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PERODO
LETRAS
INGLS
Literatura Inglesa:
Teatro
Alexandre Veloso de Abreu
Alexandre Veloso de Abreu
Literatura Inglesa:
Teatro
#
EDITORA
UHIMONTU
2012
Proibida a reproduo total ou parcial.
Os infratores sero processados na forma da lei.
EDITORA UNIMONTES
Campus Universitrio Professor Darcy Ribeiro
s/n - Vila Mauricia - Montes Claros (MG)
Caixa Postal: 126 - CEP: 39.401-089
Correio eletrnico: editora@unimontes.br -Telefone: (38) 3229-8214
r Unimontes
Reitor da Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros - Unimontes Coordenadora do Curso a Distncia de Artes Visuais
Joo dos Reis Canela Maria Elvira Curty Romero Christoff
Diretora do Centro de Cincias Biolgicas da Sade - CCBS Coordenadora do Curso a Distncia de Letras/Portugus
Maria das Mercs Borem Correa Machado Ana Cristina Santos Peixoto
Diretor do Centro de Cincias Sociais Aplicadas - CCSA Coordenadora do Curso a Distncia de Pedagogia
Paulo Cesar Mendes Barbosa Maria Narduce da Silva
Unit 1 11
Origins of drama 11
Dica de filme 18
Activities 19
Referncias 20
Unit 2 21
Importance of being drama 21
Dica de filme 23
Activities 24
Referncias 24
Unit 3 25
Modern drama 25
Dica de filme 33
Activities 34
Referncias 34
Resumo 35
Atividades de Aprendizagem - AA 39
Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
Apresentao
Caro(a) acadmico(a),
O caderno de Literatura Inglesa: Drama, que aqui se encontra, procura nortear seu leitor
acerca do teatro ingls desde sua origem at os tempos atuais. O gnero dramtico, que at bem
pouco tempo atrs figurava entre as manifestaes artsticas mais reverenciadas, tomou outro
rumo nas sociedades contemporneas. Alunos de ensino mdio encontram dificuldades ao le
rem uma pea, desacostumados e no familiarizados que esto com o gnero. O mesmo ocorre
com universitrios.
A meta desse caderno servir de ferramenta para um melhor contato com a literatura e
com a produo teatral e dramtica.
Nomes como os de Shakespeare, Shaw, Beckett e Wilde so lembrados no s pela sua con
tribuio para o gnero dramtico, mas por sua importncia para a cultura ocidental.
Assinalamos a impossibilidade de contemplarmos tudo. Temos um estudo analtico-crtico
sobre alguns desses dramaturgos e informaes historiogrficas sobre a evoluo do drama na
terra da rainha. A inteno instigar, fazer com que o acadmico construa seu prprio caminho,
por isso peo desculpas se omiti algum imprescindvel.
O Caderno encontra-se em Lngua Inglesa. Julgou-se mais proveitoso manter os textos no
original, assim como estimular a leitura. Privilegiou-se um texto mais direto, buscando uma inte-
rao imediata. Caso sinta dificuldade para fazer as atividades, boas tradues das obras existem
no mercado e so de fcil acesso. Boa leitura!
9
Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
UNIT 1
Origins of drama
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UAB/Uriimontes - 7o Perodo
12
Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
ery indirectly fostered the renaissance belief that life in this world was not merely a preparation
for the next world, as taught by medieval Christianity but that, on the contrary, an active life in
this world had value in itself.
The Renaissance period in England may conveniently be divided into three parts: the rise of
the Renaissance under the early Tudor monarchs (1500-1558), the height of the renaissance under
Elizabeth I (1558-1603), and the decline of the Renaissance under the Stuart monarchs (1603-1649).
In 1485, with the end of the Wars of the Roses and the crowning of Henry VII, domestic un
rest ended. Henry immediately set about unifying the country, strengthening the crown, and re
plenishing the royal treasury. Under the reign of his son, Henry VIII (1509-1547), England became
mature for the intellectual ferment of the Renaissance. The population had begun to increase
rapidly, feudalism was on its deathbed, and there was a steady movement of population to the
larger towns and cities, especially London. The population of London, only 93,000 in 1563, had
by 1605 more than doubled, to 224,000.
CHART 1
Major Events in England during the Renaissance
Source: DILLON, Janette. The Cambridge Introduction to Early English Theatre (Cambridge Introductions to Literature)
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. p. 235
In addition, the invention of the printing press together with improved methods of manu
facturing paper made possible the rapid spread of knowledge. In 1476, during the War of the
Roses, William Caxton had set up England's first printing press at Westminster, a part of Lon
don. By 1640, that press and others had printed more than 26,000 different works and editions.
With the advent of the printing press and the increased availability of the books, literacy also in
creased. It is estimated that by 1530 more than half the population of England was literate.
Near the end of the fifteenth century, Renaissance learning made its late entry into Eng
land, carried home by scholars who had traveled to Italy. Earliest among these was the Oxford
Group, which introduced the new learning of the Renaissance to Oxford in the 1490's and 1500's.
A decade later, the great Dutch humanist, Desiderius Erasmus, was teaching Greek at Cambridge.
The first major impact of the Renaissance on English literature is observable in the poetry of Wy-
att and Surrey who introduced and Anglicized the sonnet, a verse form that has proved to be
both popular and durable. Surrey is also credited with inventing English blank verse. Other verse
forms borrowed from the Italian and the French had a lesser impact. Elaborate Renaissance con
ventions of love poetry were also transplanted finding their outlet chiefly in sonnets and sonnet
sequences.
Though the non-native influence was strong insofar as poetry was concerned, the native
drama continued to develop and gain popularity. Miracle and morality plays remained a favorite
form of entertainment, while a new dramatic form, the interlude, developed. One of the impor
tant ancestors of Elizabethan drama, the interlude was a short play designed to be presented be
tween the courses of a banquet. While the Renaissance was gathering strength in England, two
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UAB/Unimontes -7o Perodo
events occurred that were inimical to the influence of the Catholic Church. The first was Mar
tin Luther's posting of his Ninety-five Theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany, in 1517,
an act which heralded the Reformation. The second event was brought about by the desire of
Henry VIII for a male heir and his wish to divorce Catherine of Aragon, who had only one child,
Mary. At the time when the Pope refused to end the marriage, Henry, with an eye also to seizing
the vast and wealthy holding of the Church, overthrew papal jurisdiction, married Anne Boleyn
and was declared with the Parliament's help head of the English Church. Thus England became
a Protestant nation.
During the reign of his successor, the child king Edward VI, the movement toward Protes
tantism continued. However, Queen Mary, the next monarch, was a devout Catholic. Her at
tempts to restore Catholicism to the country resulted in internal turmoil and much bloodshed.
CHART 2
First performance of four Shakespearian Plays
The company belonged to shareholders and managers. They were responsible for every
thing and got most of the money when the company was successful. Sometimes they even
owned their own buildings;
Actors worked for the managers and after some time became a permanent member of the
company;
Apprentices were young boys who were allowed to act in menial roles. They also played fe
males characters in plays.
Lord Chamberlain's Men and the Admiral's Men were the two most important companies
in London at that time. Among the most famous theatres during were the Globe, the Swan
and the Fortune.
TIP
1.2.4 William Shakespeare Read and performed
throughout time, Wil
liam Shakespeare was
born in Stratford-upon-
Avon. Author, director
and actor of his com
edies and tragedies,
he was also one of the
owners of the Globe
Theatre in London. He
Picture 05: William is considered to be
Shakespeare (1564- one of the brightest
1616) play writers of Western
Source: DILLON, Janette. literature, creating an
The Cambridge Introduc elaborate paradigm of
tion to Early English Theatre characters and plots.
(Cambridge Introductions
to Literature) Cambridge: DILLON, Janette. The
Cambridge University Cambridge Introduction
Press, 2006.
to EarlyEnglish Theatre
(Cambridge Introduc
tions to Literature)
Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2006.
15
UAB/Uriimontes - 7o Perodo
In 'Hamlet', Shakespeare deals with his great tragic themes in the frame of a revenge trag
edy. Upon his return to Denmark from his university studies, young prince Hamlet learns from
the ghost of his recently dead father, old king Hamlet, that he had actually been poisoned by his
brother, Claudius, who was now the new king and who had married Gertrude, the widow queen.
Young Hamlet is thus confronted with the horrors of fratricide and incest and with the immense
burden of revenge required by his dead father. In order to find confirmation for the ghost's story,
Hamlet arranges a play which represents a similar scene of murder; Claudius's guilty conscience
betrays him. Hamlet hides his terrible grief behind the mask of madness and is extremely disap
pointed with his mother for marrying his uncle. The prince Hamlet killed Polonius accidentally,
the father of beautiful Ophelia, rejected by Hamlet in spite of their mutual affection. Ophelia has
drowned herself and her brother, Laertes, accepts Claudius's treacherous plan of killing Hamlet
during a duel, with a poisoned sword. The plot escapes their control and, in the confusions of the
final scene, all the main protagonists find their death.
Structurally Hamlet is presented to us with a classical Shakespearean model, summarized by
Gustav Freytag as follows:
4: Falling
: Claudius,
2: Rising Action
events:
Hamlet lake
: will he act?
A
Picture 06: Freytag's Pyramid of Hamlet
Source: DILLON, Janette. The Cambridge Introduction to EarlyEnglish Theatre (Cambridge Introductions to Literature)
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
16
Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
Act I: Exposition. The rotten state of Denmark is disclosed, and the ghost appears with his
call for vengeance.
Act II: Rising action. Hamlet tries to discover the truth about the ghost's accusations.
Act III: Climax. Hamlet elaborates his plan and proves Claudius is guilty.
Act IV: Falling action. Claudius takes charge of the events in the play.
ActV: Catastrophe. The consummation of all revenges ends in bloodshed. Only Horatio sur
vives.
During the play many soliloquies (A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a char
acter talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener. A
specific speech or piece of writing in this form of discourse and the act of speaking to oneself are
presented. We now focus on the most celebrated one, Act III, Scene I lines.56-90:
Box 1
Commentary
Hamlet enters, brooding "To be or not to be." In 'The Story of English', Robert MacNeil writes,
"When Hamlet says 'To be or not to be: that is the question,' he has summarized in one sentence
all that follows." Many scholars consider this speech to be one of several existential manifestos in
'Hamlet'. (Existentialism professes that the past and future are intangible; the present is all that
humans can be sure of. For humans, being what IS is the only truth; everything else is noth
ing.)
In this soliloquy, Hamlet explores the ideas of being and nothingness by asserting a basic
premise: We are born, we live, and we die. Because no one has returned from death to report, we
remain ignorant of what death portends. Hence, Hamlet's dilemma encapsulates several univer-
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UAB/Unimontes - 7o Perodo
sal human questions: Do we try to affect our fate? Do we take action in the face of great sorrow
or do we merely wallow in the suffering? Can we end our troubles by opposing them? How do
we know? What is the nature of death? Do we sleep in death, or do we cease to sleep, thereby
finding no rest at all?
Hamlet hopes that death is nothingness that death will "end the heartache and the thou
TIP sand natural shocks that flesh is heir to"that death will end thinking, knowing, and remembering.
It is common to rep But he fears that, in death, he will be haunted interminably by bad dreams of life itself, by dreams
resent Hamlet with a heavy with the memory of fear and pain. Ultimately, he says, that's why humans dread death. We
skull in his hand and fear that our consciences will torment us forever. Thus, human beings choose life, with its tor
reciting the famous
line "To be or not to ment and burdens, chiefly to avoid death, the great unknown. However, death is, like life, ines
be". But this is not the capable and Hamlet curses his luck for having been born at all.
moment the prince of Hamlet's dilemma underlies the entire soliloquy. If he kills Claudius, he will assuredly be
Denmark interacts with killed himself. Hamlet is not sure he is ready for death; life is all he knows, and he fears the un
the skull. This will only
known. Further, he is not yet ready to take responsibility for sending another human being into
appear in Act V, Scene
I, in the graveyard. The the throes of death. He understands his duty to avenge the murder that is now disclosed, and
scenes are generally as he accepts responsibility for the Ghost's torment, but he knows that by killing Claudius he could
sociated because of the be consigning himself to his father's fate for all eternity. Hamlet ends his reverie when he sees
proximity concerning Ophelia enter, engrossed in her book. He entreats her to remember him in her prayers. His words
the themes: a pro
startle her, and she responds by inquiring after his health. Immediately, she recovers and launch
found reflection about
existence and death. es into her assigned speech:
Dica de filme
TIP
It is recommended you read at least four
major plays by Shakespeare. The suggestions
are Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Othello, Mac
beth and King Lear. Many films were done
based on Shakespeare's plays. A very com
plete version is 'Hamlet' (1996), adapted and
Mint . directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars
in the title role as Prince Hamlet. Derek Jacobi
plays the role of King Claudius, Julie Christie is
Queen Gertrude, Kate Winslet stars as Ophelia,
Michael Maloney as Laertes, Richard Briers as
Polonius, and Nicholas Farrell as Horatio. The
dialogue is unchanged, but the play's setting is
updated to the 19th century, giving the film a
unique interpretation. 'Hamlet' holds the dis
tinction of being the last major dramatic film
to be filmed entirely in 70 mm film.
Picture 07: Poster of Kenneth Branagh's
Hamlet (1996)
Source: http://bardfilm.blogspot.com/2010/08/
kenneth-branaghs-hamlet-on-blu-ray.html
18
Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
Activities
After reading the play and watching the film, answer these questions based on Hamlet,
prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare.
a. What are the main reasons for the introduction of Fortinbras and the captain in Act 4,
Scene 4?
b. In what moment a play within a play is presented? What is its importance for the dramatic
action?
c. How do you explain Hamlet's actions towards Ophelia in Act III, Scene 1. Can you find evi
dence that he really loves her?
d. Ophelia is torn between two contradictory poles. Her father and brother believe that
Hamlet would use her, that he would take her virginity and throw it away because she
could never be his wife. Her heart has convinced her that Hamlet loved her, though he
swears he never did. To her father and brother, Ophelia is the eternal virgin, the vessel of
morality whose purpose is to be a dutiful wife and steadfast mother. To Hamlet, she is a
sexual object, a corrupt and deceitful lover. With no mother to guide her, she has no way
of deciphering the contradictory selves her men demand that she be and still retain an
equilibrium. In modern society, young women like Ophelia often become depressed or
anorexic as a result of the conflicting demands; Ophelia's desperation literally drives her Picture 08: Calvin and
crazy, and she has no means with which to heal herself. Are Ophelia's conflicts still pres Hobbes
ent in modern times? Explain. Source: WATTERSON, Bill.
The Indispensible Calvin
e. In what ways can Hamlet be considered a revenge tragedy? and Hobbes. Andrew Mc-
f. Read the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip by Bill Watterson and identify how the 'to be or not Meel Publisher, Missouri,
to be' soliloquy is parodied. 1992
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19
UAB/Uriimontes - 7o Perodo
Referncias
ARP, Thomas R. JOHNSON, Greg. Perrine's Story and Structure. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage
Learning, 2005.
BERKLEY, James. The Literature of England. New York: Random House, 1969.
DILLON, Janette. The Cambridge Introduction to Early English Theatre (Cambridge Introduc
tions to Literature) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
EMMERSON, Richard. Approaches to Teaching Medieval English Drama. New York: The Mo
dern Association of America, 1990.
FEINGOLD, Michael. William Shakespeare's Hamlet. New York: Baron Educational Series, 1986.
KENNEDY, X.J., GIOIA, Dana., Literature: an introduction to fiction, poetry, and drama. Lon
don: Longman, 2002.
MATEGRANO, Terry. Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing Inc., 2000.
WOMACK, Peter Womack. English Renaissance Drama (Blackwell Guides to Literature) Oxford:
Blackwell Publishers, 2006.
20
Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
UNIT 2
Importance of being drama
Little has been said about British Drama since the period of greatness following the
Restoration. The reason, quite simply, is that there was none or almost none. The nineteenth
century produced some "closet dramas" by Shelley, Tennyson, and Browning but little else.
(A closet drama is one that is meant to be read privately or recited before a small group, not
to be staged). One of the reasons for this scarcity was that the two theatres, Convent Garden
and Drury Lane, held a government monopoly for many decades; no other theatres could
exhibit plays. Unfortunately these two theatres were huge, barnlike auditoriums where any
subtle words on the part of the author or gestures on the part of the actors were completely
lost. Audiences were largely the emerging middle classes, not too well educated, and with little TIP_
developed taste for subtleties of language and situation. To stay in business theatre managers Theatre of the Ab
had to resort to loud and colorful spectaculars to keep the people awake and coming back for surd came about as a
more. reaction to World War
Toward the end of the nineteenth century things began to improve. The government II. It took the basis of
existential philosophy
had broken up the monopoly, and many new and smaller theatres opened. Oscar Wilde's and combined it with
clever ironies and broad burlesques were a sign of new life for the theatre. In Ireland a group dramatic elements to
of talented young men at the famous Abbey theatre caused what amounted to an Irish literary create a style of theatre
revival. Yeat's plays have been mentioned elsewhere; Lady Gregory, John Millington Synge, Frank which presented a
O'Connor and Sean O'Casey were exploring such diverse literary themes as fate, Irish politics, world which cannot
be logically explained,
mythology, whimsical humor, and social satire. hence, life absurd.
But towering above the lesser dramatist of this turn-of-the-century era was the strong- This genre of theatre
minded, cantankerous genius named George Bernard Shaw. Shaw was influenced by Norwegian took quite some time
playwright Henrik Ibsen, who was largely responsible for the new life flowing into the theatre to catch on because
throughout Europe at this time. From Ibsen, and from his own long apprenticeship as drama it used techniques
that seemed to be
critic, Shaw learned that a play could be the vehicle of ideas. Shaw's satires are incisive analyses illogical to the theatre
of society. He skillfully manipulated audiences, moving them to rage or to laughter at his world. The plots often
portrayals of their own foibles. Shaw proved that the theatre could once again be an exciting deviated from the more
experience. traditional episodic
Other dramatist followed Shaw, but it is hard to discern any real"movement" such as we find structure and seemed
to move in a circle end
in the age of Elizabethan Drama. W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood collaborated on highly ing the same way it be
skilled verse drama, but did not produce much. Oscar Wilde had extensive production of plays gan. The scenery was
although his novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'ended up being more celebrated than his drama. often unrecognizable
Drama takes a drastic turn when Samuel Beckett releases his 'Waiting for Godot' in 1953. as well as the dialogues
This play began Beckett's association with the Theatre of the Absurd which influenced later which never seemed to
make any sense.
playwrights like Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard. The most famous of Beckett's subsequent Source: KENNEDY, X.J.,
plays include 'Endgame' (1958) and 'Krapp's Last Tape' (1959). He also wrote several even more GIOIA, Dana, Literature:
experimental plays, like 'Breath' (1969), a thirty-second play. Beckett was awarded the Nobel Prize an introduction to fic
in 1969 and died in 1989 in Paris. tion, poetry, and drama.
Late twentieth-century and twenty-first century drama tendencies involve other media such London: Longman,
2002.
as television and cinema.
Although his most acclaimed and important work is the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray'
(1886), Wilde gained substantial notoriety as a playwright. Wilde had a peculiar way with audi
ence. It is important in considering his early comedies to remember the character of the audi
ence with which he had to contend. Arthur Randsome explains us that:
his public asked to feel as well as to smile, a public that had grown accustomed
to smile with tears in its eyes, a public that was best pleased to laugh loudly
and to sob into handkerchiefs, and judged a play by the loudness of the laughs
and the number of the handkerchiefs that it made necessary.
Randsome also reminds us that he had not a "restoration audience of men and women with
sharpened wits and a delight in their exercise, ready to smile and quite unready to take anything
seriously except amusement", but a rather duller public.
The spectacular effects of the theatre, the possibilities of delightful dialogue, the public glo
ry of which he was always rather greedy drew Wilde to the writing of plays. But beside these less
intimate motives he had a genuine dramatic instinct that kept him from his early youth intermit
tently preparing himself as a playwright.
The first thing he wrote after the publication of 'Poems' (1880) was a play. The character of
Wilde's study of the theatre was shown in his early plays and in the dramatic criticism that he
wrote in the years immediately following his marriage. It was a study of methods and concerned
no less with stage-management than with the drama. Thanks to Wilde and his constant pleas
for beautiful scenery, that modern drama has a considerable harmony between costumier and
scene-painter.
'The Importance of Being Earnest' shows great innovation, especially when it comes to wit.
Wilde wrote a play whose very foundation was a pun. Nothing could be a better proof of the
inessential nature of those tricks with which he had been making sure of his audience than the
immense superiority of this play to the others. Free from the necessity of living up to any drama
more serious than its conversation, it preserves a unity of feeling and of tone that sets it upon a
higher level. Wit is a little heartless, a little jarring when flashed over a crisis of conscience even
when we know that the agitated politician is only a figure cut from an illustrated paper and
TIP mounted on cardboard.
Part of 'The Importance of Being Earnest's' success comes from Wilde's insightful epigrams.
An epigram is a bal
Though some of the concise, often paradoxical statements refer to contemporary events (the
anced statement
encapsulating a clever state of 19th-century French drama, for instance), most are universal, reflections on beauty, art,
or comic thought. It men, women, and class; they are endlessly quotable and continue to delight audiences with their
involves reducing a blend of sophistication and absurdity.
moral system or a social One feature of epigrams which ensures their durability is that they can be separated from
attitude to a neatly
the play's narrative. Epigrams have little effect on the story because they encapsulate many of
turned phrase. The wit,
in the eighteenth-cen Wilde's beliefs on how art should function: above all, art should be beautiful and serve little use.
tury sense of a creative, The epigram is the epitome of this ideal; beautiful in its elegant construction and it is also dra
cultivating intelligence, matically useless to the play.
is conspicuous. There 'The Importance of Being Earnest', the most trivial of the social plays, should be the only one
are many examples of
epigram in 'The Impor
of them that gives that peculiar exhilaration of spirit by which we recognize the beautiful. It is
tance of Being Earnest': precisely because it is consistently trivial that it is not ugly. If only once it marred its triviality with
a bruise of passion, its beauty would vanish with the blow.
ALGERON. More than Arthur Randsome (2001) points out that it:
half of modern culture
depends upon what never contradicts itself, and it is worth noticing that its unity, its dovetailing of
one shouldn't read. dialogue and plot, so that the one helps the other, is not achieved at the ex
LADY BRACKNELL. pense of the conversation, but at that of the mechanical contrivances for filling
Ignorance is like a a theatre that Wilde had not at first felt sure of being able to do without. The
delicate exotic fruit; dialogue has not been weighted to trudge with the plot; the plot has been li
touch it and the bloom ghtened till it can fly with the wings of the dialogue.
is gone.
GWENDOLEN. In the
matters of grave impor We can see that wit is the comical vein of this play but at the same time It is not easy to de
tance, style, not sincer fine the quality of that laughter. "It is not uproarious enough to provide the sore throat of farce," (
ity is the vital thing. RANDSOME, 2001:25).
22
Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
Leeming also observes that Wilde delighted in laughter but also in a quality in emotion al
most hostile to laughter, a quality that can best be described as magnificence. In his prose books
both are expressed; if his dramatic writing had been limited to the four plays that brought him
success, it would have seemed that the Wilde who wrote 'The Sphinx' had not been represented
on the stage. It is possible that we owe 'The Importance of Being Earnest' to the fact that the Cen
sor prevented Sarah Bernhardt from playing 'Salome' at the Palace Theatre.
We can say that Wilde had the secret of a wonderful laugh
ter, but he preferred to think of himself as a person with mag
nificent dreams. He would rather have been a magician than a
jester. The well-dressed modern plays starved too many of his
intimate desires. He was unable to clothe magnificent emotions
in evening dress. But applause was necessary to him. He made
sure of it by the modern plays, and had not a chance of secur
ing it by anything else. And so there are four social comedies,
amongst them 'The Importance of Being Earnest', and only one
'Salome'.
Dica de filme
Picture 09: OSCAR
WILDE 1854-1900
Source: MCDONNELL,
TIP Helen., NAKADATE, Neil
Two Thumbs Ur!" E., PFORDRESSHER, John.,
A modern film version of the play was released in SHOEMATE, Thomas E
Witty!'~tSmart!' 2002.lt tries to preserve Wilde's wit, helped by an expres England in Literature.
sive cast that includes Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Reese Oakland, NJ: Foresman and
"Coun FlKTH Is A DlllGHT AND Company, 1979.
Rttsi Witihr,'iwnapds SM*ur Witherspoon and Judi Dench. The film can give the read
er an idea of Wilde's impact on stage, but cannot really
transport him to the vividness of stage. If possible, wait
for Theatre Company to present it!
4 Picture 10: Poster of the film The Importance of Being
Earnst (2002)
Source: KENNEDY, X.J., GIOIA, Dana., Literature: an introduction to
fiction, poetry, and drama. London: Longman, 2002.
IMPORTANCE*:
mwn
EARNEST
Mh 0 COmOt IIHH'OX -MM "M
23
UAB/Unimontes - 7o Perodo
Activities
a. How can wit and irony relate to each other? What is the impact of these resources in
Wilde's plays?
b. Choose some epigrams elaborated by Wilde and analyze their ironic features.
Referncias
ARP, Thomas R. JOHNSON, Greg. Perrine's Story and Structure. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning,
2005.
DILLON, Janette. The Cambridge Introduction to Early English Theatre (Cambridge Introductions to Li
terature) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
KENNEDY, X.J., GIOIA, Dana., Literature: an introduction to fiction, poetry, and drama. London: Long
man, 2002.
LEEMING, Glena. Commentary: The Importance of Being Earnest. London, Methuen 2010..
McDonnell, Helen., NAKADATE, Neil E., PFORDRESSHER, John., SHOEMATE, Thomas E., England in Litera
ture. Oakland, NJ: Foresman and Company, 1979.
24
Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
UNIT 3
Modern drama
Changes in British society affected and were reflected in the theatre of the times. Play
wrights reacted to the social circles, governmental constructs and economic conditions around
them, using the essential elements of theatre characterization, set, dialogue to exaggerate,
parody, manipulate, or deconstruct them.
In modern London, plays matter. They are part of the cultural dialogue of the nation. They
are important for Britain's idea of itself and for its self-presentation to the world. They have been
exported with great success to America and the rest of the English-speaking world. We will see
important authors that vividly participated in these changes.
ACT ONE
Heavy rain drenches Mrs. Eynsford-Hill and her two adult children, Freddy and Clara, as they
wait hopelessly for a cab. The Eynsford-Hills and other patrons have just exited the theatre after
a late night show. As Freddie leaves to continue looking, he runs into flower girl Eliza Doolittle.
Dressed in dirty rags, Eliza is not shy about voicing her displeasure, and in her loud cockney ac
cent, demands payment for her ruined flowers. She is overheard by a gentleman note-taker, who
correctly identifies Eliza's neighborhood simply by listening to her speech. He does the same for
various bystanders and amazes all, including linguistics expert Colonel Pickering, who has coin-
cidently traveled to London to meet the famous note taker, phonetics extraordinaire Henry Hig
gins. Professor Higgins admonishes Eliza for her "kerbstone" English, and jokingly asserts to Colo
nel Pickering that "in three months (he) could pass that girl off as a duchess at an ambassador's
garden party." Pickering and Higgins leave to discuss phonetics over dinner, and Freddy arrives
with a cab only to discover his mother and sister have gone home on the bus. Eliza, still reeling
from Higgins's insults, decides to treat herself to Freddy's cab with the money Higgins threw into
her flower basket. Eliza arrives at her small and sparse rental room, counts her money, and goes
UAB/Uriimontes - 7o Perodo
ACT TWO
The next day, Professor Higgins is demonstrating his phonetics equipment to Colonel Pick
ering as both men relax at Higgins' Wimpole Street laboratory. Mrs. Pearce, Higgins' housekeeper,
announces the arrival of a young woman. Thinking he can show Pickering how he makes records
of his subjects' voices, Higgins asks Mrs. Pearce to admit the visitor. Cleaned up yet still obviously
poor, Eliza enters the study. Higgins tells her to leave, but Eliza insists she is there to pay for voice
lessons so she can be a lady in a flower shop instead of a street corner flower girl. Mrs. Pearce
admonishes Eliza for her ignorance and poor manners, but Higgins begins to consider Eliza's pro
posal. Remembering Higgins's boast, Pickering offers to pay for the lessons and all expenses if
Higgins can fool the party-goers at the ambassador's garden party and present Eliza as a lady.
Higgins agrees excitedly and orders Mrs. Pearce to get Eliza cleaned up. Eliza balks at this new
development, and Mrs. Pearce warns Higgins that he knows nothing about Eliza's family, nor has
he thought about what to do with Eliza when the experiment is complete. Higgins is assured he
is doing Eliza a favor, and with a mixture of chocolates and harsh scoldings, he talks her into stay
ing. Mrs. Pearce shows Eliza to a lovely bedroom and bath, and scrubs her roughly despite Eliza's
protests.
Meanwhile, Higgins assures Pickering he has only a professional, not a personal interest in
Eliza, as he believes that romantic relationships are too troublesome. Mrs. Pearce warns Profes
sor Higgins that he must watch his language and manners now if he wishes to serve as a prop
er model for Eliza. Another visitor soon arrives, this time Eliza's alcoholic and spendthrift father,
Alfred Doolittle. At first pretending to protect Eliza's honor, Doolittle quickly admits he wishes
cash in exchange for silence over Eliza's living situation. Professor Higgins calls Alfred's bluff, but
is then impressed by Doolittle's tirade against middle class morality. Sensing a kindred, though
shameless spirit, Higgins asserts he and Pickering could turn Doolittle into a politician in three
month's time. After a brief encounter with Eliza, whom he does not recognize, Doolittle leaves.
The act closes with a sample of the phonetics lessons the sobbing Eliza endures for the next sev
eral months.
ACT THREE
The act opens several months later inside Mrs. Higgins's drawing room as she expects visi
tors. Her house is tastefully decorated and quite the opposite of her son's crowded quarters.
When Higgins arrives without notice, his mother is dismayed and asks him to leave before em
barrassing her in front of the impending visitors. Higgins tells his mother about his experiment
with Eliza, informing Mrs. Higgins that Eliza will be trying out her new skills in front of his moth
er's guests. Next to arrive are Mrs. And Miss Eynsford-Hill, Colonel Pickering, and Freddy. Profes
sor Higgins embarrasses his mother by belittling small talk, the very purpose of at-home days
such as this one. When Eliza arrives, her audience is impressed. She is exquisitely dressed and
appears quite well-bred. Freddy is particularly taken with her.The talk of weather turns to illness,
and Eliza forgets her training when she says her aunt was "done in.'lapsing totally into her cock
ney brogue, Eliza astounds her audience. When Higgins attempts to salvage the situation by tell
ing them Eliza's language is the "new small talk," the Eynsford-Hills are even further impressed.
Higgins signals Eliza it is time she leaves, and Clara Eynsford-Hill attempts the "new small talk"
herself, admonishing "this early Victorian prudery." Mrs. Higgins tells her son Eliza is not yet pre
sentable, for although her appearance is impeccable, her language still gives her away. Professor
Higgins and Colonel Pickering respond by singing Eliza's praises, boasting about her quick acqui
sition of dialect and her natural talent on the piano. Echoing Mrs. Pearce's earlier warning, Mrs.
Higgins is concerned about what will become of Eliza when the men are finished "playing with
(their) live doll."With the six-month deadline approaching, Eliza is presented at a London Embas
sy. Professor Higgins is surprised to see one of his former pupils, a man who now makes his living
as an interpreter and an expert placing any speaker in Europe by listening to his speech. The in
terpreter speaks to Eliza, and deems her English too perfect for an English woman. The interpret
er is further struck by her impeccable manners and announces Eliza must be a foreign princess.
Pickering, Higgins, and Eliza leave, Eliza exhausted and the men exhilarated by winning their bet.
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Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
ACT FOUR
The trio returns to Higgins's laboratory, the men still bragging about their experiment. When
Higgins asserts, "Thank God it's over," Eliza is hurt. Hurling his slippers directly at Higgins, Eliza
accuses him of selfishness and bemoans what is to become of her now that the bet is over. Hig
gins suggests finding a husband for Eliza, and she is further insulted. Storming out of the house,
Eliza encounters Freddy, who has been pacing, lovelorn, outside her window. Freddy expresses
his love, and he and Eliza get into a taxi to make plans.
ACT FIVE
The next morning, Mrs. Higgins is seated at her drawing-room writing table when Higgins
and Pickering arrive to report Eliza's disappearance. Reproaching the men for their treatment of
Eliza, Mrs. Higgins is interrupted by the arrival of Eliza's father. Alfred Doolittle is dressed like a
gentleman and is on his way to his own wedding. Blaming Professor Higgins for his newly found
riches, Alfred explains how Higgins' letter to the recently deceased Ezra D. Wannafeller led to
Doolittle's share in the wealthy man's trust with the provision that Alfred lecture for the Moral
Reform World League. Doolittle laments the fact that he has to "live for others and not for (him)
self: that's middle class morality." When Mrs. Higgins announces that Eliza is upstairs, Higgins de
mands to see the girl. Eliza thanks Colonel Pickering for treating her like a lady, but accuses Pro
fessor Higgins of always thinking of her as a flower girl. Asserting her need for self respect, Eliza
says she will not be returning home to Higgins. As the party leaves to go to Alfred's wedding,
Pickering and Higgins both ask Eliza to reconsider. Higgins admits that he has not treated Eliza
kindly, but reminds her that he treats all people exactly the same. Admitting that he has "grown
accustomed" to her, Higgins tells Eliza that he wants her to return, not as a slave ora romantic in
terest, but as a friend. When Eliza asserts that she has always been as good as Higgins despite her
upbringing, the professor is truly impressed. Though the play ends ambiguously, with the pos
sibility of Eliza marrying Freddy, she and Higgins have admitted their non-conventional need for
each other, and Eliza has won Professor Higgins's respect.
TIP_
'Pygmalion' was adapt
ed toa musical called
'My Fair Lady' with
book and lyrics by Alan
Jay Lerner and music
by Frederick Loewe.The
musical's 1956 Broad
way production was a
success, setting what
was then the record for
the longest run of any
major musical theatre
production in history.
it was followed by an
acclaimed London
production. But what
really confirmed Shaw's
popularity was the mo
tion picture adaptation
from 1964, directed by
George Cukor and star
ring Audrey Flepburn.
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UAB/Uriimontes - 7o Perodo
Box 2
PYGMALION AND THE STATUE from: Metamorphosis book X by: Ovid (43 BC- 7 7 AD?)
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Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
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UAB/Unimontes -7o Perodo
_ TIP
SHAVIAN DRAMA Beyond its fairy tale aspects/Pygmalion' is a social commentary on the systems of education
and class in Victorian England. And most interesting to Shaw himself is the drama's treatment of
Shavian (referring to language, its power, and the preconceptions attached to it by society.
Shaw) drama is the
type of politically
and socially charged
"discussion play" made
popular by George
Bernard Shaw and his
contemporary, Oscar
Wilde. Shavian theatre
is in direct contrast
to the simplistic fare Picture 13: GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (1856-1950)
deplored by Shaw and Source: McDONNELL, Helen., NAKADATE, Neil E PFORDRESSHER,
typically found on the John., SHOEMATE, Thomas E., England in Literature. Oakland, NJ:
Victorian stage. Foresman and Company, 1979.
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Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
Waiting for Godot is about two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who meet near a tree. They talk
about various topics and reveal that they are waiting there for a man named Godot. While they
wait, two other men enter. Pozzo is on his way to the market to sell his slave, Lucky. He pauses for a
while to speak to Vladimir and Estragon. Lucky entertains them by dancing and thinking, and Pozzo
and Lucky leave. After Pozzo and Lucky leave, a boy enters and tells Vladimir that he is a messenger
from Godot. He tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming tonight, instead he will surely come
tomorrow. Vladimir asks him some questions about Godot and the boy departs. After his departure,
Vladimir and Estragon decide to leave, but they do not move as the curtain falls.
The next night, Vladimir and Estragon again meet near
the tree to wait for Godot. Lucky and Pozzo enter again,
but this time Pozzo is blind and Lucky is dumb. Pozzo does
not remember meeting the two men the night before. They
leave and Vladimir and Estragon continue to wait.
Shortly after, the boy enters and once again tells Vladi
mir that Godot will not be coming. He insists that he did not
speak to Vladimir yesterday. After he leaves, Estragon and
Vladimir decide to leave, but again they do not move as the
curtain falls, ending the play.
CHART 3
Literary Events in England in the 20th century
Literature author year
Source: KENNEDY, X.J., GIOIA, Dana., Literature: an introduction to fiction, poetry, and drama. London: Longman, 2002.
Beckett is considered one of the most influential playwrights. Until today his work is vigor
ous and innovative.
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UAB/Unimontes - 7o Perodo
Patrick Marber's 'Closer' (1997) seems to fit all these traits. Having received relevant reviews
in the mtier, the young playwright from Oxford enjoys the status of one of the most prominent
artists in his field. His most acclaimed play invests deeply in human relations and his somewhat
fragmented style reflects the nuances of society today. With sharp dialogues, the time shifting in
the play shows an intricate love relation of the characters.
Only four characters appear in 'Closer', two women and two men. Alice is a young lost soul,
a self-described waif who works as a stripper. Dan writes obituaries. Anna is a photographer. Lar
ry is a dermatologist. 'Closer' follows their relationships over an extended period, leaping ahead
months and even years in almost each of the twelve scenes to the next decisive meeting or con
frontation.
The play opens in a hospital waiting room. Alice was hit by a car, though not badly hurt,
and Dan has brought her here. They talk. The dialogue is sharp and witty. Alice is wary and cyni
cal, but also incredibly vulnerable, Marber conveys it all in these first few pages. Her desperation
shimmers through, even as she tests Dan. Disarmingly she reveals herself, careful not to play as
easily with words as Dan might:
She decides on Dan, decides to love him and there's no question that she can't seduce him
into at least giving her the semblance of what she wants. But, as she said, it's a big want. The sec
ond scene jumps already more than a year ahead. Dan has written a book, which is about to be
published; it is, essentially, Alice's book, as he has taken her and made a book of her. Of course,
he doesn't get it right; as Alice later explains:
The next scene opens with another expropriation, Dan being photographed by Anna, pub
licity shots. He sees himself on the verge of being the person he had dreamed of becoming, an
author with all the trappings. He also sees Anna, an attractive and adult woman, separated from
her husband, with her own career: a far cry, it would seem, from the needy Alice. He like what he
sees. Anna has read the manuscript, and quotes from it, and Dan's response makes pretty clear in
what direction he's moving:
ANNA. "She has one address in her address book; ours ... under'H'for home."
DAN. I've cut that line.
ANNA. Why?
DAN. Too sentimental.
TIP
Marber grew up in a
middle-class Jewish
family in Wimbledon,
near the tennis club.
After graduating from
Oxford in 1986, he tried
for several years to be
a stand-up comic, but
he wasn't especially
funny. "I was a very
dark version of Pee-
wee Herman," he says.
"My routine was a bit
absurd. It was stupid."
He moved on to writ
ing for television and
radio, and in 1995, the
Picture 15: PATRICK Royal National Theatre
MARBER (1964- ) produced 'Dealer's
Choice'. It was a great
Source: http://uktv.co.uk/ success projecting the
dave/article/aid/639794/
page/20
dramatist.
Source: MARBER,
Patrick. 'Closer'. London:
Methuen Drama, 2007.
Dica de filme
JUUA NOBBUS TIP
MX LAV For further information, watch 'Closer'
HUTAUE PCKTMW (2004). The film's screenplay was written by Mar
OMCWN
ber himself based on his award-winning 1997
play of the same name. It was produced and di
rected by Mike Nichols. A good example of how
Modern Drama dialogues with other media.
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UAB/Unimontes - 7o Perodo
Activities
c. Can we say that'Pygmalion'is a parody of the original Greek myth? Explain.
d. What are the characteristics of the Theatre of the Absurd?
e. Why is 'Waiting for Godot' considered absurd?
f. In what ways Beckett's drama is similar to Shakespeare?
g. What seems to be the features of the drama of late 20th early 21s' century?
h. Why is Marber considered a good example of contemporary drama?
i. Discuss about the relation between theatre and the other media of the modern ages.
Referncias
ARP, Thomas R. JOHNSON, Greg. Perrine's Story and Structure. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning,
2005.
BERKLEY, James. The Literature of England. New York: Random House, 1969.
DILLON, Janette. The Cambridge Introduction to Early English Theatre (Cambridge Introductions to Li
terature) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
KENNEDY, X.J., GIOIA, Dana., Literature: an introduction to fiction, poetry, and drama. London: Long
man, 2002.
LEEMING, Glena. Commentary: The Importance of Being Earnest. London, Methuen Drama 2010.
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Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
Resumo
1st chapter
In this unit you studied about the origins of English Drama and its major aspects. The main
point was to see how the Renaissance influenced British culture and the importance of Elizabe
than Drama in England. A closer look into William Shakespeare's Hamlet gives an idea of the im
pact the play had in Western society.
2nd chapter
In this unit you studied the determining influence of Oscar Wilde in English drama. Focus
ing mainly in his most acclaimed play, 'The Importance of Being Earnest', we could verify the re
sourcefulness of this unique author, especially concerning language structure and irony.
3rd chapter
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Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
Referncias
Bsicas
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. New York: Gramerey Books, 1990.
Complementares
ARP, Thomas R. JOHNSON, Greg. Perrine's Story and Structure. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning,
2005.
BERKLEY, James. The Literature of England. New York: Random House, 1969.
DILLON, Janette. The Cambridge Introduction to Early English Theatre (Cambridge Introductions to Li
terature) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
EMMERSON, Richard. Approaches to Teaching Medieval English Drama. New York: The Modern Associa
tion of America, 1990.
FEINGOLD, Michael. William Shakespeare's Hamlet. New York: Baron Educational Series, 1986.
KENNEDY, X.J., GIOIA, Dana., Literature: an introduction to fiction, poetry, and drama. London: Long
man, 2002.
LEEMING, Glena. Commentary: The Importance of Being Earnest. London, Methuen Drama 2010.
LEEMING, Glena. Commentary: The Importance of Being Earnest. London, Methuen 2010..
MATEGRANO, Terry. Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing Inc., 2000.
McDonnell, Helen., NAKADATE, Neil E., PFORDRESSHER, John., SHOEMATE, Thomas E., England in Litera
ture. Oakland, NJ: Foresman and Company, 1979.
WOMACK, Peter Womack. English Renaissance Drama (Blackwell Guides to Literature) Oxford: Blackwell
Publishers, 2006.
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Letras/Ingls - Literatura Inglesa: Teatro
Atividades de
Aprendizagem - AA
1) Can we say that Hamlet presented his disturbance prior to the showing of the ghost? Ex
plain using some parts of the soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 129-159.
2) What kind of reproach Hamlet feels towards himself in the soliloquy found in Act 2, Scene
2, Lines 531-592.
3) The lines the soliloquy in Act III, Scene I lines.56-90: "The undiscover'd country from whose
bourn/No traveller returns" refer to what exactly? How is this relevant to the theme of the solilo
quy?
4) After the second appearance of his father's ghost, and after Hamlet's cathartic encounter
with Gertrude, he remembered who he was and rediscovered his place in the cosmos. He has rid
himself of melancholy and uncertainty by staging the play and confronting his mother. He can
speak of evil without frustration. Select passages of the soliloquy in Act 4, Scene 4, Lines 32-66
that confirm Hamlet's new found confidence.
5) What are the major characteristics of Oscar Wilde's drama? What makes him so unique?
6) Discuss the ambiguity of the word earnest in the play 'The Importance of being Earnest'.
7) What are the major changes in Modern Theatre? Why is there an enormous gap in the the
atre production in England?
9) Explain why Shaw called his play 'Pygmalion'. In what ways the title relates to the theme
of the play?
10) Explain the meaning of the adjective Shavian and how it relates to Modern Drama.
39
Minnuww da
Educao