Is it cynicism when a rich man sings the praises of poverty? Are there personal, private solutions to societal issues? Do we help the poor by renouncing our own prosperity? Do we serve peace by consistently acting in a pacifist manner? How can we draw practical consequences for our own lives from the insights we gain? The wealthy Sarynzew finds himself in deep conflict over these questions. In the end, a shot is fired. What are we to do? By varying a theme from Leo Tolstoy, Tankred Dorst masterfully tells the story of the failure of great utopias with both comedy and melancholy, while simultaneously illustrating in a wonderfully paradoxical way that a life without the freedoms of utopia and imagination would be miserable and worthless.