Achieving Humor in Educating Rita by Willy Russell
Written by Willy Russell in 1985, "Educating Rita" is a comical
interpretation of his own life as a young Liverpudlian hairdresser and
his aspirations to become educated. The play is based on Rita, the
hairdresser who wants a better life, and begins this adventure by
enrolling in an Open University course. It is here she meets her
tutor, Frank. You could say, the key to her dreams. If I were to
direct this play, I would seek to achieve humour for an audience by
exploring the different aspects of comedy; comedy of character, comedy
of situation, comedy of misunderstanding and comedy of language.
There are many examples of comedy of character in this play,
especially as Russell has created such strong and impressionable
characters. Rita, the quick tongued, outspoken, witty character is a
foundation for humour as she isn't afraid to speak her mind.
An excellent example of her humorous character is Rita's first meeting
with Frank, her soon-to-be tutor. As she enters his office, she
notices a risqui picture on the wall and is unable to resist
commenting on how "It's very erotic." and defending her opinion by
saying "there's no suppose about it," and using the imperative, "Look
at those tits." The audience should find this humorous as it is as
they would be shocked at her sudden outburst to an 'authority figure'
in the play. However, in order to achieve maximum humour for the
audience, I would emphasize Rita's Liverpudlian accent and Rita would
speak naturally to show her openness and her self-confidence. Frank's
reaction to Rita's outburst is also vital if humour is to be achieved.
Frank is rather unsettled by Rita's confidence and to show this, his
reaction should be delayed and confused to show his inability to keep
up with Rita's quick tongue. It is imperative that this scene gives
the audience the impression that this play is humorous, as it is the
first time the audience meets the characters.
Frank's attitude towards Rita is another good example of comedy of
character. As a tutor in an university, the audience would expect
Frank to be very formal, however, he isn't in this situation. Frank
reveals his comic personality to the audience as he discusses a window
in his office to Rita. He tells her that he "sometimes get an urge to
throw something through it usually a stu...
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dramatically. "Sod them - no, fuck them!" This shows how similar Frank
and Rita can be no matter how well educated of high class Frank is. In
order to maximise humour, Frank would be excessive and over the top to
show the effect of alcohol on Frank.
Comedy of situation is used throughout the play and is used with
different aspects of comedy, such as when Rita first entered Frank's
office at the beginning of the play and Rita's use of language. It is
difficult to have comedy of situation on its own, so I would do what
Russell did, combine it with another aspect for maximum comedy effect.
Willy Russell has used every aspect of comedy to their full advantage
and has achieved highlighting class differences through comedy. When
Russell wrote the play, he wrote it to be performed and wrote stage
directions too. Personally, I would not change that because that is
the way he intended it to be, but I would concentrate on body
language, facial expressions and how they talk, e.g. the tone. So, if
I were directing 'Educating Rita' I would seek to achieve humour for
the audience? Simply by exploring the different aspects of comedy that
Willy Russell has used so well.
Although modern science has allowed us to develop many complex medicines, laughter is still the strongest one available in the real world and in the book. Laughter proves to be a strong medicine in more ways than one and is completely free, allowing anyone to use it at anytime. It allows us to connect socially with people, it can be used as a way of overthrowing power, and it is good for your health. As Randle McMurphy showed in the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, laughter can lighten the mood in the darkest situations.
In the 1980s, women were thought to be the conventional uneducated house keepers of the household and throughout the play, Educating Rita; Rita is constantly battling this set image of a typical Woman in the 80s. Willy Russell has used many dramatic devices efficiently to show the different phases and changes in Rita. In so doing, there have been many impacts on the audience.
something in his life, and Rita also says ‘ I want to be free’ which
Today, comedy news shows are becoming more and more popular, and in so, becoming a new source of information – which may, or may not, be a good thing. Most comedians twist the truth in order to connect to people and make them laugh, and some “use logic to make painful things make sense” (O’Hara 108) according to Mary O’Hara’s article “A Serious Business: What Can Comedy Do?” Satirical comedy acts as a relief mechanism in that it comforts people that may be wary about a certain subject, especially in the realm of politics. Similarly, Peter McGraw and Joel Warner talk about how comedy can act as a coping mechanism, but they also add that “activists all over the world have been using comedy as a form of political protest” (McGraw & Warner 147).
The theme of culture appears a lot in the play. One of the ways that
Educating Rita encompasses political and social commentary: Rita is an uneducated working class hairdresser, whilst Frank is a highly educated middle class professor of literature. This shows that class is clearly an issue in the play. As well as this, Willy Russell’s play is set against the backdrop of feminism, the opening of higher education with the Open University, and the civil unrest of the Toxteth riots in Liverpool. The play therefore includes political and social commentary. However, this does not necessarily mean that this is first and foremost function of the play. Educating Rita is a two-hander and has a very simplistic set as the whole play takes place in Frank’s office and the only two characters on stage are Frank and Rita,
Have people ever wondered why they laugh when there is something funny said? Why people laugh has always been a big mystery up until a few years ago. According to a PhD titled Robert Provine, laughter has always and will always be known to mankind. Humor has made a great effect on many people, and inside of it consists of love, and kindness.Everyone knows how to laugh, people do not have to learn how to laugh. Humor and laughter comes naturally to most humans. “Why we laugh is simple, the answer is humor” (nbcnews.com). Humor comes from the word humorous. “At first, the word humorous came from referring to the body’s language and moods, but then it transitioned to the words we speak that laughter is the source of” (Vocabulary.com). Humor means the quality of being amusing or comic, especially as expressed in literature or speech (Google Search)
Humor Humor is when an object or phrase is considered funny or hilarious. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of humor is, “something that is or is designed to be comical or amusing.” What people find funny differs because there are so many types of humors that can be expressed in different ways. Humor will often lead to laughter, but some people may find a subject amusing while others may find it offensive. It can be making a racial slur or even a Yo Mama joke.
According to Gazzaniga, Heatherton, and Halpern in Psychological Science, an effective to regulate emotion is through humor (430). Humor allows individuals to distance themselves from negative emotions and can strengthen social connections to others (Gazzaniga, Heatherton, and Halpern 431). In Native American communities, laughter and humor are often utilized to cope with stereotypes imposed upon Native Americans by non-Native people. Illustrations of this occurrence can be found throughout works by Native peoples, such as that by Sherman Alexie. These sources involve Native Americans embracing, rebelling against, and bringing attention to stereotypes about who they are and who the can be, all while using humor to cope with the emotions involved
Persuasion is the intentional action of a person to influence another person’s mental state through communication with outcomes either being positive or negative (Lyttle). Persuasion is seen throughout our daily lives whether it be at school or at work. In particular, persuasion in the business field portrays persuasion in higher levels because of the interests of people whether it be for money, passion, fame, etc. Persuasion in the field of business is an important skill to acquire allowing one to be successful with their business as well as dictating the pace of growth for one’s business. The usage of different nonverbal techniques in persuasion from tone usage, persuasion knowledge to the importance of appearance and trustworthiness allows
Humor can come in many different forms. Many people are aware of the blatant humor of slapstick, but it takes a keener mind to notice the subtle detail in sarcasm or satire. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift was able to create a piece of literature addressing the faults of the Irish culture while embedding in a humorous essay. Swift’s satire allows for the gravity of the Irish standings to be exploited under the disguise of a proposal for economic benefit.
with Edgar. He shows love of the past by pointing out to her how little
He is a lazy man, bored and frustrated by his life he too does not
The question of what Rita gains in Educating Rita is quite easy to answer. What she loses is less obvious. Her intention is to gain a college education and she largely succeeds in this. On the way you could say she loses her job and her husband, but it is worth asking whether these are really losses to the person Rita, or rather Susan, becomes.
Education provides unique experiences to everyone. These experiences are not depended on the individual’s personal backgrounds or social statuses. According to Jane Thompson, a scholar in education, the process of education can either be a restriction on creativity or a “practice of freedom.” In Willy Russell’s Educating Rita, the protagonist’s experience through the Open University is a practice of freedom as she is provided with the opportunities to express her thoughts and discover her own limits. There is an internal struggle within Rita as the new environment threatens to erase her past life. Rita is able to maintain her practice of freedom through the help of Frank, whom provides her with a welcoming and encouraging learning environment.