This entire play is a discussion about the role of cause and effect. Only after looking at the situation from every possible angle do they find peace from their guilt becuase they can accept an appropriate amount of responsibility for their actions and excuse the rest.
Solely in the hopes of understanding their responsibility in real events, they are methodically running through cause and effect scenarios in order to consider 1941 and the following years from an accurate perspective. These unfortunate souls find themselves unable to be at peace in their deaths, so here they sit talking. They follow endless trains of "what ifs." In the end, guilt is the one sure way to rob yourself of peace. They cannot escape the idea that they are each responsible for the development of the atomic bomb.
Heisenberg, Bohr, and Margrethe are all wracked by guilt. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.