The Best Man Play Analysis

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Opening up a script is equivalent to the most stunning smile one has ever seen. I love being introduce to the different varieties of plays. “The Best Man” by Gore Vidal was a difficult play to start off with. The first scene was slow and the plot was slightly confusing. Once I got past that scene my interest for the play expanded. I started to sympathize with some of the characters and distrust others. A couple of parts left me astonished and somber. I was intrigued throughout the entire script, turning each page with anticipation. “To want power is corruption,” stated by my favorite character from “The Best Man,” Arthur Hockstader. I like Hockstader the most because he’s cunning and whimsical. He’s particularly cunning when he talks to Russell …show more content…

That is to say he doesn’t do well with playing nicely. The man can act marvelously in front of the press, but when it comes down to his competition, he will do anything to win. In Hockstader’s mind this makes a strong president, he eventually changes heart when he realizes that Cantwell is stupid. To change the topic, when Hockstader said, ”And to think! I was going to endorse you for president.” It astounded me that he had a change of heart, I expected him to go through with it even if Cantwell is “a stupid bastard.” At any rate, Cantwell is a deceitful man, in fact he stole Russell’s private health records and set up a time to blackmail him with it. This man is indeed despicable and my least favorite character in the play. My second least beloved character is Mabel Cantwell, Joseph’s wife. She is a braggart and rude. For example, at the beginning of act two Alice tries to speak, but Mabel interrupts her and talks about her own husband. First off, that’s rude; Alice was being asked a question and Mabel, being the bragger she is, has to make sure that the press knows more about her husband then Alice’s. I personally would have punched her in the face from pure frustration, but Alice has a better temper than me. Similarly on page 61 Mabel says,”I just don’t know how they can use something like that which is so untrue, which is a dirty lie and everybody knew it was a lie even at the time. Oh, how I hate

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