you ever tried to persuade him that he wasn’t Teddy Roosevelt?

ABBY. Oh, no!

MARTHA. He’s so happy being Teddy Roosevelt.”

This line shows the sisters’ devotion to their nephew, Teddy. Even though they have taken care of him well into adulthood, they still cherish him and accept him as President Roosevelt since it brings him joy. This shows the sisters’ character by demonstrating how much they value family, and indicates the absurdity of the Brewster family dynamic.

“Mortimer, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you quote the bible. We knew Elaine would be a good influence for you.”

While Mortimer uses the biblical quote in jest, this comment from Abby suggests that Elaine has generally improved Mortimer’s life. He is genuinely excited to be engaged to her, and the sisters look forward to welcoming her into the family. Kesselring also humorously aligns the murderous aunts with religious morality and upholding social norms; they see Mortimer as in need of moral instruction, but have no qualms about committing murder.

“Well good heavens, I can’t turn you into the police! But what am I going to do?”

This quote demonstrates the depth of Mortimer’s loyalty to his aunts. Even though he now knows the truth about their deadly hobby, he refuses to contact the authorities. His first instinct is to either resolve the problem with them, or on his own.

“And then when his heart attack came–and he sat dead in that chair [Pointing to armchair.] looking so peaceful–remember, Martha–we made up our minds then and there that if we could help other lonely old men to that same peace–we would!”

This quote explains Abby and Martha’s bizarre motives for murder. Though they are committing homicide, they are coming from a place of kindness. In an absurdly comic extension of their goodwill, they believe that killing these lonely men is a better alternative to letting them live in isolation.

“Mortimer, we don’t try to stop you from doing things you like to do. I don’t see why you should interfere with us.”

Abby says this to Mortimer after he chastises her for her “bad habit.” This quote exemplifies Kesselring’s frequent use of understatement and euphemism in the play, as the Brewster sisters do not consider their undeniably violent actions as reprehensible whatsoever. The idea that Mortimer is attempting to limit their enjoyment, rather than prevent murders, is inherently ridiculous. This absurd, comically sinister premise anchors the play, and combines the genres of absurdist humor and black comedy.

“EINSTEIN. But you can’t leave a dead body in the rumble seat. You shouldn’t have killed him, Chonny. He’s a nice fellow – he gave us a lift – and what happens?

JONATHAN. He said I look like Boris Karloff!”

This is the first reference in dialogue to Jonathan resembling actor Boris Karloff. Karloff was famous for playing Frankenstein’s monster, so Jonathan takes the comparison as an insult to his looks. This demonstrates how easily Jonathan is pushed to violence. In the original Broadway production of Arsenic and Old Lace, Karloff originated the role of Jonathan.

“JONATHAN. We’ll be invited.

EINSTEIN. And if they say no–?

JONATHAN. Doctor–two helpless old women–?”

This quote offers insight into Jonathan’s character by depicting the extent of his ruthlessness. He is a killer willing and eager to attack his own family. It is also an instance of the dramatic irony present throughout the play: while the audience is aware that the aunts are far from “helpless”, Jonathan is not.

“Oh, Mr. Hoskins. It can’t be very comfortable for him in there. And he’s been so patient, the poor dear.” 

Abby and Martha routinely treat their victims as loved ones. Though they tell Mortimer they only learned Hoskins’ name and religion, they still refer to him as “dear” and worry about his comfort. Their concern for the comfort of Mr. Hoskins’s corpse after they have murdered him is another instance of absurdist comedy.

“Mortimer, have you forgotten the things I used to do to you when we were boys? Remember the time you were tied to the bedpost–the needles under your fingernails–?”

Abby and Martha may be driven to kill by their loving nature, but Jonathan certainly is not. This quote demonstrates that he has continually exhibited extreme violence from a very young age. It also exhibits the dysfunctional nature of his relationship with Mortimer.

“You see, insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops.”

The personification of insanity galloping evokes the strength and pervasiveness in its journey through Mortimer’s family history. It illustrates his fears about being afflicted by portraying an altered mental state as something that can arrive suddenly and completely take over. While other characters use extreme understatement to describe the family, Mortimer expresses his strong feelings through image-rich—but no less comic—language.

“No dear–there’s a strange taint in the Brewster blood. [...] it goes way back. […] Take my grandfather–he tried his patent medicines out on dead people to be sure he wouldn’t kill them. [...] And then there’s Jonathan. You just said he was a maniac–he tried to kill you. [...] And there’s Teddy, too. You know Teddy. He thinks he’s Roosevelt. No, dear, no Brewster should marry. I realize now that if I’d met my father in time I’d have stopped him.”

This quote provides a detailed history into the Brewster family’s absurd and violent history. Mortimer’s fears about the family are also given comedic treatment, as his idea to prevent his father from having children is as silly and impossible as his grandfather’s attempt to prevent killing his patients by giving experimental treatments to people who were already dead.

“If you think you’re going to get out of this by pretending you’re insane–you’re crazy. Maybe you’re not going to marry me, but I’m going to marry you. I love you, you dope.”

This is one of the strongest characterizations of Elaine that Kesselring provides in Arsenic and Old Lace. We learn that she is determined, a bit stubborn, and willing to fight for the people she loves. When she sees Mortimer withdrawing, she attempts to bring him back into their partnership. Her declaration also features Kesselring’s characteristic blending of the serious and the silly, as she paradoxically suggests Mortimer is “crazy” for pretending to be “insane”.

“MORTIMER. A stranger! Aunt Abby, how can I believe you? There are twelve men in the cellar and you admit you poisoned them.

ABBY. Yes, I did. But you don’t think I’d stoop to telling a fib.”

Mortimer begins to doubt whom he can believe as the body count increases. Abby’s insistence that she is trustworthy because she admits to the murders and would never tell a lie is both ridiculous and consistent by the play’s internal logic—a key element of farce.

“I’ve lived a strange life, Mortimer. But it’s taught me one thing–to be afraid of nothing!”

This quote provides insight into Jonathan’s motivations. At this point, the audience is aware that Jonathan has traveled around the globe, trying to make money and killing when necessary. This quote demonstrates Jonathan’s ruthlessness. By fearing nothing, he is willing and able to get what he wants by any means necessary.

“There’s a friend of Mortimer’s downstairs waiting for him [...] He and Mr. Spenalzo will get along fine together. They’re both dead.”

Jonathan adopts Abby and Martha’s familiar tone when speaking about his victims as though they were alive. By using a similar voice for these characters, Kesselring suggests that there may be some credibility to the pervasive nature of the Brewster psychiatric condition.

“EINSTEIN. No, Chonny. You got twelve and they got twelve. The old ladies are just as good as you are.

JONATHAN. Oh, they are, are they? Well, that’s easily taken care of. All I need is one more, that’s all–just one more.”

This quote demonstrates Jonathan’s cavalier outlook on killing and violence. He is perfectly willing to kill another person–whether it be a stranger, or his own brother–to win a competition and settle a score. This portrayal helps the audience distinguish Johnny as the most villainous character in the play.

“I will not have our cellar desecrated!”

This quote is an example of the irony used throughout the play to characterize Abby and Martha’s idiosyncratic code of ethics. Martha believes burying Mr. Spenalzo, a stranger, would insult the sanctity of the cellar graveyard, already filled with their own, more acceptable, victims.

“You had to go and tell Jonathan about those twelve graves. If I can make Teddy responsible for those I can protect you, don’t you see?”

Though Mortimer is still reeling from Abby and Martha’s secret, he is still determined to protect them. Th0is highlights the complexity of his relationship with his family. While he is frightened of the implications of being related to a long line of “maniacs”, he is still willing to go to extreme lengths to protect his murderous aunts. His willingness to use Teddy as a scapegoat, however, indicates that he does not feel the same loyalty to all members of the family, as his aunts do.

“EINSTEIN. Please–you go now!

MORTIMER. Dr. Einstein, I have nothing against you personally. You seem to be a nice fellow. Take my advice and get out of this house and get as far away as possible.”

Einstein conclusively remains a flat character until this point in the play, where he encourages Mortimer to flee. This suggests that while he is willingly working with Jonathan, he still has some remaining traces of goodness. The audience also receives insight into how other characters perceive him, since Mortimer tells him he seems kind. In another instance of dramatic irony, Mortimer attempts to warn Einstein of the danger in the house as Einstein tries to help Mortimer escape Jonathan.

“Doctor! This must really be an artistic achievement. After all, we’re performing before a very distinguished critic.”

Jonathan’s sarcastic remark to a tied-up Mortimer demonstrates the deteriorated state of their relationship. His initial response to hearing about Mortimer is disgust, and that feeling carries through their last heated confrontation. This line also functions as an in-joke for audiences by poking fun at the often fraught relationship between playwrights, actors, and critics.

“O’HARA. Hey! You stood me up! I waited an hour at Kelly’s for you. What happened to him?

EINSTEIN. He was explaining the play he saw tonight–that’s what happened to the fella in the play.”

This is a continuation of the comedic groundwork Kesselring set in Act I. In the opening of the play, Officers Brophy and Klein are oblivious to the connection between the Brewster home and previous missing persons cases. This begins a pattern of police officers showing an absurd lack of awareness regarding the Brewster family. In this case, the joke is heightened to the point where O’Hara believes that Mortimer is so dedicated to the theater that he willingly tied himself up to explain the plot of a play. It is also meta-theatrical, in that the events onstage are real for the characters, but also literally “what happened to [a] fella in the play” that the audience is watching.

“ABBY. Oh, you wouldn’t have to dig here. The graves are all marked. We put flowers on them every Sunday.

ROONEY. Flowers? Superintendent–don’t you think you can find room for these ladies?”

In one of the play’s final instances of dramatic irony, Rooney believes the Brewsters are lying about the victims in the cellar. The use of dramatic irony adds comedic value because it heightens the disconnect between the perception of the sisters and their real selves by demonstrating that their facade is impervious to a murder confession.

“Elaine! Did you hear? Do you understand? I’m a bastard!”

Mortimer is overjoyed at learning he is not genetically a Brewster. Finally free from the weight of his family, he can now pursue life on his own terms. His delight at applying the pejorative term “bastard” to himself exemplifies Kesselring’s contradictory humor.