Opposing Oppenheimers
On Kipphardt’s In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer
By Jastej Luddu
Kipphardt’s play features many speeches and monologues concerning the accusations levied against Oppenheimer. These speeches also deal with larger thematic issues such as ideology, violence, and the purpose of science. The opening and closing speeches of the play, both spoken by Oppenheimer, illustrate the complex forces and motivations that influenced the physicist.
