One of the key themes of the entire play is the way in
which humans make decisions and the fragile nature of the systems of law that try to
uphold justice. The action at the very end of Scene 4 is important because it shows that
Grusha is going to have to fight for the right to look after Michael in front of a judge
as he is seized by soldiers sent from the city after Michael's parents began to search
for him once more because they realised that they could only claim their property and
wealth if they had Michael. This action is therefore incredibly important as it means
that Grusha will have to deal first hand with a system of law that the play, up until
this stage, has presented as being very precarious at best. Note how The Singer at the
end of this Scene draws attention to this theme:
Who will try the case, on whom will the child be
bestowed?
Who will be the Judge? A good one, a bad
one?
The city is described as
"the dangerous place," as The Singer recognises implicitly that where people are there
will be danger, and the quote above makes it clear that what is known as "justice" is
not an objective quality that is supported by the judge, but rather a subjective reality
that actually has little to do with who is "right" or "wrong" but the judge who tries
the case. Scene 4 is therefore important in drawing attention to the fragile nature of
justice and also raising tension as the audience begins to wonder if Grusha will be able
to keep the child that she loves.
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