Play Review of The Marriage of Figaro
Imagine that you were at a performance of “The Marriage of Figaro” in 1784. Write a review of the play for inclusion in a main-stream journal of the day.
Last night I finally saw the long awaited sequel to “The Barber of Seville”, long awaited not for it’s theratrical value, but perhaps because it has been rumored that upon it’s presentation to his royal highness Louis XVI, the King was to have remarked that such a play could never be allowed on stage. Fortunately for us he did not stand by this appraisal and for the first time last night the play “The Marriage of Figaro was performed in a theatre. Audiences were not disappointed. Unlike other sequels this play actually held some of the freshness and vigour of his earlier work, “The Barber of Seville.” The characters are perceptibly the same, although time has passed in Andalusia. The court of Versailles still reverberates to the sounds of gaiety and laughter and yet there is a sense of disillusionment, that happiness can not necessarily be won merely through the pursual thereof. The mood still appears to be one of irresponsibility; the characters live for the day and indulge in all the follies that this lifestyle brings.
Figaro is still a young man, young and in love; and yet he is old enough to have serious doubts as to the full extent of his luck; will this love and good fortune last forever? He is still one of the wittier characters of the play but at times his wit seems to fall more into the realms of irony. He has seen the world and appears to know what’s in it. He is not the man he was in The Barber. The character appears to have good sense, seasoned with vivacity and forays of humour. It is a part written to bring honour to...
... middle of paper ...
...social privilege.
This play should not be seen as a destroyer of social order, for Beaumarchais is a loyal in his relations to the Crown. His dealings with political ministers are apparent through the speeches of Figaro.
The play is like a tangled yarn of wool. Everything is there it simply needs unravelling. There is a constant variation in the focus of interest, but the thread of the story is unbroken from first to last. The rivalry of Figaro and the Count is never placid, our attentions become temporarily diverted by the passages between the page and the Countess, the Count and the Countess, Figaro and Marceline and not forgetting Suzzanne and Figaro, which all come into concurrent activity at the end.
Despite being four hours long this is a play well worth watching and I would strongly recommend it to any theatre going person.
Bibliography:
In the opening of both the play and the novel we are introduced to the two main female characters which we see throughout both texts. The authors’ styles of writing effectively compare and contrast with one another, which enables the reader to see a distinct difference in characters, showing the constrictions that society has placed upon them.
In conclusion, this mid-play excerpt of a character in a Shakespearean play tells the reader much about his current thoughts, as well as exposing a small glimmer of what took place in his past. Though the text is limited, there are enough details and elements to lead the reader to a sensible conclusion of what this character is really
The environment surrounding the star-crossed lovers in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet can influence audiences who may interpret the scenes in different ways. The audience can be greatly affected in their interpretation of the story by the mise-en-scene, costuming, and the hidden symbolic meaning. This great piece of literature was edited in two unique and intriguing forms, one Zeferelli directed which was filmed in 1968, and the modern version produced in 1996. The different scenes throughout the length of the party were the most influential to me in that I saw how different these movies were directed, and the different meaning I experienced from watching these movies. Focusing on the environment of the scenes and the costuming helped me in my interpretation, because I found hidden symbolism from these two qualities.
Snyder, Susan. "Beyond the Comedy: Othello" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987.
This play brings out the differences between the upper class to that of the middle class and lower class people. Moreover, the characters’ follies and foolishness lies at the core of this drama. Deceit and lies, love and marriage are also some major themes in this drama. There are three acts in this drama, all interlinked with each other. The first act of this drama introduces us to the main characters, their complications and sufferings. There are more complications in the second act. These complications lead the plot to its climax and finally the happy conclusion in the final act. The plot of this play is based on inconsistent actions, unbelievable characters and coincidences. The plot is compact and closely knit but the audiences appreciate the play not because of its unity of scenes but due to the art of characterization employed in the play by Wilde.
Twelfth Night” or “What You Will” is one of Shakespeare’s many comedic plays. This essay will attempt to critically analyse a passage in Act 1, Scene 5 of “Twelfth Night.” The passage centres on a conversation primarily between Feste and Olivia about the mourning of her brother. This conversation adds comicality to the play, which contributes to the shape of it as a whole. The passage also briefly involves the character, Malvolio, who contributes to an underlining truth in the play. This essay will explain the meaning of the passage, attempt to unpack the language uses and determine the ideas behind the language. It will then try to justify why and how those ideas in the passage contribute to the play as a whole.
the play was good. The first act was a little slow and tedious but the
This play shows the importance of the staging, gestures, and props making the atmosphere of a play. Without the development of these things through directions from the author, the whole point of the play will be missed. The dialog in this play only complements the unspoken. Words definitely do not tell the whole story.
What is so interesting about Shakespeare's first play, The Comedy of Errors, are the elements it shares with his last plays. The romances of his final period (Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale, The Tempest) all borrowed from the romantic tradition, particularly the Plautine romances. So here, as in the later plays, we have reunions of lost children and parents, husbands and wives; we have adventures and wanderings, and the danger of death (which in this play is not as real to us as it is in the romances). Yet, for all these similarities, the plot of The Comedy of Errors is as simple as the plots of the later plays are complex. It is as though Shakespeare's odyssey through the human psyche in tragedy and comedy brought him back to his beginnings with a sharper sense of yearning, poignancy, and the feeling of loss. But to dismiss this play as merely a simplistic romp through a complicated set of maneuvers is to miss the pure theatrical feast it offers on the stage - the wit and humor of a master wordsmith, the improbability of a plot that sweeps...
Snyder, Susan. "Beyond the Comedy: Othello" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987.
The first thing I found to be interesting had nothing to do with the story. Pachuco begins the play with a typical monologue, but then suddenly stops to address the audience. His words come off more like a warning than an opening narration.
The nearly three-hour drama is told from the viewpoint of Salieri, who frequently comes to the front of the stage to explain himself in lengthy and passionate detail. It takes a dedicated performer to memorize the lines and a skilled actor to keep them interesting.
It shouldn't be forgotten that in the body of the play those who are masters of a language of extraordinary wit and polish - language that seems to guarantee rationality and good judgement - get things almost completely wrong. The resolution of the play comes via the agency of the people whose discourse is an assault on language, who are dismissed - by Leonato - as 'tedious' when they should be patiently listened to. But, as Borachio says 'what your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light' (V.1.221-222). And even more disturbing, that resolution comes by mere accident: by the chance overhearing of a conversation.
The clown contributes towards the humourous entertainment of this play through his numerous puns and jokes. He is a source of laughter, not because we are humoured by his "foolery"; for he proves to be no fool at all; but rather because he amuses us with his brilliant wit. Having mastered the art of jesting, Feste is sensitive of his profession, always aware of the circumstances he is in and the appropriateness of this folly.
Shakespeare highlights three of Portia’s suitors, the Prince of Morocco, the Prince of Arragon and Bassanio. He does this to heighten dramatic tension, as these three men are the most important candidates to win Portia’s hand in marriage. They reveal the contents of the three caskets and their different characters as exposed as being proud, vain and humble. They also emphasise the racial prejudices of Venice a place where many races clash. Their attitudes towards the caskets and their choices indicate what their character is like. This essay will compare and contrast the three suitors and will explore how Shakespeare influences the audience’s attitudes towards the three men.