"He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong". Is Biff's valedictory opinion of his father Willy's life correct in your view?

"He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong". Is Biff's valedictory opinion of his father Willy's life correct in your view? In this essay I will consider the above statement and go through all the points of question related to it. I will then make an informed decision in the conclusion, as to whether or not I regard the statement as correct. To begin with it is important that we consider the relationship between Biff and his father, Willy. Both Willy's dreaming and his cruelty suggest that Willy lives in a world of his own. He seems to have unrealistic dreams of his own and his family's importance and in Biffs case he is puzzled as to why Biff is working on a farm and this leads to a great deal of conflict. Willy's views are liable to sudden change. One minute he says that Biff is 'a lazy bum' and then he says that he 'is not lazy'. It is clear that Biff is sensitive and caring and loves his family deeply, but at the end all he can do is to be cruel and force everyone to face the truth. This is why he reveals that he has been to prison for theft. Biff goes on to try and make Willy face reality in his terms. At one point he states quite clearly that it was his father who 'blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody' .It is the devastating statement that Biff and Willy are both 'a dime a dozen' or very ordinary, that shatters Willy's dreams. In

  • Word count: 1624
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay

"Blood Wedding" By Federico Garcia Lorca.

EXPLORATORY NOTES "Blood Wedding" By Federico Garcia Lorca Plot and Sub-Plot From the surface the plot of Blood Wedding is a very simple one. The Bridegroom is to be married to the Bride. The Bridegrooms mother initially expresses doubts having lost both her Husband and one son to an ongoing feud with the Felix family. However, Leonardo, a member of the Felix family and old time love of the Bride's, begins to re-find his feelings. Having married and fathered a son since breaking up with the Bride, his position is difficult to say the least. On the day of the wedding of the Bride and Bridegroom, Leonardo arrives early and explains his feelings to the Bride, that she only left him because he was poor. She vehemently denies this, but nothing can dull their passions for one another. However, as she explains "I'll shut myself away with my husband, and I'll love him above everything." The wedding goes ahead. However, at the party after the wedding the Bride and Leonardo run away together. Once discovered the Bridegroom sets off in pursuit of them. The Bride and Leonardo escape to the forest, being hunted by the Bridegroom, aided by the Moon. Leonardo tries to tell the bride to return to the Bridegroom, but their love is too strong. The Bridegroom finds them and both himself and Leonardo are killed. (Indeed the play, had it been written by a more liberal Shakespeare may

  • Word count: 1942
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay

The Use of the Stage Directions in The Cherry Orchard and Blood Wedding.

Stephanie Duarte The Use of the Stage Directions in The Cherry Orchard and Blood Wedding When a play is being read instead of being watched onstage, stage directions become essential to our understanding of the play as they allow us to picture what would be happening if the play were to be acted out. As there are many types of stage directions, I will only be analysing costumes, gestures, blocking and entrances and exits. These can be used to reveal character, symbolise the relationships between the characters, create a comic effect, or even heighten the tension and therefore change the mood. Blood Wedding is a highly dramatic play, making great use of symbolism, and the story line is heavily based on the strong feelings between the characters. The Cherry Orchard, on the other hand, is a play which incorporates both tragedy and comedy. Costumes are often described when introducing a character in The Cherry Orchard. At certain times in the play, their purpose is to give us an immediate idea of what a character is like or to create a comic effect. When Yepikhodov is first introduced, he is wearing "boots that squeak loudly", which creates comedy and also allows us to identify him as an accident-prone character. When Pishnik is described, he is wearing a "tight-fitting, long waisted coat in a fine material, and wide oriental-looking trousers". This adds to the comic side

  • Word count: 1632
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay

Blood Brothers-play evaluation

Chiago Tabansi Blood Brothers The play... I saw the play Blood Brothers at the Pheonix Theatre in Central London; the theatre was an old one with a cosy atmosphere which accompanied a nice reasonable sized stage. - How the production was staged. Simplistic staging and used the same setting with inter-changeable doors and backdrops when appropriate. For example flying down Mrs Johnstone's house backdrop every time she was shown to be in her house. The correct use of lighting substituted for the minimal staging; this was a good technique to use as I was able to concentrate more on the acting. - The importance of the Narrator The narrator had an important role in the play, dressed in a black suit and tie he was easily recognised and was constantly there. Acting as a reader, telling the audience what happens at every intersection, explaining through both singing and talking. The fact that he was seen by all whilst the protagonists acted, this created an element of suspense, as the audience was itching to know what he has to say next. - The characters Each character played their role convincingly incorporating the basic drama techniques such as variety of voice, facial expression and body language. From this performance I would say the Johnstone family held a strong performance than the Lyons. It is fair to say the Johnstones performance was more believable. From the

  • Word count: 500
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay

women in black

Women In Black In this essay I will be reviewing the 'Woman In Black' which is being performed at the Fortune Theatre, London. Before going to see the performance I wasn't really looking forward to it as after reading the beginning of the text I found it boring and dull. When we first pulled up outside the theatre I didn't find the building to be what I expected it to look like. From the outside the building looked newly designed but the interior told a different story. The theatre held a cold and eerie atmosphere, whilst talking to the staff we found out why. The Fortune Theatre was the most hunted theatre in London and had many stories held to its name. The most famous story told is that when the actor that plays the woman in black looked out into the audience the first night it was shown she saw a black salute at the back of the auditorium. It was said that the black figure looked like it was wearing a bonnet and a Victorian dress. Once finding out the history peoples view on watching the show had changed. The auditorium was small and was hard to see what was going on onstage if you were sitting in the first four rows as you had to keep looking up. The only advantage of the space was that when one person screamed the whole audience screamed. This helped the actors as it made the audience more aware of what was going on and had tension building. When first seeing the

  • Word count: 1696
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay

Show how Robert Bolt reveals Richard Rich’s character during his interview with Thomas Cromwell at the end of act one (pages 42 – 46)

Corrinne Emmett IVAH 27th February 2002 "A Man for all Seasons", by Robert Bolt Show how Robert Bolt reveals Richard Rich's character during his interview with Thomas Cromwell at the end of act one (pages 42 - 46) Bolt's arrangement of events shed light on Rich's character as Rich has just come from the house of Thomas More, the man whom he is just about to betray. Previously More had refused to employ Rich and Rich had left. He had passed judgement on Rich saying that he could not answer for himself. This is an ironic moment because in doing this and turning Rich away, More seals his own fate. Rich is now alone in the world and is probably feeling bitter towards More, however, we know that we can trust More's opinion of him because More is widely known to be the most honest man in Britain, and is therefore likely to be a good judge of character. The word "conspiracy" implies something that is wrong, unlawful and perhaps sinister. The fact that Cromwell asks if it is a "good place for a conspiracy" shows he already knew that it was going to be a conspiracy and he had a deliberate intent to cause harm. When Rich mentions the post of "The Collector of Revenues for York" shows he is interested in the post and knows that it is available. Cromwell is amused because from this point he knows he can use and manipulate Rich. In the stage directions Bolt uses, Rich "nervously

  • Word count: 1017
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay

Willy Loman as a Father

Willy Loman as a Father Modern society would condemn the parenting skills of Willy Loman, the father in Arthur Miller's A Death of a Salesman, who imposes his dreams upon his two sons and preaches the value of popularity over integrity. As an unsuccessful salesman, Willy is unable to cope with his own shortcomings and valiantly attempts to find something to be hopeful for, and he finds this opportunity in his son Biff. Frail and well past his prime, Willy feels that he is incapable of ever getting back on his feet, and so he believes Biff has a better chance at success. However, Willy steps over the boundary, and he develops into a father attempting to control his own son's life. In one instance, Biff comes home to recollect, and Willy vows, "I'll see him in the morning. I'll have a nice talk with him. I'll get him a job selling. He could be big in no time" (6). These expectations, though, are contrary to Biff's desires and dreams, since he aspires to work in the outdoors. For Biff, the job of becoming a salesman entails one "to suffer fifty weeks of the years for the sake of a two-week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt off" (11). Thus the difference in desire between father and son leads to conflict, especially because Willy is stubborn and unwilling to yield to his son's ingenuous ideas. Biff is first to realize that his own

  • Word count: 1098
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay

How are the themes brought up in "A death of a salesman" releveant to the presant day.

My essay looks at a sales man called willy who trys to cope with the stresses of his work and family life, and how in the present day thing like this are easy to relate to. Q:How are the themes brought up in "A death of a salesman" releveant to presant day There are many things in this play that are relevant to the lives of people today. The modern world is full of stress, whether it is work related, financial worries or problems in the family. Most people suffer at some time from anxiety or even depression, and suicides driven by a sense of failure to achieve are not uncommon. Particularly in the USA the belief in the 'American Dream' is strong, this belief is that any one no matter who they are can achieve what ever they want and nothing can stop them. In Arthur Miller's play, even though it was written over 50 years ago the problems associated with modern city living and pressured life styles were already apparent, particularly in the USA where this play is set. In my following paragraphs I am going to cover the topics which I think are very important to the break down of Willy and the relevance it has today. I am going to include, family life, as it is almost exactly the same as today. Then I am going to study the American dream, and finally The pressures of his job and his financial worries. 'The American Dream consists of a belief that in America, all things are

  • Word count: 2870
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay

Woman in Black - Theatre Evaluation

Portfolio Task 3 - Evaluation phase (20 marks) On Monday 21st July 2008 we attended an evening performance of "The Woman in Black" at the Fortune Theatre situated in London. The play is an adaptation of a novel written by Susan Hill and the playwright in which adapted it was Stephen Mallatratt. The play involves only 2 actors; Ben Porter and Sean Baker. Ben Porter plays the part of the actor and stays as this character throughout the piece. Sean Baker plays a character called Mr Kipps who uses the technique called multi-rolling, which means playing all the other parts encountered throughout the play, and also "The Woman in Black" who is not listed in the programme giving extra effect for when she appears. The plot of the play explores the concept of human fears in the form of a ghost story. Techniques such as anticipation, suspense and the suggestion of the supernatural are used throughout the play. All these techniques need to be applied successfully in order to create the atmosphere intended. By using the technique of suspense it builds up a state of mental insecurity, uncertainty or excitement within the person. Along side this adding the technique of anticipation gives the audience the impression that something is going to happen, but didn't know what or when therefore building up the tension in the theatre and taking the audience by surprise applying the concept of

  • Word count: 1100
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay

Theatre-In-Education

Theatre-In-Education Marc Goldstein The theatre education industry/movement has seen some rapid changes since its initial developments and establishment in the 1960's. However its origins mainly lie in the early years of the last century. It was the initial establishment of companies such as Bertha Waddell's in Scotland and Esme Church's in the north of England that thoroughly established the main roots of TIE. Mainly the initial aims of these companies was to stimulate, educate and inform young people through encouraging them to participate in enjoyable and imaginary based theatre programmes. Despite early attempts in Britain in the mid 1930's, where a Glasgow Director of education allowed the Bertha Waddell's company to perform in junior schools within school time, the majority of the advances within the movement came after World War Two. Due to the nature and after-effects of the time, many post war Education Authorities felt the need to sponsor drama and live theatre companies to aid in their areas learning processes. One could perhaps say that due to the sheer devastation of the war many education authorities felt that through the use of drama therapy and role play style interaction that students would be able to address their true anxieties and would therefore have a more rewarding time in post war school. Around this time parallel groups were beginning to form in

  • Word count: 1107
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
Access this essay