Comparing two plays for a Theatre Class - Book Report/Review Example

Running Head: COMPARING TWO PLAYS FOR A THEATRE Comparing two plays for a Theatre of Comparing two plays for a Theatre class Play 1: Doll's House by Nora One of A Doll's House's middle theme is secession from civilization. It is demonstrated by several of its font breaking away from the communal standards of their occasion and drama on their own conditions. No one character demonstrates this enhanced than Nora. During the time in which the engage in recreation took put society frowned winning women asserting themselves Women were hypothetical to play a role in which they support their husbands, took mind of their children, and complete sure the whole thing was ideal around the house. Work, government, and decisions were absent to the males. Nora's first secession from civilization was when she bankrupts the law and decided to have a loan of money to disburse for her husband's action. By doing this, she not only bankrupt the rule but she step away from the role civilization had placed on her of life form totally dependent on her companion. She shows herself not to be immobilized like Torvald implied: "you disadvantaged helpless little organism!" This research focused on this truth that Nora's second secession from civilization was shown by her choice to go away Torvald and her kids. Society demanded that she get a place under her companion. This is exposed in the way Torvald spoke downward to her proverb things like: "doubts that you couldn't perhaps help me with," and "Nora, Nora, now like a woman." She is approximately careful to be possessions of his: "Mayn't I seem at my dearest treasure At all the loveliness that fit in to no one other than me -that's all my extremely own" By under your own steam out she takes a position equal to her husband and brakes society's expectations. Nora also breaks society's prospect of staying in a marriage because divorce was frown upon during that age. Her decision was secession as of all expectations place on a female and a wife by civilization. Nora secessions are extremely deliberate and consideration out. She knows what civilization waits for of her and carry on to do what she sense is right in spite of them. Her secessions are second-hand by Ibsen to demonstrate faults of civilization. In the primary secession Ibsen illustrate that in spite of Nora doing the right obsession it is thinks incorrect and not allowed by civilization since she is a lady. While the counterfeit can be careful wrong, Ibsen is critical of the information that Nora is compulsory to forge. Ibsen is also dangerous of society's prospect of a marriage. He illustrates this by presentation how Nora is compulsory to engage in recreation a role than be she and the ultimate deterioration of the wedding. all through the play Nora is gives the impression of being downward upon and treat as a control by her husband. She is amazing to satisfy him and used for show. He is looked winning as the supplier and the choice maker. Civilization would have deemed it a ideal marriage. Ibsen is serious of the fact that a wedding lacked love and sympathetic, as exposed by Torvald flattering annoyed with Nora for captivating the advance and saving him, would be think as just right. According to the expert analysis a Doll's House's middle theme of secession from civilization was complete to be dangerous of society's sight on women and wedding. Ibsen used Nora's secessions as an instance to exemplify that society's expectations of a woman's role in civilization and wedding were incorrect. Her choice to leave was the shout point on his critical sight of civilization. Macbeth by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare's sad play Macbeth is put in 11th-century Scotland. The overarching following system then was feudalism, a scheme that was "based on the investment of land" and located "an increasing stress on local protection, local government, and restricted self-sufficiency" (World History, Section 9-4, pp. 214 **). Shakespeare, though, lived throughout the late 16th and early 17th century, a time in which kings with "total authority" and "heavenly right" (W.H, Section 18-3, pp. 430) lined a strongly central nation. His plays of course revealed his favorite of a strong centralized realm over a feudal government, which was steady but out-of-date. Therefore, Macbeth, arguably Shakespeare's the majority following play, reproduce a apparently stable feudal scheme full of subtle flaw while concurrently presentation the tendency towards centralization and prophesy the prospect Age of Kings. However, Shakespeare, as a dramatist in monarchial England, reasonably also depiction and exemplifies the essential flaws of feudalism. The feudal pyramid consisted of "lots of knights...with a little fief", above them their royal vassals "who detained better fiefs", and "over all...the sovereign" (W.H, Section 9-4, pp. 215). Maintaining arrange among the influential nobles was a hard task for any ruler; only a physically powerful sovereign would be clever to exercise power and keep any revolt or disobedient acts to a minimum or at smallest quantity in total check. On the surface, Duncan seems to fit this account. According to Macbeth, he is "so obvious in his immense office...that his qualities will beg like angels" (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7, ll. 18-19). However, both Macdonwald and the Thane of Cawdor start a rebellion against the King, who depends on his other, faithful, thanes to crush the rebellion and imprison the conspirators; it seems that, he personally does not contribute. Feudal lords and vassals were predictable to contribute in war (Bertran de Born, Sources, Section 7-7, pg. 217), and Duncan's incapability or reluctance to direct his armies is a weakness. (If the Thanes come to a choice to take away him from his throne, there is small the king can do next to it) This shows the main 'loophole' in the feudal organization: if the ruler of a host of vassals is feeble, then he becomes a figurehead quite than an definite head, and the whole area is further decentralized and remote as vassals turn out to be more self-governing. Though this flaw is more often than not predictable, Macbeth presents a still more dangerous view of the substance - the assassination of Duncan by Macbeth, who replaces him. The proceedings following that act guide to additional chaos, blood, and war: "A swift approval may soon go back to this our suffering state, under a hand accursed" (Macbeth, Act 3, Scene 6, ll. 53-55). Shakespeare obviously demonstrates the troubles with feudalism. If we analyzed then we come to know that in the end, Macbeth portray the decline of feudalism and the go up of better centralization as a welcomed modify. Shakespeare more frequently than not includes and commentary on the historical proceedings occurring approximately the times in which his theater are set. 11th-century Scotland was experiencing a alter from the Age of Feudalism to the Age of Kings, as influential lords gained rising amounts of land and "began to make stronger their manage over their possess lands" (W.H, Section 10-3, pp. 233). In Macbeth, the shape of administration is in practice totally feudal, yet the primary hints of imminent change begin to come into view. Duncan is continually referred to as 'King of Scotland' somewhat than as a lord, and the circlet is inherited by inheritance: "Our eldest, Malcolm, [...] we name after this the Prince of Cumberland" (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 4, ll. 44-45). The immense fortified castle of Scotland, the seats of authority of Duncan and his aristocracy, show centralization at a little level, perhaps implying the prospect power of kings. Yet the clearest example of historical prophesies is the final language made by Malcolm as he recovers the throne. He gives the Thanes a new name - that of Earls, "the primary that ever Scotland in such a respect person's name" (Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 8, ll. 72-88). This modify symbolizes the sunrise of a new age of royal authority and middle government. This research focused on this truth that Plainly, Macbeth depicts the feudal world main in Europe, stressing its flaw, and foreshadows the past transfer of authority from feudal lords to kings. In fact, the majority of the play is moreover historical or following. England's King James I powerfully hold up Shakespeare, and he claimed he was a successor of Banquo. Therefore, though the past Macbeth was a noble and now ruler, in Shakespeare's engage in recreation he is depict as a determined and ruthless oppressor, while Banquo is modest and modest. Clearly, William Shakespeare write many plays with past meaning behind them, of course affected by his thoughts or view. Macbeth is single of them. Reference Article Title: Ibsen's Nora: the Promise and the Trap. Contributors: Vera Schwarez - author. Journal Title: Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars. Volume: 7. Issue: 1. Publication Year: 1975. Page Number: 3. Article Title: Macbeth. Contributors: William T. Liston - author. Journal Title: Shakespeare Bulletin. Volume: 22. Issue: 4. Publication Year: 2004. Page Number: 111+. COPYRIGHT 2004 University of West Georgia; COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group Article 1 Article Title: Ibsen's Nora: the Promise and the Trap. Contributors: Vera Schwarez - author. Journal Title: Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars. Volume: 7. Issue: 1. Publication Year: 1975. Page Number: 3. Macbeth. by William T. Liston Macbeth Presented by The Royal Shakespeare Company at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. March 6-October 2, 2004. Directed by Dominic Cooke. Set by Robert Innes Hopkins. Costumes by Tania Spooner. Fights by Terry King. With Greg Hicks (Macbeth), Sian Thomas (Lady Macbeth), Richard Cordery (Duncan), Louis Hilyer (Banquo), Clive Wood (Macduff), Ruth Gemmell (Lady Macduff, Witch), Pal Aron (Malcolm), Forbes Masson (Porter), and others. Dominic Cooke's 2004 production of Macbeth in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre was played without interval in a little over two hours. The discussion of the King's evil was cut, as often, and Lady Macbeth's four difficult lines of mild rebuke after "My royal lord, / You do not give the cheer" early in the banquet scene, were cut, as often. Hecate was also cut. The lack of interval avoided the frequent drop in intensity' that often follows a break in this tight tragedy, but with a price: some in the audience found Greg Hicks's fast delivery of Macbeth's lines hard to follow. But only in his understandably semi-hysterical delivery during the apparitions scene, which he played lying on his back at the front of the stage, looking up toward the balcony, was I aware of difficulty in following what he was saying. The cawing of crows set the atmosphere for the early scenes, which tended to flow together. The witches, all in simple black, were still on stage when warriors came on. Resplendent in his modern military dress whites, a hale King Duncan came out of a castle to ask, "Is execution done on Cawdor" When Duncan named his son Malcolm his heir, no one was more surprised than Macbeth, who, anticipating the fulfillment of the witches' prophesies, was walking toward the King to receive the honor. Banquo seemed ready for conspiracy when he told Macbeth "I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters," even though he knelt as if to pray when he asked the "Merciful powers, / [to] Restrain in me the cursed thoughts" just before Macbeth's entrance. Other traces of Christianity pervaded the production. Banquo was wearing a crucifix for the announcement of Duncan's death, and Duncan was accompanied by a priest in the opening scenes. Lady Macbeth was sexy. in a low-cut pink gown as she urged her reluctant husband to persist in their plan. When he asked "If we should fail" she answered, "We fail" quietly as if it were a matter of no consequence, just a chance that had to be taken. In most of her speeches--maybe all--Sian Thomas characteristically paused just before uttering an important word. Her swoon on hearing of Duncan's murder was perfectly ambiguous: whether real or feigned was impossible to distinguish. The disintegration of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and of their marriage, was persuasive. Macbeth seemed almost incapacitated as he told of hearing the voice cry, "sleep no more." Their lack of confidence and trust in each other was dramatized by Macbeth's difficulty in getting his Lady to leave him as he waited to confer with the men he was hiring to murder Banquo, and he later compounded his dishonest), by kissing her as he directed her to "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck," of his plan to have Banquo murdered. The murderers were difficult to persuade that Banquo was their enemy, and seemed to know that Macbeth was lying to them. For the banquet scene, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were to be at one table, and their guests at a second table, perpendicular to theirs (a T from the audience), with an empty chair for Banquo at the front, so that Banquo would have his back to the audience. Banquo staggered in to take his seat, and after his exit the terrified Macbeth kicked the empty chair. Macbeth's fear was palpable throughout the scene, and finally Lady Macbeth also lost her composure, screaming "a kind good night to all!" to rid the castle of the country's honor roof'd there. Though Macbeth ended the scene with "Come, we'll to sleep," he walked off alone. Despite the cutting to compress time, a few details were added. The Macduff family; including two young children, was present for the post-battle festivities in Macbeth's castle, the little girl giving Lady Macbeth a bouquet of flowers at one point. After the murder of Duncan, the whole family hurriedly left the castle, obviously without taking leave of their hosts. Lady Macduff was pregnant with a third child when the murderers who had killed Banquo arrived to slaughter her and her nightgown-clad children. The single English scene was baffling. Sunlight bathed the scene, reasonably enough, boding better days to come, but Malcolm looked and acted like a shawl-clad beggar. The scene nevertheless performed its function of legitimating Macduff's loyalty to Malcolm and Scotland. Macduff delivered his ambiguous line "He has no children" directly to Malcolm, clearly referring to Macbeth. Article 2 Article Title: Macbeth. Contributors: William T. Liston - author. Journal Title: Shakespeare Bulletin. Volume: 22. Issue: 4. Publication Year: 2004. Page Number: 111+. COPYRIGHT 2004 University of West Georgia; COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group Ibsen's Nora: The Promise and the Trap by Vera Schwarez The late nineteenth century Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen both guides and haunts the struggle for the emancipation of women. His play "A Doll's House" remains after nearly one hundred years a most eloquent statement of the urge to stand free. Nora, the play's heroine, has inspired countless women in their fight for liberation. Nora embodies the individualist alternative. In her, Ibsen depicts the full glory of a woman who finally finds herself in opposition to all social norms. The play ends with the dramatic sound of a door slamming shut. Nora walks away from the security of her household and from all traditionally sacred values of marriage and motherhood. She leaves to face an uncertain but compelling future of self-becoming. Nora has recently been rediscovered in the United States as the women's movement broadens its search for alternative role models. In the past year, professional and college theater groups have revived the play and the movie industry has introduced it to a mass audience. 1 To better understand the appeal of Ibsen today, it is useful to examine his impact in a broader historical and cross-cultural context. In China, more than fifty years ago, Ibsen was received with similar enthusiasm. During the May Fourth Movement, which culminated in the student demonstrations of 1919, "A Doll's House" was translated in the hope of sparking interest and accelerating women's liberation. However, within a few years, the limits of this kind of liberation became apparent. Lu Hsiin's 1923 essay "What Happens After Nora Leaves", which I have translated and will quote from at some length, stresses considerations which many contemporary Chinese, and many Westerners today, choose to disregard. Mesmerized by individualism, we find it difficult to think beyond the grandiose gestures of spiritual emancipation. From this Chinese critique of the "Nora compulsion," we can begin to see how easily individualistic liberation can become a trap when it is divorced from political and economic revolution. Ibsen's role in the Chinese Revolution was to expand the realm of the possible. His characterization of Nora augmented the "live options" available to Chinese society on the eve of the May Fourth Movement. During this period, China sought to extricate itself from the stranglehold of traditional morality. The revolt against the "Old" was well on its way when Chinese intellectuals first discovered Ibsen. Since the 1911 anti-dynastic revolution, the definition of the intolerable was becoming sharper and more widely shared. Alternatives to the moribund tradition, however, remained unclear. In this gap between the "is" and the "ought" Ibsen entered the Chinese consciousness. Uprooted from the traditional images of self, the new intellectuals embraced Ibsen because he both mirrored their hopes and shattered existing mores. His vision of an alternative selfhood proved to be so potent a catalyst because it was already dormant in the contemporary consciousness. "The longing to resemble . . . is an incipient resemblance; the word which we shall make our own is the word whose echo we have already heard within ourselves." 2 "Ibsenism" was just such a word appropriated by the Chinese intellectuals during the May Fourth Movement. Their main vehicle of expression was New Youtb magazine. In its seven years of publication (1915-1922) spanning 54 issues, New Youth presented its readers with only two special issues: the "Ibsen" issue of June 1918, and the "Marx" issue of May 1919. These two thinkers were deemed to be especially important for the Chinese experience. While Marxism was presented as the appropriate prescription for China's political problems, Ibsenism was introduced as most pertinent to the spiritual needs of the Chinese revolution. Read More