Schoolio for Scan-diddly-andal

I really enjoyed this play! I’ve read this play before so it was nice to see something that I’m familiar with. I first read this play in another drama course, and at the time the play seemed ridiculous compared to other plays I’ve read, but after reading many other restoration comedies it suddenly makes sense! This play focuses on disguises and people who are “two-faced.” All of the characters in the play act differently depending on who is in the room, and everyone is out to benefit themselves. If a character is being too “good” then the other characters immediately suspect that she/he is hiding something. The major themes within the play such as gossip, deceptiveness, and things not always being what they appear to be, make the play seems like something you’d see on prime time nowadays. I also LOVED the names of the characters and how their names described their personalities, like Lady Sneerwell. Overall I enjoyed reading this play and I found it much more comical than the other’s I have read.

The Beggar’s Opera

I enjoyed reading The Beggars Opera because it was different in comparison to the other plays that we have read this term. The play takes digs at the Italian Opera and people from the higher class, and I also enjoy how Gay attacks the judicial system and punishments as well. It is amazing how differently Macheath is treated within the prison simply because he has money. He can afford the best chains, and can live a comfortable life, almost as if he wasn’t in prison at all. It is disturbing to think of some of the poorer people in prison at that time, because it would have been a hellish nightmare instead of a minor inconvenience. I think that out of all of the plays we’re read this semester, The Beggars Opera would be the most enjoyable to see staged. I also really enjoyed the class presentation given on the The Beggars Opera as well because it helped me understand the play better. Good job guys!

Bold Stroke for a Wife

A Bold Stroke for a Wife, like many of the other plays we have read this term, focused on marriage. I really enjoyed the comedy in this play because it reminded me of today’s romantic comedies. The themes surrounding marriage weren’t as “naughty” as some of the other plays we’ve read this term. Although the themes in regards to marriage were more acceptable, the men’s attitudes in regards to women were still frustrating. Periwinkle’s comment “Women are the very gewgaws of the creation; play things for boys, which, when they write man, they ought to throw aside” was pretty disturbing, but hopefully men’s attitudes towards women will improve as we read plays that were written towards the end of the restoration period.

"Scrub" hehe

Haha I’m glad I wasn’t the only person in the class who immediately thought of shrek when they read the name “George Farquhar.” I’m crazy about the shrek movies and had a nice chuckle as I remembered Lord Farquaad’s ridiculous laugh from the movie! Pure hilarity. Anyways, The Beaux Stratagem wasn’t a bad play, and was much more enjoyable then some of the others. The play had a few elements that were not found and the other plays. Divorce between Sullen and Mrs. Sullen was a new twist and was not seen in any of the other plays. Most of the unhappy couples from the previous plays stayed together despite their differences, even though most of them had lovers and was deceitful in one way or another. I can’t argue with Mrs. Sullen for leaving her husband, because he was a brute who treated her badly. I must admit I didn’t pick up on Mrs. Sullen being raped within the marriage, and was shocked because of how terrible the marriage must have been. I also really enjoyed the names of the characters because the seemed to suit the characters so well. Some of the most obvious of course was “Scrub” who was a servant, and lady Bountiful who was rich.

The Fair Penitent” by Nicholas Rowe, now here’s a play I really enjoyed! The fact that the play was a she-tragedy really appealed to me. I don’t want to come off as a bitter and cynical person, but tragedies are much more interesting (at least in these eighteenth century plays!) I sympathized with the character of Calista, even though she continuously dug the hole she created for herself deeper and deeper. Although she was presented with several opportunities to save herself, she seemed fixated on dying and blew every opportunity to escape. Altamont basically said “hey babe its cool, I’ll forget the whole thing” but she still chose option B, which of course was death. The situation in which she found herself in was very believable. She wasn’t in love with Altamont, and gave into Lothario who fooled her with false promises. She didn’t seem like the promiscuous
type and seemed to believe that her shenanigans with Lothario would lead to marriage.

Unlike some of my classmates, I found that the relationship between Altamont and Horatio was pure friendship and nothing else. I found it refreshing to see an example of true friendship because none of the characters in any of the other plays I’ve read this term displayed such loyalty.

"The Way of the World"

Greetings,

I will begin this blog by saying that I did not find "The Way of the World" an enjoyable read whatsoever. After several attempts of trying to read the first act I put the text down and went to sleep. After a good nights rest I was able to stay awake long enough to finish the play. The characters from "The Way of the World" seemed to blend with the characters from the previous plays. Fainall was in love with Mrs.Marwood, Mirabll was in love with Mrs. Millamant, etc etc. I had to keep referring to the dramatis personae in order to keep the names straight and remember which characters were married, and who was in love with who. "Love" & marriage don't seem to go hand and hand for the characters in eighteenth century drama Convenience, lust, and money seemed to have been at the top of the priority list for many of the characters. I'm finding the plays repetitive and disheartening.

Oroonoko

Once again we have a woman masquerading as a man. I think it would be tiresome to think of reason why I woman would want to dress as a man if I were a playwright, but apparently it was quite amusing and appealing for 18th century drama. Unlike Marriage a la Mode, the combination of both a comic and tragic plot didn’t flow in this play. I found that the tragic plot was too heavy in comparison to the comic plot and they didn’t work well together. The tragic plot resulted in death and suicide which more gruesome than the tragedy in Marriage a la Mode. I did however enjoy the character of Daniel, and the fact that charlotte outwitted the other characters (even though she had to dress like a man to do so.) It would be interesting to read the original story of Oroonoko and Imoinda written by Behn because it probably goes into more detial about the lovers and their story.