Examine the Plays Success As a Piece of Drama - streetcar named desire , Tennessee Williams

EXAMINE THE PLAYS SUCCESS AS A PIECE OF DRAMA Streetcar Named Desire was written to be performed. It was written to be watched. Tennessee Williams wrote it as a piece of theatre to deal with and convey contemporary ideas at that were profound at the time. Ideas of homosexuality and mental disorders were among the ones dealt with in this play. Evidently audiences were moved and touched by the play as critics later wrote that it was "a searing drama of love and passion, life and death, truth and honesty." Audiences were said to have come away "moved yet elated after having been sitting in the presence of truth." So it must have had some sort of effect. The techniques used must have done something to win over the hearts of both audiences and critics alike. Tennessee Williams was not only an amazing playwright but also theatrically brilliant. His use of theatrical symbols, stage directions and attention to close details makes an evident difference in the quality of his plays and their successes as dramatic pieces. One thing Tennessee employs often in this play is music. Some of this music has a symbolic use such as the polka tune 'Varsouviana" which plays as we enter the thoughts and the past of the main character Blanche DuBois. This tune not only serves to differentiate the present day world from her thoughts but also may serve to unsettle the audience and hint

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Discuss the way Williams Presents the relationship between Blanche and Stanley explaining what you think is at stake in the conflict between them.

Name: Camille Reid Form: 6A Novel: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Instructions: Discuss the way Williams Presents the relationship between Blanche and Stanley explaining what you think is at stake in the conflict between them. Tennesse Williams is a brilliant playwright. He is the author of numerous well-known and excellent plays and his mastery of symbolism is obvious in the way he uses it to convey significant situations and qualities in his main characters. In A Streetcar Named Desire, two of his main characters, Blanche and Stanley, have conflicting personalities and it is in this particular play that his skill in the use of symbolism is most evident as he uses it to depict the relationship between the two, using many relevant symbols. In so doing, he manages to clearly identify to his audience what is at risk in the battle between Blanche and Stanley. This raises questions like who will win, how will he or she win and what will result from this victory or loss as the case may be. The imagery, which best describes the relationship between Blanche and Stanley is that of "the moth versus light", with Blanche being the moth and Stanley being the light. Williams achieves this effect by likening Blanche to a moth by constantly portraying her as being frail. For example, "her white clothes that suggest a moth" and "her delicate beauty must avoid strong light" are in the stage

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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"Remember what Huey Long said - "Every Man is a King!" - Explain how Stanley had his control, how he has had his kingship challenged and how he is trying to re-establish his control.

"Remember what Huey Long said - "Every Man is a King!" Explain how Stanley had his control, how he has had his kingship challenged and how he is trying to re-establish his control. In the opening of "A Street Car Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams, we are presented with a stereotypical presentation of a husband and wife. However, during the duration of the play, we see how Stanley changes from being in control, to loosing his control and using desperate measures to regain a higher status. In Scene 1 the impression the audience gets about Stanley is that he is in control over his wife. The first time the audience sees him, he "bellows" at Stella and Stella "mildly" talks back to him, showing Stanley's higher status. Stanley also "hurls" a meaty package at Stella, showing his masculine power that he possesses. Stella, in contrast, is the one that waits for Stanley. The first time we see Stella and Stanley together, Stanley has gone to find Stella rather than the other way round. This gives the audience the impression that Stella is almost a stay at home wife to Stanley. When Blanche and Stanley first meet, it is easy to see that Stanley feels as if he has control. He "starts to remove his shirt" in front of Blanche when he has first met her, indicating his confidence and his high status attitude. A small indication that Stanley's "kingship" is being challenged is show in

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The relationships between men and women in 'A Street Car Named Desire'.

The relationships between men and women in 'A Street Car Named Desire' Tennessee Williams' views of relationships between men and women are portrayed throughout the play. Williams himself came from a troubled background where his parents' relationship was tense and volatile, all the couples in the play reflect this view in their personalities and behaviour. It has even been suggested that Williams' own parents Cornelius and Edwina inspired the basis for Stella and Stanley's marriage and the way they live their lives. The first relationship I am going to examine is that of the Kowalski's, Stella and Stanley's personalities do not compliment each other they are in discord. Stella originates from an upper class background and is reasonably well educated, before opting for a life with Stanley she lived in a big house in the country and never had to worry over the issue of money. It is obvious however that perhaps Stella was never really as infatuated with this existence as her sister Blanche. The surroundings and way in which she lives her life with Stanley may be different but she admits that it 'thrills' her. Stanley has been used to the Elysian Fields way of living throughout his life, he is a common 'Polack' and has originated from a working class background as displayed by his views and personality and his attitudes towards women. His animal instincts surface in the way he

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Was Stanley responsible for the downfall of blanche? - A Street car named desire.

Was Stanley responsible for the downfall of blanche? Course work In this essay I will be studying the question 'Was Stanley responsible for the downfall of Blanche? This question come from a play called 'a streetcar named desire'. Tennessee Williams set the play in 1947 in the southern of North American (New Orleans). Williams was most recognized for his up coming drama at the end of world war ll. 'A streetcar named desire' was William ll success in writing. Critics, biographers and William himself, say that the play were very much an exploration and working out of his own life. His book to him represented in many ways, his battle between humanity and the culprit affect in security is an important theme in the play. William's play was first scene as attracting the wrong sort of attention. William wanted to show his creativity, humanity and technical brilliance of life. In this play William shocked many audiences with the display of violence, sexuality, alcoholism, rape, homosexuality, humanity, division of society and use of langue in terms that were never before seen on the American stage. Blanche's arrives in New Orleans atmosphere as a tormented and desperate woman seeking help from her sister and brother-in-law. In the beginning she speaks and dresses as a refined, sophisticated and conservative women from the south but we soon see the frayed nerves thought her.

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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IRA Attack.

IRA Attack The beam of white light that penetrated the atmosphere brought everyone and everything to a halt. A thunderous noise that seemed to shatter the eardrum ripped through the sky. The aftershock of the explosion had knocked most people off their feet. Consequently chaos followed, but it had not always been this way. Docklands had been a peaceful place. The early stages of development had begun in the areas surrounding the docks, but it still possessed the tranquillity that was appreciated by the residents. Famous for its innovation and stature, Canary Wharf stood proud and firm. Never was it predicted that its foundations would quaver. Laura ran her fingers through her hair. Startled, she felt water trickling down her scalp. She dropped her hand to her lap, surprised as red smeared across her leg. The white linen of her trousers changed into a clear blue denim and she unwillingly felt herself drift into a painful memory. The patch of blood was now much larger and the pain had shifted to her left thigh. She peered at the children's bike that lay crooked on the pavement. Tears filled her eyes but she hastily controlled herself. She did not desire comfort or any nature of attention. She was a nervous child and believed herself too insignificant to concern individuals with her problems. Despite people's comments on her sweet personality and cheery composure,

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  • Subject: English
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Williams Vs Albee

Literature II Williams/Albee - Stanley/George Comparison The two main characters in both "Streetcar" & "Virginia Woolf" give an amazing portrayal of males trying to remain dominant in an environment where a female character is trying to "rule the roost". Their upbringings are entirely different in both character and education, however their overall goals throughout both plays is the same; to assert their authority in their own domain. Stanley Kowalski has to deal with the aging spinster in the form of Blanche DuBois, who challenges him in many ways. She pushes his buttons in such a way that cause him to lash out, in the end with dramatic consequences. When she witnesses, or rather overhears, Stanley striking Stella she reacts as any woman does, however she does not until later realise that Stanley's love for Stella knows no boundaries, she views his actions as barbaric and cannot comprehend how Stella could take him back into her arms lovingly with no qualms or major reactions to him striking her, especially whilst pregnant. Stanley has been raised to be a man's man, to fight for your rights and to be the man of the house at all times, his attitude towards women could be called brutish by some but he has been conditioned to have this attitude by his childhood. His love for his wife is unconditional even though he sometimes treats her with a little less respect than she

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The Glass Menagerie - Amanda Wingfield

Amanda Wingfield If there is a signature character type that marks Tennessee -Williams's dramatic work, it is undeniably that of the faded Southern belle. Amanda is a clear representative of this type. In general, a Tennessee Williams faded belle is from a prominent Southern family, has received a traditional upbringing, and has suffered a reversal of economic and social fortune at some point in her life. Like Amanda, these women all have a hard time coming to terms with their new status in society-and indeed, with modern society in general, which disregards the social distinctions that they were taught to value. Their relationships with men and their families are turbulent, and they staunchly defend the values of their past. As with Amanda, their maintenance of genteel manners in very ungenteel surroundings can appear tragic, comic, or downright grotesque. Amanda is the play's most extroverted and theatrical character, and one of modern American drama's most coveted female roles (the acclaimed stage actress Laurette Taylor came out of semi-retirement to play the role in the original production, and a number of legendary actresses, including Jessica Tandy, have since taken on the role). Amanda's constant nagging of Tom and her refusal to see Laura for who she really is are certainly reprehensible, but Amanda also reveals a willingness to sacrifice for her loved ones that

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The Glass menagerie - 'Being a memory play, it is dimly lighted, it is sentimental, it is not realistic'. To what degree is the play memory and to what degree is it realistic?

ENGLISH LITERATURE LONG ESSAY MEMORY AND REALITY (IN TENNESSEE WILLIAMS' THE GLASS MENAGERIE) 'Being a memory play, it is dimly lighted, it is sentimental, it is not realistic'. To what degree is the play memory and to what degree is it realistic? "When a play employs unconventional techniques, it is not trying to escape its responsibility of dealing with reality, or interpreting experience, but is actually attempting to find a closer approach, a more penetrating and vivid expression of things as they are" (Tennessee Williams). The Glass Menagerie is one of Tennessee Williams' most eminent works and no doubt qualifies as a classic of the modern theater. Often referred to as a 'memory play', both the style and content of The Glass Menagerie are shaped and inspired by the memory of the play's narrator, Tom Wingfield. According to Tom, due to the play's origins in memory, 'it is sentimental, it is not realistic' and may be presented with unusual freedom from convention. Consequently, the play is subject to numerous peculiarities, such as dim lighting, frequent use of music and overblown, almost 'too-perfect' symbolism. Most fictional works are products of the imagination, which attempt to convince the audience of its realism, through realistic conflict, drama and setting. The Glass Menagerie, however, although drawn from memory, is not 'attempting to escape its responsibility

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Discuss the dramatic impact of Scene One in the Glass Menagerie. Tennessee Williams uses a vary of dramatic techniques in Scene One

Discuss the dramatic impact of Scene One in the Glass Menagerie. Tennessee Williams uses a vary of dramatic techniques in Scene One, to encourage the audience to engage in what is truly behind this spectacular play. He uses mood music, lighting, symbolism, language and gesture, contrast in characters and also a screen device. These are very visual to the audience and help them understand what is going on in certain scenes and important moments. The audience see a change in Tom's role at the beginning of the play. Williams uses him as a character and also the narrator of the play. He transfers us from real-time back into his memory of the past events and a good director would choose to do this smoothly in order to give maximum effect. All these techniques that Williams uses form a "plastic theatre", which emphasizes the exaggerated props used on the stage. The first dramatic impact the audience receive from the opening scene is the fact that the play starts at the end. Tom has left the household and has become a merchant sailor. Even though he has achieved the life he has wanted, he still has that emotional attachment to the past and to Laura. The play demonstrates the unhappiness that Tom is feeling and how hard it is for him to let go of the past events. The stage directions in The Glass Menagerie give the audience a focus on what detail the play has. It helps them

  • Word count: 1682
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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