In Death and the Maiden, Gerardo constantly opposes Paulina's ideas and plans, proposing a more rational and less emotionally charged solution. Gerardo acts as the voice of reason to point out Paulina's irrational and crazy tendencies in the play. Throughout his drama, Dorfman uses Gerardo as a representation of Paulina's conscience and as a voice of reason to show Paulina's distressed state. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Early in the play, Dorfman illustrates how Gerardo is calm in nature by comparing him to Paulina, who is undeniably nervous. Upon entering the house, Gerardo “sees Paulina hiding behind the curtains” (Dorfman 3). As Paulina questions Gerardo about his whereabouts, he responds in a calm manner, trying to calm her down. Gerardo constantly tries to reason with Paulina and show her a different point of view on certain situations. When Paulina questions whether her husband's Commission only investigates cases that end in death, Gerardo responds: "The idea is that if we can shed light on the worst crimes, other abuses will also be revealed." » (Dorfman 9), try to explain to him that their legal procedures are fair, but it takes patience to realize this. This speaks to Gerardo's impartial tendencies and shows how he peacefully attempts to obtain justice for the victims of all crimes. These traits of moral rectitude illustrate the actions of a moral compass or human conscience personified. Furthermore, it is no coincidence that Dorfman wrote to Gerardo as his lawyer. This profession is humble and involves fighting for what is right and protecting the justness of your client's cause. In fact, Dorfman employs Gerardo as his lawyer to reinforce his fairness. Even Roberto acknowledges this fact when he tries to convince Gerardo to let him go: "You are a lawyer, a defender of human rights... you are responsible for what you do and what you must do is detach myself immediately” (Dorfman 32). At this point, Gerardo is unsure whether Roberto is guilty or not and tries to do what is morally right. After Paulina insists on killing Roberto, Gerardo scolds her: “Paulina, this is intolerable. ” (Dorfman 33), acting as the voice of reason in order to present Paulina with a side of history that she has not yet considered. The rational steps taken by Gerardo to bring the situation under control are intended to show the reader the marked contrast in thought processes and overall mental health between Paulina and Gerardo. Gerardo, as a lawyer, remains calm and does the right thing to try to uncover all the evidence before convicting Roberto. Paulina's crazy actions and tendencies are only exaggerated by the way Gerardo handles these actions. Again, Paulina mentions Gerardo's murder as part of her idea to "bring him to justice" (Dorfman 34). Gerardo questions this and says they can't "use their methods". Seeking revenge in this way is not…” (Dorfman 34). Gerardo now acts directly as Paulina's conscience and uses the idea that it is not moral to commit an immoral act just because it was committed against the individual. Trying to make Paulina understand how blind she was, Gerardo asks, “Are you going to kidnap them and bring them and tie them up…” (Dorfman 34), but Paulina only responds as if the question was asked seriously. Paulina's mind is so hellbent on revenge that she can't even think clearly, prompting Dorfman to.