blood brother review

Authors Avatar

Katie Russell 10.4

Draft

Blood Brothers

Willy Russell wrote Blood Brothers in 1981, at the time of an economic downfall. He manages to integrate the idea of classical nature of tragedy with the modern class debate. Russell mixes the two, by inventing two characters, twins, who are separated at birth by a mother trying to do best for her children, by giving one to a better-off family. But as always in these plays’ events never go as planned and Fate continuously puts the characters in dramatic situations.

This essay will discuss the way in which Russell combines superstition and class in both the structure of the play and the ways it is brought out in performance.

The begins in the early 60’s and revolves around two boys, Mickey Johnstone and Eddie Lyons both from different backgrounds, one from a well off family (The Lyons) and one from quite a poor but happy family (The Johnstones). The two boys become friends at the age of seven; we then watch them grow into adults. But there is a secret that Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons hold; Eddie is the twin of Mickey, who was given away at birth to an infertile Mrs Lyons. As the two grow up they become very close and are even in love with the same girl (Linda) Mickey gets into a bit of trouble when he’s older and is sent to prison, after getting out he is very depressed and Linda starts having an affair with Eddie, something that she regrets but she just wanted to feel loved. When Mickey finds he sets out on a mission to find his friend, with Mrs Johnstone and Linda hurrying after him, in a last ditch attempt to stop Mickey from Killing his twin, Mrs Johnstone finally tells the brothers the truth, but drastic consequences come to pass.

Aristotle proposes that all tragedies must revolve around a tragic hero. In the case of “Blood Brothers”, Mrs Johnstone takes on the role of the hero. Although Mrs Johnstone holds this title, it could be argued that later on in the production the two brothers, Edward and Mickey, take on this role.

In “Blood Brothers” the Narrator plays a pivotal part in revealing the part Mrs Johnstone plays. For instance at the start of the play he talks about how cruel and “stone-hearted” she is and then continues to interact with the audience by saying “judge for yourselves, how she came to play this part”.

The word judge links back to the fact that this is a tragedy, as the audience is being asked to analyse the tragic hero for them selves, just like Aristotle proposed.

The Idea that the Narrator already knows what is going to happen suggests that we should blame superstition for what came to pass, as the Narrator is thought to represent Fate and predestination.

In most classical tragedies the life of the tragic hero spirals into misery and brings those around her with them. Where as in the case of Blood Brothers, there is a twist to this as the roles are switched as Mickey comes to play this part. His life slowly starts deteriorating, when he commits a crime to try and provide Linda with money.

Join now!

“All we need is someone to keep the eye for us. Look at y’ Mickey, What have y’ got? Nothin’, like me Mam. Where y’ takin’ y’ tart for New Year?”

This is the point where Mickey makes the fatal error.

“Where y’ takin’ y’ tart for New Year?”, suggests that he is the tragic hero, doing the wrong thing for all the right reasons. Furthermore Mickey is the one that dies, not Mrs Johnstone, Implying the roles have switched.

Moreover, catharsis is created when you start to feel pity for Mrs Johnstone, the original Hero. We feel sorry ...

This is a preview of the whole essay