Maggie Hobson and Will in Tim Sheader's Hobson's Choice

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Maggie and Will in Hobson's Choice

Maggie and Will are two of the main characters in "Hobson's Choice".

Maggie works in her fathers shop for very little pay at all, as does

Will, who is a shoemaker for Hobson and is very good at his job.

Maggie married Will (being very dominant for a woman in those days)

and they left Hobson's shop to start up a shoe business of their own

because of the way Hobson exploits them. Will and Maggie eventually

fall in love and Maggie manages to get her father to pay for her two

sisters weddings and because of Hobson's drinking problem they decide

to join business with Hobson so that Will can manage the shop and

Maggie can manage Hobson. The play is set in the Victorian times

(1880s).

Maggie throughout the play has used her intellect and reasoned

thinking to get ahead. This makes Maggie not only popular, but also,

amusing as she is persistent which reflects on the play. In act one of

the play she almost forces Albert to buy boots that he really doesn't

want to buy

"This is a shop you know. We're not here to let people go out without

buying."

This quote explains that in her eyes the business comes first like

when she talks to Will about her marriage being a business opportunity

"You're a business idea in the shape of a man."

When Maggie gets the money from Mrs Hepworth and sorts out all the

business, it shows how focused and determined she is. It is this

determination that brings a lot of the drama and humour to the play.

Maggie's personality shows out in a lot of the things she says in the

play.

Maggie also has an air of confidence about her which makes her popular

with a modern audience for example when she is talking to Albert and

Freddie about their bus...

... middle of paper ...

...erves are most humorous and gives a

lot away about both of their characters

"he looks shyly at the bedroom door, sits and takes off his boots. He

rises moves towards the door, hesitates, and turns back, lies down on

the sofa with occasional glances at the bedroom door. At first he

faces the fire. He is uncomfortable. He turns over and faces the door.

In a minute Maggie opens the door. She is holding a candle and is in a

plain calico night-dress she comes to Will, shines the light on him,

takes him my the ear and returns to the bedroom."

Will is popular because of some of the things he says for example is

over use of the phrase "by gum!" when he is surprised makes us still

remember what he was like in the beginning.

Maggie and Will both appeal to a modern audience because of their

kindness, optimism, humour and respect which brings the play together.

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