List 9. Literature in our lives: Visiting Dr.

Braintree (sketch) 3-4 level 20-25 min

GOAL. To enjoy the verbal performance of the actors, understanding the little nuances ot the text.

WARMING UP. [Source :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IDZjCOgZqM ]

TASK 1. To familiarise with the sketch answer the questions below.

Q1. Name two films where the actor is at a doctor’s studio. ................................................................

Q2. Which are the features of a visit to a psychiatrist? Underline the most probable

PLACE: sIt down at the armchair/lie on the sofa ACTION: look at the past/actions for the future

TOPIC of TALK: family / work / love TALK: patient does the talk / doctor speaks
more

Q3. Who is more relaxed? Underline the best answer: a) patient b) doctor c) both d) none

LANGUAGE WORK. The three parts offer you a listening for gist and a skim the passage.

Part1. Onset. Click on Listen9. Doctor to listen to the sketch between Roger and his doctor.

TASK 2. After listening to the first 2 minutes once STOP. Then answer these general questions.

Q1. Who’s late? doctor patient both

Q2. How does Roger feel today? ...................................................

Q3. Does he have confidence in psychiatrists? ..............................................

Q4. What’s Roger problem with women? .............................................. ..............................................

Q5. What’s the news Roger is breaking to the doctor today? ...............................................................

Q6. What seems to be the trouble? ..................................................................................................

TASK 3. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.

Q1. Does Roger prefer to lie on the couch or to sit down? .............................

Q2. Did he expect more from their sessions together? ....................................................

Q3. According to Dr Braintree why do people regard psychiatry wrongly? ........................................

Q4. How does the Doctor explains that love is a wonderful thing? ................................ ................

Q5. What does Roger say of his sense of guilt? ........................................................................

Part 2. Stephanie. Listen to the central part of the piece (1:50> 3:50).

TASK 4. Listen once to this part. Then STOP and answer these general questions.

Q1. Why does Roger feel guilty? .....................................................

Q2. How does he start to expose his problem? .....................................................

Q3. What’s the role of Stephanie in the story? .....................................................................

Q4. What’s the spontaneous reaction of the Doctor to the

news? .........................................................

Q5. Is the outcome of marriage going to be a problem for the doctor? ...........................

TASK 5. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.

Q1. How does the doctor describes sex? .....................................................

Q2. As Roger can’t find a way out, the doctor helps him with
“................................................................”

Q3. Which are the three reasons the doctor gives him to find his actions ‘understandable’?

...................................................................................................................................................................

Part 3. With a bit of luck. Listen now to the last part of the piece (3:45> 5:20).

TASK 6. Listen once to this part. Then STOP and answer these general questions.

Q1. How does Roger feel to Dr. Braintree for what the doctor’s
done? .................................................

Q2. How does Dr. Braintree accept Roger’s hatred reactions? .........................................................

Q3. Why is Dr. Braintree so reasonable? ...............................................................................

Q4. What is Roger’s final reaction against Dr. Braintree? ................................................................

Q5. What’s the last question the doctor asks

Roger? ...........................................................................

TASK 7. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.

Q1. Why does the doctor react logically to avoid a tragic

final? .........................................................

Q2. How does Roger feel when he says “what do you think
doctor?” ? ...............................................

Q3. What is the ‘incovenience’ Dr Braintree’s objects? ............................................................................

Q4. What is the anticlimatic ending of the sketch? ............................................................................

ROUNDING OFF. Working for detail. Listen to the sketch again in its three parts.

TASK 8. Listen carefully again (0:00>1:50) to pick up the words. Fill in the blanks..

Q1. Roger feels great. The words he uses are: “I feel ...................................”

Q2. Roger expected less form his work: “if anyone .............. ................ that talking to
psychiatrists .................. ................... ............. me at all, I ................................... in their faces.”

Q3. Roger describes his emotions: “it’s so wonderful to be in love – I ................ .................... you the
absolute joy I have. … this girl, this .............................. , this ............................. .”
Q4. Roger describes his problem: “My only trouble is that, apart from
this ................................ ............-...........ed love I have, I seem to be saddled with this
tremendous ...................... sense of guilt.”

TASK 9. Study Dr Braintree ‘reasonable’ reactions (2:00>3:50). Write his understandable words.

Q1. When Roger tells the doctor he’s in love with his wife:
# She’s attractive. I married her myself. I don’t see why you should ................ .............. about that.

Q2. When Roger tells him she’s in love with him:

#There’s no reason why a ................. ................ woman such as Stephanie should fall in love with you.

# I’m a very busy man: I have many patients to see. I see ................... .......... of my wife than I should.

# She should ................. ............... ........... ... companionship outside the marriage
Q3. When Roger tells him they want to get married.
# You want to express your feelings within the ................... of a ..................... society through marriage.
TASK 10. Fill in the blanks in the third part (3:45>5:20). with Dr Braintree’s words..
# I should feel grateful to you ... And all I can feel is this ........................... ...................... –
I ........... ............. the thought of you touching her.
# You love to hate (whom?) ............................................ to love (whom?) ...............................................
This is a very old rule, Roger – there’s nothing to .............. .................... .............
# then there’s someone else at seven after that. .... .................... if you ............ ........... .... some time
next week.
Listen 9. Visiting Dr. Braintree KEY -

WARM UP. TASK 1. Q1. Name two films where the actor is at a doctor’s studio. Many!! i.e. Someone flew
over the cooku’s nest (with Jack nicholson) Prince of the tides (Barbara Streisand + Nick Nolte)) & any from
W. Allen (Manhattan).
Q2. PLACE: lie on the sofa (lie = Not tell the truth!!?) ACTION: looks at the past
TOPIC of TALK: family / work / love TALK: patient does the talk

Q3. Who is more relaxed? Underline the best answer: a) patient b) doctor c) both d) none

LANGUAGE WORK. TASK 2. Q1. Who’s late? doctor patient both

Q2. How does Roger feel today? positive, “just great” (not less), “rather in the pink”.
Q3. Does he have confidence in psychiatrists? Now, he does ... but he didn’t time ago.

Q4. What’s Roger problem with women? He felt unsecure, low confidence, inhibited.

Q5. What’s the news Roger is breaking to the doctor today? He’s in love ... with a woman.

Q6. What seems to be the trouble? Stephanie is the doctor’s wife!

TASK 3. Listen again to better understand the situation.

Q1. Does he prefer to lie on the couch or to sit down? to sit down
Q2. Did he expect more from their sessions together? No, rather less.

Q3. According to Dr Braintree why do people regard psychiatry wrongly? instinctively suspicious

Q4. How does the Doctor explains that love is a wonderful thing? I’ve been there myself

Q5. What does Roger say of his sense of guilt? tremendous sense of guilt

Part 2. TASK 4. Listen once to the central part of the piece (1:50> 3:48).
Q1. Why does Roger feel guilty? His love’s the Dr’s wife
Q2. How does he start to expose his problem? By telling the girl’s name: Stephanie

Q3. What’s the role of Stephanie in the story? She’s doctor’s wife, or so he says.

Q4. What’s the spontaneous reaction of the Doctor to the news? quietness, no troubles.

Q5. Is marriage going to be a problem for the doctor? No, it isn’t.

TASK 5. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.
Q1. How does the doctor describes sex? sex is the most wonderful natural, healthy thing in the
world. There’s no reason at all to have any guilt about it
Q2. As Roger can’t find a way out, the doctor helps him with ”Begining at the beginning”

Q3. Which are the three reasons the doctor gives him to find his actions ‘understandable’?

She’s an atractive woman, There’s nothing repulsive in Rroger & the Doctor is very busy with
 patients.
Part 3. TASK 6. Listen once to the last part of the piece (3:50> 4:58). Then STOP and answer these general
questions.
Q1. How does Roger feel to Dr. Braintree for what the doctor’s done? jeolous
Q2. How does Dr. Braintree accept Roger’s hatred reactions? with quietness & pure logic

Q3. Why is Dr. Braintree so reasonable? it’s part of his job!

Q4. What is Roger’s final reaction against Dr. Braintree? He wants to kill him

Q5. What is the ‘incovenience’ Dr Braintree’s objects? He’s busy. Another time suits him better
TASK 7. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.
Q1. Why does the doctor react logically to avoid a tragic final? To continue the treatment
Q2. How does Roger feel when he says “what do you think doctor?” ? calm and not violent

Q3. What’s the last question the doctor asks Roger? Would that be convenient?

Q4. What is the anticlimatic ending of the sketch? Roger’s is so grateful for showing him the way (the
way out and the way of killing him ... next day = ambiguity) Remember the pacient lies on the sofa
(Lie alos means ‘not tell the truth’).
ROUNDING OFF. Working for detail. (see annex with script) TASK 8. Fill in the blanks..
Q1. Roger feels great. The words he uses are: I feel rather in the pink
Q2. Roger expected less form his work: if anyone had told me . that talking to psychiatrists could have
helped me at all, I would have laughed in their faces.
Q3. Roger describes his emotions: it’s so wonderful to be in love – I can’t tell you the absolute joy I have. …
this girl, this creature, this goddess .
Q4. Roger describes his problem: the only trouble is that, apart from this wonderful light-hearted love I
have, I seem to be saddled with this tremendous burning sense of guilt.
TASK 9. Study Dr Braintree ‘reasonable’ reactions (2:00>3:50). Write his understandable words.
Q1. When Roger tells the doctor he’s in love with his wife:
# She’s attractive. I married her myself. I don’t see why you should feel upset about that.

Q2. When Roger tells him she’s in love with him:

#There’s no reason why a highly sexed woman such as Stephanie should fall in love with you.
# I’m a very busy man: I have many patients to see. I see rather less of my wife than I should.
# She should seek some sort of companionship outside the marriage
Q3. When Roger tells him they want to get married.
# You want to express your feelings within the confines of a bourgeois society through marriage.
TASK 10. Fill in the blanks in the third part (3:50>4:55). with Dr Braintree’s words..
# I should feel grateful to you ... And all I can feel is this burning jeolosy – I can’t bear the thought of
you touching her.
# You love to hate (whom?) the one who loves (whom?) the one you hate to love (whom?) the one you hate
This is a very old rule, Roger – there’s nothing to feel ashamed about.
# then there’s someone else at seven after that. I wonder if you could make it some time next week.
ANNEX. Transcript of The Psychiatrist [sketch from The world of Pete (Cook) and Dud (Moore)
-1964.]
appeared on tape at Speak-up Nº 15 San Francisco on page 6.
Braintree: Come in. [Enter Roger.] Hullo, Roger.
Roger: Hullo, Dr Braintree.
B: Hullo, come in.
R: I’m sorry I’m late.
B: That’s quite all right – how are you?
R: I’m very well, thank you.
B: Would you like to sit down, or would you prefer
to lie.
R: Uhm, I’ll sit, thank you.
B: Right, well, sit down. Tell me, how are you in
yourself?
R: I’m feeling just great.
B: Oh, this is terrific.
R: Yes, and it’s more than I expected from our
sessions. You know, if anyone had told me that
talking to psychiatrists could have help me at all, I
would have laughed in their faces.
B: Yes.
R: But I can honestly say that our little chats together
have really been of tremendous help to me.
B: I’m so glad, Roger: of course a lot of people are
instinctively suspicious of psychiatry, but it can help
at times.
R: Well, I really think it can, because you know, I’ve
got so much self-confidence now. I’m much less self-
conscious in the company of the opposite sex, which
I wasn’t, as you know.
B: Yes, yes, yes, yes. You’re less inhibited, are you?
R: [Suggestively] Oh yes, I should say so.
B: Good, this is terrific.
R: And the wonderful thing about it all is … well,
I’m in love.
B: Well, this is wonderful news, Roger – you’re in
love. – With a woman?
R: Yes.
B: So much the better – that’s terrific.
R: You know, it’s so wonderful to be in love – I can’t
tell you the absolute joy I have. … this girl, this
creature [emotional], this goddess …
R: I mean, she’s
B: Yes …
R: She’s so, you know, it’s so right. Everything is so
wonderful, you know.
B: Yes, yes – you really click together.
R: Yes. Oh, it’s so marvellous, but – the only trouble
is that, apart from this wonderful light-hearted love I
have, I seem to be saddled with this tremendous
burning sense of guilt.
B: You have guilt as well as love: well, this is
unfortunate, Roger. You know, sex is the most
wonderful natural, healthy thing in the world. There’s
no reason at all to have any guilt about it. I mean,
why should you have guilt about sex?
R: Well, it’s not really as simple as that, you know –
it’s rather difficult to explain. Uhm, I don’t really
know where to start. It’s rather difficult to explain.
Uhm, I don’t really know where to start.
B: Well, begin at the beginning. That’s always the
best place. What’s the girl’s name.
R: [Pause] Stephanie.
B: Stephanie. That’s a lovely name, isn’t it – well,
my wife’s name in fact, isn’t it?
R: Yes, it’s Stephanie.
B: Yes, it’s Stephanie.
R: Yes, it’s Stephanie.
B: No, it’s Stephanie.
R: Yes, it’s Stephanie: it’s your wife.
B: Oh, you’re in love with my wife, Stephanie. Well,
this is a perfectly understandable thing, Roger. She’s
a very attractive woman – I married her myself. I
don’t see why you should feel upset about that.
R: But she’s in love with me.
B: Well, this again perfectly understandable, Roger. I
mean, you’re a perfectly attractive human being, as
I’ve told you over the last few weeks. There’s
nothing repulsive about you, is there? There’s no
reason why a highly sexed woman such as Stephanie
should fall in love with you. And I must explain to
you, Roger, that I’m a very busy man: I have many,
many patients to see – I see rather less of my wife
perhaps than I should, and I think it’s perfectly
understandable she should seek some sort of
companionship outside the marriage – I don’t think
that’s unreasonably at all.
R: But she’s not seeking anything outside marriage –
nor am I. We want to get married.
B: Well, this is understandable. After all, you’re two
young people in love and you want to express your
feelings within the confines of a bourgeois society
through marriage. I think it’s very appropriate.
R: The awful thing is, you see – I should feel grateful
to you for what you’ve done. And all I can feel is this
burning jealousy – I can’t bear the thought of you
touching her.
B: Well, of course, I understand this. One is
tremendously possessive about someone one loves …
it would be unhealthy not to have this jealousy
reaction, Roger.
R: But don’t you see – I hate you.
B: Of course you hate me, Roger.
R: I hate you for being so near her.
B: Yes, of course you hate me, Roger. You love to
hate the one who loves the one you hate to love the
one you hate. This is a very old rule, Roger – there’s
nothing to feel ashamed about. It’s absolutely
reasonable.
R: Don’t you understand – I want to kill you.
B: Of course you want t kill me. Because by killing
me , Roger, you eradicate the one you hate. This is a
perfectly natural reaction, Roger.
R: You’re so reasonable, aren’t you.
B: Yes, I am.
R: [Getting cross] You understand it all so much …
you are so logical. [Gets up to strike him.]
B: Yes, I am – it’s my job.
R: I’m going to have to kill you now!
B: Ah – Roger – this is a little inconvenient, because
I have another patient a six-thirty and then there’s
someone else at seven after that. I wonder if you
could make it some time next week. [Standing over
him.] Could you make it early in the week, say?
R: [Pause – relax] When do you think?
B: How are you fixed on Wednesday morning? Say
nine-thirty – would that be convenient?
R: Yes, that’s perfect.
B: Right, well, if you could pop along at nine-thirty
and kill me then.
R: Once again, Doctor Braintree, I’m amazed, you
know, really. I’m so grateful to you for showing me
the way.
B: That’s what I’m here for, Roger.
R: Thank you very much. Thank you.
B: And with a bit of luck, this should be the last
time you have to visit me.
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