Arsenic and Old Lace

"Arsenic and Old Lace" is a dark comedy play by Joseph Kesselring. It tells the story of a kind-hearted Brooklyn man, Mortimer, who discovers that his sweet elderly aunts are secretly poisoning lonely old men with arsenic in their homemade wine, believing they are helping them find peace. The play humorously explores themes of good and evil, sanity, and the absurdity of crime, blending macabre elements with comedy. It highlights how ordinary people can lead double lives, and uses irony and humor to examine moral dilemmas within a quirky, suspenseful narrative.