Comic Spirit Final Study Guide FALL2018

Patronage—Louis XIV-

"Boss" - who pays? Have to please the King and the Church, who pays, the man,

Tartuffe Reading Points

1. Moliere was trained in the commedia dell'arte form; Tartuffe is an example of the dell'arte styled tailored to a specific audience, in this case the aristocratic court of Louis XIV. 2. The first scene acts as a bridge from the "masked ball" party that would have preceded the performance of Tartuffe; the audience is instructed about which party guest is now which character. 3. In Act One, Scene Four, Orgon delivers the "And Tartuffe?" dialogue that was referred to in Bergson. "And Tartuffe, poor guy" 4. The maid, Dorine, is a strong woman/clever servant archetype. Consider her interactions with the teen lovers and in Act Three with Tartuffe himself. Dorine is an important shift in comedy > equality. Ex. Jeffery the butler from Fresh Prince of Bel Air type. Mouthy & sassy servant. She's the mediator between the two lovers, and her big scene is with Tartuffe —> Tartuffe comes out to balcony in the middle of the day. He sees the 'prey' and asks his maid for hair shirt that people wear when they repent and goes downstairs. He sees Dorine in low cut shirt and short skirt. Says "bad Tartuffe" and covers Dorine's breasts with his hands.. 5. Tartuffe's "grand" entrance, sweeping down the staircase, is in Act Three, almost exactly the middle of the play. How would it have looked? How could Moliere present both Tartuffe's surface spirituality as well as his hidden (but just barely) lust and lechery? Wear it to ask for pentice for since. Rough fabric that chafes. Tartuffe wears one with a protected layer ( comfort) Scourge: Whip of punishment. Hit yourself when you think of an un-pure thou 6. Consider the language Tartuffe uses to attempt a seduction of the faithful Elmire in Act Three and Four. Remember that Elmire's virtuous behavior is a matter of personal choice, not adherence to any social custom. Elmire has power because she is using the sexuality against Tartuffe ( he digs her) Tartuffe is not stupid and doesn't trust her because of her sudden attraction towards Tartuffe. Tartuffe cannot restrain himself & can't help it Elmire has a signal to alert Orgon ( comedy) Tartuffe all over her She asks him to look at the door Organ mad she pushes him down Tartuffe accidentally embraces Orgon 7. The "table" scene in Act Four is famous. How would it have "played" in your mind, thinking of Lysistrata's seduction scene as an example. Tartuffe wants her (Elmire) in desperation. She says to her husband to hide under table so he can hear Tartuffe hitting on her. She seduces him until he can't help it. Her husband Organ sees and wants to kill him. Tartuffe pounces on Organ (thinks its Elmire), but really hugging Organ. Organ tries to kill Tartuffe, but cops come. Original ending- cops take Organ and Elmire has to stay with Tartuffe as prisoned ***** → Moliere changes ending to Tartuffe being the one that goes to jail 8. The "happy ending" via a deus ex machina is controversial. What do you think of it? How would the comic spirit message have changed if the play had ended more ambiguously? Remember that Moliere had to add a character (who?), change Tartuffe's garb from specifically Catholic to more non-denominational, and then add a final coda scene to "leave 'em laughin'."

Religion-

Christianity- the boy represents religion the most (Deus ex Machina

Psychology

Freud

Commedia dell'Arte Training

Moliere is trained in this form, comedy of money, it was tailored to a specific audience, in this case it was for aristocratic court of Louis the 14th

Candide

Organized religion: take God out of the equation, somehow we are going to blow it, anti religion

Elmire

Orgon's wife, table scene

Madame Pernelle

Orgons mother

Candide Parody:

Parody: Picaresque Novel- • Adventure Stories (Picaresque means road) • Bad boy stories, sword fights, etc. Ex) Zoro, robin hood Philosophical Tale- • Associate with symbolic tales • The stories that give us instructions that are more than literal • ex) bible stories, the fox and the grapes, the prophetic son

Lucky

Pozzo's servant, speaks and covers everything, everything everyone has ever wanted to say but never dared to, masochism, abused by Pozzo, but he's gotten use to it or enjoys it

Family Guy

Scatology parabasis slapstick whats edgy, what's offensive? Everything......

Art

Surrealism, Dada, Abstract Expressionism

Pozzo

a capitalist, very blunt, war profiteers, he's got everything, huge, obese, 2nd scene he is blind

Satire Monarchy

all the Kings are deadS

Dorine:

strong women, clever servant

The boy is deus ex machina, symbolizes religious authority

• Lucky likes being servant, dragged around • Pozzo is grotesque- eats greasy fried chicken; comes back in act 2 and he's blind; "How did you go blind, Pozzo?"- Rosso makes masturbation action

RD Fabulism-

• Lying • Fabula- story for pleasure, Fabula palliata- foreign dress

Cunegonde

• Mistreatment of women, Candide's love interest, Barons daughter, becomes a sex slave after her castle was destroyed

Cunegonde-

• Mistreatment of women, Candide's love interest, Barons daughter, becomes a sex slave after her castle was destroyed

Zanni:

"the clowns"

Hypocrisy

(Knowing something is wrong and doing it anyway) Tartuffe flat out says he's a bad person —> hypocrite A sin is an only a sin if it is discovered Elmire says no to Tartuffe that she doesn't want to commit adultery. She is repulsed by him. Ex. dialogue between Tartuffe and the wife, "if you can't prove it, it never happened"

Deus ex machina

- happy ending (God for the Machines)

What is an "open text"?

-- opened for many types of interpretation

Candide Reading Points

1.You are responsible for reading Chapters 1-6, 16-20 and 30 (the conclusion). 2. The characters I expect you to know are as follows:Candide, Dr. Pangloss, Baron Thunder-ten-Tronkh and family, esp. daughter Cunegonde, Paquette, James the Anabaptist, Cacambo 3. Pay close attention to the natural disasters in Chapters 5-6, the tidal wave and earthquake off Lisbon, Portugal on November 1, 1755. This really happened, it had a profoundly disturbing influence on Voltaire, and was perhaps "the last straw" that tipped him over into the bleakly brutal worldview that dominates Candide. 4. The novel is a pilgrimage, a spiritual journey of a young, good-hearted innocent and what happens when he encounters the world. Consider what Voltaire might be saying, especially with regard to his religious symbolism, which we will discuss in conjunction with Boccaccio's Andreuccio story. 5. The El Dorado passages are set in the mid-18th century, the time of the conquistadores, explorers sent by Spain amongst other countries to find and plunder the "riches" of the New World. 6. How does Chapter 30 wrap things up in a "real" manner? "That is well said, but we must cultivate our garden" It ends with them in purgatory, he's not looking for closure

Candide

1759 Modern Comedy as Prophecy, series of short chapters • Voltage: A shock to the system • Blast people with inappropriateness

Moliere (1622-1673)

Back story - was put in jail after Tartuffe failed, makes changes to please the king and catholic church (dies of a stroke on stage) Pen Name At 19yrs old received his inheritance early and created plays. On the road for 20 yrs comic drama Deal's with the Catholic church in France Guards walk into his play & beat by them Died on stage from a stroke laughter and applause was the last thing he heard

Candide:

Candide: Candide is the illegitimate nephew of a German baron. He grows up in the baron's castle under the tutelage of the scholar Pangloss, who teaches him that this world is "the best of all possible worlds." Candide falls in love with the baron's young daughter, Cunégonde. The baron catches the two kissing and expels Candide from his home. On his own for the first time, Candide is soon conscripted into the army of the Bulgars. He wanders away from camp for a brief walk, and is brutally flogged as a deserter. After witnessing a horrific battle, he manages to escape and travels to Holland. In Holland, a kindly Anabaptist named Jacques takes Candide in. Candide runs into a deformed beggar and discovers that it is Pangloss. Pangloss explains that he has contracted syphilis and that Cunégonde and her family have all been brutally murdered by the Bulgar army. Nonetheless, he maintains his optimistic outlook. Jacques takes Pangloss in as well. The three travel to Lisbon together, but before they arrive their ship runs into a storm and Jacques is drowned. Candide and Pangloss arrive in Lisbon to find it destroyed by an earthquake and under the control of the Inquisition. Pangloss is soon hanged as a heretic, and Candide is flogged for listening with approval to Pangloss's philosophy. After his beating, an old woman dresses Candide's wounds and then, to his astonishment, takes him to Cunégonde. Cunégonde explains that though the Bulgars killed the rest of her family, she was merely raped and then captured by a captain, who sold her to a Jew named Don Isaachar. At present, she is a sex slave jointly owned by Don Isaachar and the Grand Inquisitor of Lisbon. Each of Cunégonde's two owners arrive in turn as she and Candide are talking, and Candide kills them both. Terrified, Candide, the old woman, and Cunégonde flee and board a ship bound for South America. During their journey, the old woman relates her own story. She was born the Pope's daughter but has suffered a litany of misfortunes that include rape, enslavement, and cannibalism. Candide and Cunégonde plan to marry, but as soon as they arrive in Buenos Aires, the governor, Don Fernando, proposes to Cunégonde. Thinking of her own financial welfare, she accepts. Authorities looking for the murderer of the Grand Inquisitor arrive from Portugal in pursuit of Candide. Along with a newly acquired valet named Cacambo, Candide flees to territory controlled by Jesuits who are revolting against the Spanish government. After demanding an audience with a Jesuit commander, Candide discovers that the commander is Cunégonde's brother, the baron, who also managed to escape from the Bulgars. Candide announces that he plans to marry Cunégonde, but the baron insists that his sister will never marry a commoner. Enraged, Candide runs the baron through with his sword. He and Cacambo escape into the wilderness, where they narrowly avoid being eaten by a native tribe called the Biglugs. After traveling for days, Candide and Cacambo find themselves in the land of Eldorado, where gold and jewels litter the streets. This utopian country has advanced scientific knowledge, no religious conflict, no court system, and places no value on its plentiful gold and jewels. But Candide longs to return to Cunégonde, and after a month in Eldorado he and Cacambo depart with countless invaluable jewels loaded onto swift pack sheep. When they reach the territory of Surinam, Candide sends Cacambo to Buenos Aires with instructions to use part of the fortune to purchase Cunégonde from Don Fernando and then to meet him in Venice. An unscrupulous merchant named Vanderdendur steals much of Candide's fortune, dampening his optimism somewhat. Frustrated, Candide sails off to France with a specially chosen companion, an unrepentantly pessimistic scholar named Martin. On the way there, he recovers part of his fortune when a Spanish captain sinks Vanderdendur's ship. Candide takes this as proof that there is justice in the world, but Martin staunchly disagrees. In Paris, Candide and Martin mingle with the social elite. Candide's fortune attracts a number of hangers-on, several of whom succeed in filching jewels from him. Candide and Martin proceed to Venice, where, to Candide's dismay, Cunégonde and Cacambo are nowhere to be found. However, they do encounter other colorful individuals there, including Paquette, the chambermaid-turned-prostitute who gave Pangloss syphilis, and Count Pococurante, a wealthy Venetian who is hopelessly bored with the cultural treasures that surround him. Eventually, Cacambo, now a slave of a deposed Turkish monarch, surfaces. He explains that Cunégonde is in Constantinople, having herself been enslaved along with the old woman. Martin, Cacambo, and Candide depart for Turkey, where Candide purchases Cacambo's freedom. Candide discovers Pangloss and the baron in a Turkish chain gang. Both have actually survived their apparent deaths and, after suffering various misfortunes, arrived in Turkey. Despite everything, Pangloss remains an optimist. An overjoyed Candide purchases their freedom, and he and his growing retinue go on to find Cunégonde and the old woman. Cunégonde has grown ugly since Candide last saw her, but he purchases her freedom anyway. He also buys the old woman's freedom and purchases a farm outside of Constantinople. He keeps his longstanding promise to marry Cunégonde, but only after being forced to send the baron, who still cannot abide his sister marrying a commoner, back to the chain gang. Candide, Cunégonde, Cacambo, Pangloss, and the old woman settle into a comfortable life on the farm but soon find themselves growing bored and quarrelsome. Finally, Candide encounters a farmer who lives a simple life, works hard, and avoids vice and leisure. Inspired, Candide and his friends take to cultivating a garden in earnest. All their time and energy goes into the work, and none is left over for philosophical speculation. At last everyone is fulfilled and happy.

Paquerre

Chamber maid of Cunegonde, has an affair with Pangloss and gives him syphilis. She turns to prostitution

Rabbit of Seville (WB: 1950) Dir. Chuck Jones

Comedy as Cultural Instruction for Children- teach kids to be accessible to the opera music in a positive way Contaminatio Structure: Bugs Bunny (protagonist) vs. Elmer Fudd (antagonist)- 6 minute cartoon Opera: Rossini's 'Barber of Seville' and Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro' Influenced by Commedia del' Arte Archetypal Zanni: Medicino/Arlecchino vs. Capitano Fabula Palliata: Hollywood Bowl-ish setting but non-specific, comedy in foreign dress Gender Inversion: Seductive Woman, Spanish woman Anachronism: not bound by time, modern barbershop and opera in the past, 1950's barbershop Aesthetic Problem: Cultural Appropriation-Hindu Snake Charmer Aesthetic Problem Two: Slapstick Violence, shaving him, enjoys it Parabasis: only one word of spoken dialogue ("next..")

RD Biography:

Conservative Religion Norwegian Folk Tales Boarding School University Heroics Business and Military Pilot Wartime Trauma Addictions- • goes back and forth with addiction because of what they gave him in the war • he went in and out of sanity • addicted to painkillers and alcohol the rest of his life • ended up helping with war enigma (breaking Nazi codes) Marriage to Patricia Neal- • movie star (old lady in Breakfast at Tiffany's) • Stroke Rehabilitation- • Patricia has stroke —> Dahl stops doing drugs and drinking • Patricia recovers impossibly • Dahl becomes leading expert on the stroke • eventually she divorces him because Dahl goes back to drugs and womanizing Reclusive Last Years/Death Ritual- • buried with chainsaw, chocolates.. Did Oswald have sex with a leper? Yes..... it doesn't explicitly say, but Dahl gives hints

"Some Like It Hot" Dir. Billy Wilder (1906-2002) UA:1959 THEMES

Contaminatio: Gender Inversion- disguise takes over Classic Comic Structure: Symmetry, Parallelism, Parabasis Symmetry: circular logic, brings back crowd, Parallelism: going between boy and girl, leading dancing, Parabasis: song and dance Passive Agon: Censorship—Hays Production Code, Ex) I love Lucy, Lucy and husband don't sleep in the same bed because its too much for Americans and goes against Hays code; Wilder uses Euphemisms: Coded language and imagery, focuses on intoxication and sexual desire Satire and Parody- Satire = censorship. Parody= gangster movie Prohibition—18th Amendment, societies need to police itself St. Valentine's Day Massacre- gangsters wipe out people, and in this movie its supposed to be the massacre that they witnessed TV: The Untouchables- overdone gangster show World War II/Holocaust/Cold War- Serious things, Wilder thinks 'why is using the word virgin and showing a toilet such a wild thing'?

The Baron:

Cunegonde's brother, becomes a Jesuit Priest after the castle is destroyed, Candide kills him

Satire: Enlightenment Philosophy

Enlightenment Philosophy:Enlightenment Philosophy (Knowledge Voltaire see this as *BS) • the lights are coming on and were getting closer to God, were going to blow it, make the human enlightened • Mixing religion and science together

Comedy of Manners

Everyone shows up before the show dressed in costume (French Couture) instructional manual - what's cool, hip, interactive party that becomes a performance, the first scene acts as a bridge from the "Masked ball" party that would have preceded the performance of Tartuffe, amatures sit down, pros take over EX) Ari Grande after break up with Pete —> dressed up for interview to confess personal break lol

Moliere Changes

Has to make three changes: The bad guy is Catholic, holy man, represent ideals of Catholicism, creates monk character (Generic Holy man) creates new character (Cleyonte), not really part of the family, creates tension—>buffer, aristocratic male (Cleante, the brother in law to Orgon, softens up the dramatic tension) creates happy ending because the audience demands it (Deus ex machina); Tartuffe goes to jail instead of Orgon

Tartuffe(1664-69) In the original story

In the original story Orgon goes to Jail, but in the new version Tartuffe goes to jail. The surprise twist ending, in which everything is set right by the unexpected benevolent intervention of the heretofore unseen King, is considered a notable modern-day example of the classical theatrical plot device Deus ex machina.

How does this play conform to what Aristotle called "dramatic unities of time and space"?

It is classically structured; what looks random, actually isn't

Candide Historical Events

New World Exploration European Wars Lisbon Earthquake: really happened, Nov 1st 9am, all Saints Day. Was it a coincidence? French Revolution1.

Existentialism

Not a believer of the afterlife, social chaos

Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips (WB: 1943/1944) Dir. Friz Freleng

Office of Wartime Information (OWI)- Here's what you can't show, but here's what you MUST show, like the haze code, here's what you must show, Japanese as sub-human Propaganda- Catholic church needed a new marketing technique, way of conforming non-literate people to Catholicism (emotional persuasion) architype becomes sterotype Military Tactics: Island-Hopping- Saturday Matinee- watch cartoons all day Intended Audience- young boys Reification- all the worst things about the Japanese, stereotype Structure/Archetype: protagonist/antagonist bugs bunny vs. Japanese • flag on the tree drawing, every flag was a kill • Japanese were speaking gibberish • Japanese features were exaggerated like reptiles; big teeth, lizard eyes • Bugs bunny went from female to male like normal • Japanese ate ice cream bomb, and comes back for more (free); this shows that Japanese are stupid • Bugs Bunny lands on island and says 'what a beauteous garden of eden' and says it when he leaves —> it means he got rid of the snakes

Godot

Plot (such as it is): Act One opens with two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, hanging around a scraggly tree on a country road at evening time. They bicker about a lot of things, including whether the spot they are in is where they are supposed to wait for someone named Godot. After a while, Pozzo shows up with Lucky on a leash. After some introductory conversation, Pozzo enjoys a picnic lunch while Vladimir and Estragon inspect the mute Lucky. They get bored so Pozzo suggest having Lucky entertain them all, but Lucky goes off on a long stream-of-consciousness tangent on any and every topic thinkable after a hat is placed on his head. Then Lucky ceases speaking, he and Pozzo leave with Pozzo still in control, and soon after a Boy comes to tell Vladimir and Estragon that Godot will not be able to come that day, maybe tomorrow. the tree is dying, act 2 it only has 2 leaves left. The tree represents the world. There's only one thing that will destroy it, and that's us. Act Two takes place the next day, same time and same place. Vladimir and Estragon argue some more, Pozzo and Lucky show up again but this day Pozzo is blind and in agony and Lucky does not speak. When they leave the Boy shows up again and says Godot will not be able to come. The two tramps decided to hang themselves from the tree but the rope breaks. They decide to leave, but just sit there. Critical Evaluation by William Saroyan: "The play is about nothing. All is nothing. All comes to nothing. All is nothing from the beginning. Life is nothing. Death is nothing. Everything is nothing. If you don't believe it, don't, but even as you don't, you do, and you know this is also the truth. And for some reason it isn't shocking, it isn't painful, and it certainly isn't comforting, for which thank God. It just is, and in the meantime somebody is saying something about his shoes, or his sickness, or a half-thought of perhaps doing something or going somewhere." "It is an important play, perhaps one of the most important of all, of all time. Nothing happens, but somehow or other a great deal happens and none of it is strange, unfamiliar, unbelievable, or super-dramatic." "It's really quite bad, but that's beside the point. It also happens to be great."

Tartuffe(1664-69) Braggart Male

Priest who poses as a spiritual leader but a poser

Influences: they are the bridge to where we are now

Shakespeare- English Moliere- French, Tartuffe, the guild, the union started with Moliere Goldoni- Italian guy • The servant of two masters

Comic History

Silent and Early Sound Film Comedians, e.g. Laurel and Hardy

Switch Bitch

Story 1- The visitor • Joke is on Oswald Story 2- The Great Switcheroo • Joke is on Vic, realizes Jerry made his own wife happy • Grotesque, neighbor says he's better for his wife than he is Story 3- The Last Act • Joke is on us, the reader • Conrad describes things in a clinical way • Conrad hears medicine cabinet door closing- Ana is going to commit suicide o She might just be getting an ibuprofen, but we don't know... • Was Conrad holding a grudge?... Story 4- Bitch • "Bitch perfume" gets sprayed on Oswald

Reading Summaries Tartuffe:

The entire play is set in Orgon's house. The play opens when Madame Pernelle decides to leave her son Orgon's house because she finds their behavior immoral and decadent. She sees her grandson Damis as a brat, and her granddaughter Mariane as too fragile. It is only the new houseguest, Tartuffe, who earns her approbation. Tartuffe has been invited to stay by the house's master Orgon, who is infatuated by Tartuffe's seeming piety. The rest of the family believes Tartuffe to be a fraud and a liar, but cannot convince Madame Pernelle to see him this way. After Madame Pernelle departs, the servant Dorine and Orgon's brother-in-law Cleante discuss how they might convince Orgon that Tartuffe is manipulating him. Damis is concerned that, under Tartuffe's influence, Orgon might refuse to let Mariane marry her beloved Valere even though he has already promised to approve the match. When Orgon arrives, Cleante begs him to see through Tartuffe's act, but Orgon waxes poetic about how he observed Tartuffe's pious poverty and humility first-hand. Cleante suggests that Tartuffe's flamboyant displays of piety suggest hypocrisy, but Orgon is unmoved. Cleante is particularly concerned when Orgon dodges his questions about Mariane's impending marriage. In Act II, Orgon announces that he intends Mariane to marry Tartuffe. She is surprised, but shows the obedience she believes is expected of her. Dorine brassily pleads with Orgon to change his intent, suggesting the age difference between Mariane and Tartuffe will lead the lady to infidelity. Orgon is annoyed at her boldness, and tries to send her away. Once Orgon leaves, Dorine reminds the overly-obedient Mariane about her love for Valere, but the young woman feels compelled to honor her father's wishes. When Valere enters, having heard the rumor about Orgon's plans, both he and Mariane argue in a juvenile fashion, but Dorine calms them down. All three agree to work together to counteract Orgon and Tartuffe's plans. In Act III, Dorine advises Damis to quell his hotheadedness so that he does not ruin their plan. She intends to let Elmire control Tartuffe, since it is clear that he lusts after her. Tartuffe appears for the first time, and Dorine leaves him with Elmire. She begs him to renounce all claims to Mariane, but he dodges the request and propositions her. Shocked, she denies him but threatens to tell Orgon about his lechery unless he approves the marriage between Valere and Mariane. He seems ready to agree, when Damis angrily reveals himself, having overheard Tartuffe's illicit demands. His anger attracts Orgon to the room, at which point Damis reveals the truth about Tartuffe despite Elmire's requests for him to stay quiet. Tartuffe enacts a false show of piety, which impresses Orgon. When Damis refuses to withdraw his claim, Orgon banishes him from the house. When Tartuffe feigns humility and asks to leave, Orgon insists Tartuffe spend all his time around Elmire, and names Tartuffe his heir. In Act IV, Cleante tries to crack Tartuffe's facade, to no avail. Mariane implores her father to let her marry Valere, but he refuses. Elmire finally convinces Orgon to hide and eavesdrop on a conversation in which she will reveal Tartuffe for whom he truly is. He agrees. Elmire leads Tartuffe into a room alone, and claims she feels lust for him as well. He is initially suspicious, and demands she give him physical proof of her affection. When Orgon does not reveal himself, she agrees to sleep with Tartuffe but first asks him to verify that Orgon is not hiding in the hallway. While Tartuffe is momentarily gone, Orgon emerges and admits he has been fooled. When Tartuffe returns, Orgon banishes him from the house, but Tartuffe reveals that he has both the deed to the house and a strongbox that can cause trouble for Orgon. In Act V, Orgon explains to Cleante that the strongbox could cause great political trouble for him since it contains the papers of a friend who has been disloyal to the King. Orgon is furious over Tartuffe's false piety, but Cleante convinces him that not all holy men are impostors. Damis and Madame Pernelle return, and the family tries to convince the older woman to accept the truth of Tartuffe's treachery. A bailiff named Monsieur Loyal cons his way inside to deliver a legal document that requires the family to vacate the house, which Tartuffe now owns. Everyone is doubly horrified when Valere arrives with worse news: Tartuffe has brought the strongbox to the King, who has sworn out a warrant for Orgon's arrest. Right before Orgon flees, the Exempt, a police officer of the King, arrives with Tartuffe. Tartuffe scoffs at Orgon's plight, and revels in his victory. This victory is short-lived, however, for the Exempt suddenly arrests Tartuffe, explaining that the King saw through the hypocrite's deceit. The family rejoices, and Orgon announces that he will begin planning Mariane and Valere's wedding.

medicino

The quack doctor

Drama-

Theatre of the Absurd

Candide

Theme: the folly of optimism, the uselessness of philosophical speculation, the hypocrisy of religion, the corruption of power and money

FEED THE KITTY (1952) WB: Dir. Chuck Jones

Themes: Post-War Passive Agon—Tragic Comedy Social Norms of the 1950s: Censorship, Gender Expectations- • "Him"- when women talks about the kitten; accepting same sex marriage • Never see woman's face, only shown parts of clothing, made to think she's a housewife/head of household Historical Allusion (Mark Anthony and Cleopatra) Anthropomorphism: Cats and Dogs v. Humanity Inter-Species Love

What is the relationship between the two central characters?

They can be anything; friends, brothers, strangers, lovers, etc.

Waiting for Godot

Waiting for Godot begins with two men on a barren road by a leafless tree. These men, Vladimir and Estragon, are often characterized as "tramps," and we soon see that the world of this play is operating with its own set of rules—where nothing happens, nothing is certain, and there's never anything to do. Sound boring? Surprise: it's anything but. Vladimir and Estragon—who are also called Didi and Gogo, respectively—are waiting for Godot, a man (or perhaps a deity). The tramps can't be sure if they've met Godot, if they're waiting in the right place, if this is the right day, or even whether Godot is going to show up at all. While they wait, Vladimir and Estragon fill their time with a series of mundane activities (like taking a boot on and off) and trivial conversations (turnips, carrots) interspersed with more serious reflection (dead voices, suicide, the Bible). The tramps are soon interrupted by the arrival of Lucky, a man/servant/pet with a rope tied around his neck, and Pozzo, his master, holding the other end of the long rope. The four men proceed to do together what Vladimir and Estragon did earlier by themselves: namely, nothing. (The members of the audience, meanwhile, scratch their heads and look around to see if everyone else gets what's going on. At least, we guess that they do. We sure did the first time around.) Lucky and Pozzo then leave so that Vladimir and Estragon can go back to doing nothing by themselves. Vladimir suggests that this is not the first time he's met with Lucky and Pozzo, which is surprising, since they acted like strangers upon arrival. (Then again, Estragon can't even remember a conversation ten lines after it happens, so we're not going to depend on memory in this play.) The nothingness is interrupted by the arrival of the Boy, who reports to Vladimir that Godot isn't coming today, but will be there tomorrow. Yippee! Except not, since Vladimir's comments suggest that the Boy has said this before. Estragon and Vladimir talk about suicide some more and then resolve to leave the stage, since it's nightfall and they no longer have to wait for Godot. Of course, having resolved to leave, neither man moves, and the curtain closes on Act I. The curtain opens for Act II, which you will soon see is remarkably like Act I. The men still sit around waiting for Godot and try to fill the idle hours in the meantime. Lucky and Pozzo show up, only this time Lucky has gone mute and Pozzo is blind. They putz around the stage for a while, and Pozzo declares that, having lost his eyes, he now has no sense of time. Lucky declares nothing, because he's mute. Vladimir gets rather poetic in the meantime, wondering if maybe he's sleeping, agreeing with Pozzo's claim that life is fleeting, and concluding that habit is the great deadener of life. Pozzo and Lucky leave again, just in time for the Boy to show up and tell Vladimir that Godot isn't coming today, but will be there tomorrow. Vladimir and Estragon contemplate suicide, but have no rope (they think to hang themselves from the barren tree, since it's the only prop around that could lend itself to such an endeavor). The men resolve to leave, since it's nightfall and they no longer have to wait for Godot, but neither man moves and the curtain falls. The play ends, but we think everyone knows what happens next. And after that. And after that. Et cetera.

Waiting for Godot-Background

Waiting for Godot was originally written in French in 1948 (En Attendant Godot) by Samuel Beckett (1906-89). Beckett was an Irish protégé of James Joyce who lived and worked in France for most of his adult life. It was first produced on stage in 1953 at the Babylon Theatre in Paris. It was first presented in America in 1956, opening Off-Broadway in April after a brief tryout in Florida. It has become a recognized classic, one of the most influential works of the 20th century.

James the Anabaptist

Was baptised as infant, refuses it until he decides on his own if he wants it. He ends up drowning after saving the sailor from doing so.

Is the play "grotesque"?

Wasn't this because of how Pozzo acts with the way he eats and how he treats Lucky? Weren't Vladimir and Estragon wishing bad things upon Pozzo? Tbh I haven't been able to understand the reading very well for this play.

Tartuffe

a deceptive con man, tries to seduce Elmire

Vladimir (sometimes called Didi)

a tramp, friend of Estragon

Estragon (sometimes called Gogo):

also a tramp, friend of Vladimir

Satire:Organized Religion

anti religion, take God out of the equation (Path to faith *BS) Predicting socialism and communism

Cleante

brother of Elmire, brother in law to Orgon, represents the height of reason and good sense

Switch Bitch

c. Summary: The visitor: An undefined person gets a large wooden case with lots of books in it. Those books are the diaries of his rich Uncle Oswald, a strange man. He wants to publish some of his stories, but isn't allowed by Oswald's last will. He finds a story in which nobody can be recognized, and you get to read that. It's about the journey to the Sinai desert, where Oswald stops to fill his car, but they find out that his fan belt is broken. He has to wait till a new one arrives, but a nice, friendly man arrives in a Rolls Royce, and he invites Oswald to spend the night in his house. Grateful he accepts it, because Aziz seems to be at the same level in thinking as he is. He spends the rest of the day with Aziz's family: his wife and his extraordinary beautiful daughter Diana. He is playing with both of them, and when he is lying in his bed, someone is coming in the room, and they have a very passionate night. The day after, he notices that both of the women are wearing a scarf, because one of them has a bite in their neck, he thinks. When he is driven to his car, Aziz tells him that he has another daughter. But because she has leprosy, he didn't see her and only if he has had intimate contact, it would be contagious... The great switcheroo: Jerry and Samantha are the neighbours of Victor Hammonds and his wife Mary. Jerry has the hots for Samantha, and he makes up a great plan to make love to her, without her noticing it. He tells a story to Jerry, who is quite liquored at the time, and after a day, Jerry comes to him and tells that he has the hots for Mary. They are scheming to switch from their role one night, and in that way make love to the other woman. They work out everything in detail, and then it's D-Day. Everything is going the way it should. The day after Mary wants to talk to Victor. She explains she'd never enjoyed having sex with him, but she tells him last night was great, really amazing... The last Act: Anna Cooper is happily married to Ed for 22 years. One day she gets to know he died in a car -accident, and her whole world comes down. For a long time she's out of the running, and she gets a bit suicidal, even more after her children get out of the house. After a year and a half, a friend needs her at the office because of a real big flu epidemic, and she rolls into the business. Her life gets a new sense of living. One day, she needs to travel to Dallas, Texas for a fight. After she'd done she could, she lying on her bed and gets suicidal again. She remembers an old school boyfriend, and she calls him. He visits her, and after some talking they make love to each other. But when she screams that he has to stop, and he doesn't, she gets very aggressive and Conrad Kreuger leaves. What has happened after that isn't clear; it might indicate that Anna killed herself. Bitch: Here is Uncle Oswald again! This time, a man he once met, calls him up because he had made the greatest invention ever! They give a flashback when he met Henry Biotte. Henry talked a lot about fragrances that make men wild, and in a way they get to rape every woman they see. He talks about some organs in your nose and the one he tells about special isn't working anymore, and he wants to re-activate it again with a smell. Oswald gives him money for research and then we arrive to where we were. He has found the smell he needed and wants to show Oswald the results in a test. The result is marvelous, the testingperson gets mad, and afterwards he cannot remember a thing he did. Oswald gets one cc, and buys a gadget to make the president look like a fool. In the meantime, Henry's assistant, Simone Gautier, has stolen all the left fragrance and that kills Henry, because he wasn't the fittest anymore. When Oswald is working out his plan to make the president look like a fool, something goes wrong and he rapes the first lady. d. It made me curious: especially with the great switcheroo it was like that. I constantly wondered if the plan was going to work. For me it was also too recognizable sometimes. When you started reading about making the president look like a fool, I already knew it wouldn't work out. Surprising was the end of The visitor. It just gives another thing to the whole story. You get to think about it all the time. Decent was the way they talked about sex and stuff; I've read on one of the first pages that these stories were published in Playboy at first. With that magazine, I've a different view of sex than is presented here. That made it a bit unreal for me to believe.

Tartuffe(1664-69) Orgon

has signed a document leaving all to his possessions to Tartuffe. Orgon finally catches Tartuffe seducing wife while he was under the table. Orgon had admitted to Tartuffe that he had possession of a box of incriminating letters (written by a friend, not by him). Denounced Orgon for aiding and assisting a traitor by keeping the incriminating letters and that Orgon is about to be arrested.

Why did Beckett call his play a tragic-comedy in two acts?

if it's somebody else its funny, if its you its tragic- Ex) "boyfriend meeting parents story" - lets go, no one moves

Tartuffe(1664-69) Damis

informs Orgon that Tartuffe was trying to seduce Elmire. Orgon takes away his inheritance for lying and going against Tartuffe.

What is the point of one character, Lucky, being mute and then suddenly delivering a soliloquy that goes on for over ten minutes?

it's everything everyone wanted to say but wasn't allowed to

Orgon

middle class landowner who served the king of France, he places his trust in Tartuffe, he bullies his daughter Mariane into marrying Tartuffe, disowns his son Damis and neglects his wife Elmire

A Boy: Godot's messenger,

symbolizes religious authority, trying to avoid punishment, will say anything to get out of trouble

Voltaire (1694-1778)

taking God out of the equation, revel in the chaos or enjoy your sleepless nights

Tartuffe(1664-69) Tartuffe

the imposter, braggart male, priest, French play, Houseguest of Orgon, hypocritical religious devotee who attempts to seduce Elmire, holy man.

Valere

the man Mariane wants to marry

Satire Militarism:

violence, figuring out ways to kill humans

Philosophy- Existentialism

what if there is no God, where just waiting, organizational presence

Dr. Pangloss

• "Dr. Crossword", he's an idiot scholar • Pangloss says to Candide, "All of this the best, in this the best of all possible worlds" —> The idea: Present time- "It's all good" • Makes fun of the enlightenment • He likes to BS • Candides mentor, philosopher, • He's a parody of the overly optimistic enlightenment philosophers, becomes a deformed bagger, Candide finds him, gets hanged as a heretic in Libson, • Name translates into Dr. Crossword- lots of words, meaningless

Commedia dell'Arte Scenario

• "The outline" for the day performances Actors came with wagons and lived there where the show was

Capitano

• (braggart male) • The overdone male • has a huge sword, very long, very hug • bragging about military abilities • chicks after him but he never closes the deal • Overcompensating • Ex: Gaston Beauty & the Beast

Cacambo

• Best friend, smartest person in the story, not Caucasian • Native person= smart; never done before • Helps find El Dorado • Candide's guide, rescues Candide from a number of scrapes, he reunites Candide and Cunagonde,

Commedia dell'Arte Canovaccio-

• Canvas', basic plot • they write the scenario on the canvas, then they improvise the show

Commedia dell'Arte Choragus-

• Defn: "The ringmaster" • • In charge of everything (on and off stage) • Director/ leads others • Moliere became the ringmaster In charge of everything on and off stage

"Some Like It Hot" Dir. Billy Wilder (1906-2002) UA:1959

• Gangster parody movie • Billy Wilder real name Shil Wilder (Jewish)- survived the Holocaust, but his family did not Characters: Joe/Josephine Jerry/Daphne Sugar Kovalcic (Sugar-cane) Osgood Fielding III- dirty old man Spats Columbo- bad guy

Waiting ON Godot

• Godot means god, death, to do, etc....... means nothing • "a country rode, a tree, evening" in first line —> komos oda, nature, there will be another day tomorrow • Tragic comedy- it's both tragic and comedy • Tree probably influenced Charlie brown Christmas Tree, and it bends over; Charlie brown says I killed it when he puts ornament on it, tree also represents growth in the play

Dottore-

• Idiot Professor • Someone who use big words that are unnecessary • Know it all who knows nothing • no common sense but talks a lot

Commedia dell'Arte Terms

• Italian Comedy • Comedy of professionalism: "Artisane" a craftsmen • Show for money • "The comedy of the guild"; guild cards- actors have these that show their certifications Comedy for the money, comedy of the craft,' • Modern Circus • Improvised Performance ( street) • Not common, but roots are common • Killed by national borders • Moliere made it accessible for the French audience

The Misanthrope (1666)-

• Moliere writes this play (means 'someone who hates everyone') • Moliere most personal play (autobiographical) • Wrote it after he got out of prison • Main character (alsis) gets away with saying anything and getting away with it • Friend asks what he 'really' thinks about his poetry • He says honestly "I wouldn't show it to the world" • The truth gets out and everyone hates him Goes to apologize but instead says "**** you, I rather be alone for the rest of my next life then have to deal with you guys" —> Becomes 'Misanthrope'

Comedie Francaise

• National Theatre of France • Catty cornered from the Louvre • Moliere - 1st director • An unlimited budget to create

Allegory: Catholicism vs. Monarchy-

• Tartuffe represents Catholicism • Monarchy is in the living room • Something will lead to the downfall, and that will be religion in democracy (religion vs state)

Arlecchino-

• The Choragus (ring master on stage) • 'Harlequin stems from this' • sad clown figure based on Psedulus • controls things on stage

The Sailor

• The dialogue between good and evil, the bad guy, lets Anabaptist drown after he saves him.

Commedia dell'Arte Lazzi-

• The expertise that brings the crowd in (e.g. the singer, the sword eater, the arial performers) • Expected performance if not done audience is unsatisfied • Example) The Rolling Stones are not going to leave the stage without singing 'Satisfaction' or 'Brown Sugar' or else the crowd will not be pleased • Rope, what ropes in the audience,

Commedia dell'Arte Structure

• The same for everyone

Isabella- bad girl

• Usually the sex driven girl • wing women • a lot more liberal • Waiting for Mr. Right now • Example Samantha of Sexy in the City

Pulchinella-

• antagonist of Arlecchino • the bad clown / Rival Clown • always trying to get the Arlecchino in trouble (Punch & Judy like characters)

Pantalone-

• dirty old male • Tries anything he can to get the hot girls, but can't • Ex: Oldest guy at the club

Inamorata

• good girl • Always the object • respects love • waiting for love • Example Carrie of Sexy in the City

Candide-

• honest boy, optimism, trust, protagonist of the novel, good hearted but very naive, banished for kissing Cunegonde by her father, gets flogged

Grotesquerie

• internal grotesquerie, it's inside, the monstrous horror in life. It's tough when its minimal, diseased interior monologue, people are not what they appear to be on the inside, looks normal on the outside

Wit-

• mother tries to keep things together, strong women archetype, • sense of humor plus timing, takes place in living room, battle of wits between Elmira and Tartuffe • Dorine housekeeper who tries to help expose Tartuffe and help Valère. She is at her wit's end with Orgon

Commedia dell'Arte Flaminio Scala

• source, wrote down 90% of what we know about Delarte • He was a Choragu