Superstition and class are the two reasons which the Narrator has suggested could have caused the deaths of Mickey and Edward. He then asks the audience which one is to blame and this is what I am going to find out in my essay.
"And do we blame superstition for what came to pass, or could it be what we, the English have come to call as class" Superstition and class are the two reasons which the Narrator has suggested could have caused the deaths of Mickey and Edward. He then asks the audience which one is to blame and this is what I am going to find out in my essay. The first sign of superstition occurred early on in the book when Mrs. Johnstone spotted a pair of new shoes on Mrs. Lyons table "New shoes on the table, take them off" When new shoes on the table, it is meant to be unlucky. In the very next scene, Mrs. Johnstone find out that she is pregnant with twins, and not a single child. "You're expecting twins". This is considered unlucky by Mrs. Johnstone because she knew "With one more baby we could have managed, but not with two". Mrs. Johnstone believes in superstition and so she can then blame the extra baby on the new shoes being put on the table. This can then be called a cause of the deaths of the twins, because there would only be one baby. This first superstition then leads onto the second showing of superstition. When Mrs. Jonstone says the first quote, Mrs. Lyons learns that Mrs. Johnstone is superstitious. Mrs. Lyons takes advantage of Mrs. Johnstone by inventing a superstition so that Mrs. Johnstone is unable to tell anyone about her giving one of the babies to Mrs. Lyons. "you
Overview of the theme of love and kindness and the threats of these in all 4 plays of act one
Overview of the theme of love and kindness and the threats of these in all 4 plays of act one In this essay I will be portraying many different acts of emotion. Love and kindness can come very easily, but it's just as easy to endanger and threaten it. Each of my paragraphs will represent a different play. The first play is called 'Love is a many slendoured thing' by Alan Bleadsale. It's about two teenagers, Mickey and Dawn, who are set a project by their English teacher in which they have to work as a pair. Their target is to find out what 'young love' means to a number of people. Mickey has intended to spend his time watching his team Liverpool play at home. Mickey, throughout the play remains cynical towards Dawn and all girls. This is probably him feeling inadequate compared to the more mature and more confident Dawn. This is shown on the first page when Mickey says, "He made us sit next to a girl. A girl! Urgh!" This instantly shows his scepticism and curiosity towards the other sex. Later on Dawn and Mickey are having an argument about boys being less mature than girls. This is when Dawn makes a very significant remark, "No one in their right mind would fall in love with you." This instantly sets alarm bells of in the readers mind. This shows that Dawn has very intermit feelings towards Mickey and is trying to hide them. When the interview about 'young love' falls
Blood Brothers Coursework
Blood Brothers Coursework 'Mickey! Don't shoot Eddie. He's your brother' The final scene of Blood Brothers by Willy Russell is one of dramatic impact and culmination, representing the intense tension which has developed previously throughout the play attributable to several climatic aspects, this is emphasised by the quote from the closing scene directing to ultimately the most significant instance of the entire play. In this essay I will discuss, as a director, how I would assemble this imperative last scene. To do so I will have to consider characterisation, the mood, themes, dramatic techniques and my intentions on how the audience should react, devising an awareness of social, historical and cultural contexts and influences. =- or play should be presented through precise instructions to those they manage. They must direct and organise the participants, through leadership and authority in order to produce an expressive piece. A director should also have the ability to create the effect needed for that particular aspect of the play. Plays of the same production differ, as the application of the director's influences and preferences alter the performance and distribute a realistic presentation portrayed in a variety of techniques. Furthermore good directors use lighting and scenery with an outstanding effect in a manner which prompts the audience's response. To allow a
Compare how Willy Russell portrays the two mothers in Blood Brothers. Account for the different reactions the audience will have to the two women throughout the play.
'Blood Brothers' Drama Coursework Compare how Willy Russell portrays the two mothers in Blood Brothers. Account for the different reactions the audience will have to the two women throughout the play. This essay will compare how Willy Russell portrays the two mothers in 'Blood Brothers' in the book and on the stage. It will have an account for the different reactions the audience will have to the two women throughout the play. Firstly, the play 'Blood Brothers' is set in post Second World War Liverpool between the nineteen fifties and ends around the nineteen seventies, a time when the image of being Marilyn Monroe was every girl's dream. It was also a time when people were striving to make ends meet because unemployment was high after the war. Within this time the play was set and this essay will also show how this backdrop will have an effect on the audience. In this musical, the playwright, Willy Russell, chooses to portray two contrasting women and significantly, two different mothers. Willy Russell writes the play in such a context with the intent to make individuals realise the effects of the class system on both mothers. The play looks at class effects and how people are able to live their lives because of what situations they are in. For example, on the one hand you have Mrs. Johnstone who lives in the poor end of Liverpool, struggling to bring up eight children
There are many themes used in 'Blood Brothers', the main ones being based on class and superstition
THE PLAY - IT'S SETTING AND BACKGROUND For those of studying the play at GCSE here is a some information on the text, background of the play, the author (Willy Russell) and it's themes, plot and setting. It's probably not much, but here it is if it's any use.... Setting: The play is set in Liverpool, 1962 and continues for around 20 years. Mrs Johnstone and her family live in a poor part of Liverpool in contrast Mr and Mrs Lyons live a comfortable life in the more comfortable end of town. Willy Russell (The Author): Willy Russell was born just outside Liverpool in Whiston, 1947. After leaving school with one English O-level, he then went on became a ladies hairdresser. In his spare time he would write comical songs but would never sing them in public until one night at his local pub, his friend put him up to sing, and for the first time sang a song he wrote about the 'Kirkby Estate' where he had his audience in 'gales of laughter'. From then on this became frequent. In the back of his mind he had always had the thought of writing a play. In 1972 'Blind Scouse' was premierd at the Endinbourgh Festival and later on he wrote many more which have become widley known such as 'Educating Rita' which was made into a film in 1981 starring Michael Cain and Julie Walters, 'Shirly Valentine' the screenplay written in 1990 starring Pauline Collins. 'Stags and Hens' which first
Themes used in 'Blood Brothers'
Blood Brothers Essay Blood Brothers is a hugely popular play and musical written by the well-known author of Educating Rita, Willy Russell. It is fast moving and perceptive, entertaining and thought-provoking, funny yet ultimately tragic. It tells the tale of twin brothers who are born into a large working-class family and what happens when their mother decides to have one of them adopted. Blood Brothers looks at the differences and conflicts of their upbringings, their relationships with each other and with their real and adopted mothers. The play is set in Liverpool, 1962 and continues for around 20 years. Mrs Johnstone and her family live in a poor part of Liverpool in contrast Mr and Mrs Lyons lives a comfortable life in the more comfortable end of town. There are many themes used in 'Blood Brothers', the main ones being based on class and superstition. In the country, class effects how people are able to live their lives and the situations they are in. In 'Blood Brothers' Mrs Johnstone lives in a poor end of Liverpool, struggling to bring up eight children on her own and is forced to give one away to keep the others clothed and fed well enough, whereas Mrs Lyons, whom she works for, lives in a large house, very comfortably in a nice part of Liverpool, she wants children but is unable to have any, even though she is rich, unlike Mrs Johnstone. Love is a theme, shown
In 'Blood Brothers' we discussed how the narrator affects the play and how the narrator can change the plays direction, place and time. We used the narrator in a scene from the play to act out what we thought the narrator would do.
Blood Brothers, Paper 1b 'Blood Brothers' is about a poor lower class mother who sells one of her twin sons. She sells her child to a rich upper class family and you see the two brothers become blood brothers. Unaware that they are brothers they go through their lives with emphasis on being 7, a teenager, at university and then in their adult life. The superstition is, is that if they find out they both will die. Narration In 'Blood Brothers' we discussed how the narrator affects the play and how the narrator can change the plays direction, place and time. We used the narrator in a scene from the play to act out what we thought the narrator would do. Prejudice Whilst studying 'Blood Brothers' we discussed different forms of prejudice, racism, ageism, sexism, facial disfigurement and disability and class are the different forms of prejudice we discussed. We discussed why people take a dislike without even knowing the person their taking a dislike to. Exploring the character's attitudes and intentions We discussed what the motives of the characters were, why they carried out their actions etc. The discussion included why Mrs Johnstone sold one of her twins, how Mickey's life got in such a bad state and why Edward's and Mickey's life got separated. The monologue The monologue is a technique for a character within the play to perform a dialogue to tell the
How willy russel conveys chosen themes
20th Century Drama Coursework: How Does Willy Russell Use the Story of the Johnston Twins to Convey His Chosen Themes in Blood Brothers? 'Blood Brothers' is a play that was written by Willy Russell. First performed in Liverpool in 1982, it was later adapted to become a musical before becoming a worldwide hit. The plot concerns two brothers separated at birth due to their real mother's lack of money. They become close friends later in life, unknowing of their relation. The play ends with tragedy when both brothers are killed in a freak accident due to a breakdown of friendship over a love interest. There are multiple themes or alternative meanings running alongside the main plot of the play. Using such a multitude of themes is a brilliant method for getting in touch with more individual readers and building up a greater audience who appreciate the play at may different levels. The added meanings also add richness and feeling to the story of the Johnston twins without overcomplicating it. The two most important themes in Willy Russell's blood brothers I feel were the comparisons between the upper and lower British social classes, there were a lot of references to this and it has a lot of relevance to the play and secondly, the insight that is given into Mrs Johnstone's life and how she had often been confounded with superstition. Other prominent themes in blood brothers
How does Willy Russelll use the songs to enhance the audience(TM)s understanding of the play Blood Brothers(TM)?
How does Willy Russelll use the songs to enhance the audience's understanding of the play 'Blood Brothers'? Blood Brothers is a play written by Willy Rusell as a school play in 1981. It was then developed into a full play/musical and performed for the first time at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983. The musical features many songs that help to introduce the characters and set the scenes. The songs are sometimes also used to progress through the musical. One of these many songs starts on the first scene right after the narrator exits. Mrs. Johnstone sings it. In this song Mrs. Johnstone describes her life before the story starts. The song is used to introduce one of the main characters Mrs. Johnstone. Throughout the song Mrs. Johnstone is compared to Marilyn Monroe, this is an extended metaphor for her life. She is considered to be like Marilyn Monroe because her life starts off well but after time it starts to deteriorate just like that of Marilyn Monroe's life. This song enhances the audience's understanding of the play by showing that Mrs. Johnstone's life has not treated her well, it helps the audience sympathise with Mrs. Johnstone. This helps the audience understand more what Mrs. Johnstone is going through during the rest of the play. Also throughout the song Mrs. Johnstone and her husband "go dancing". This is an extended metaphor for her hope. When she first meets
Travel Writing - Euro Disney in Paris, France.
GCSE - English - Coursework - John Stamps Travel Writing Euro Disney in Paris, France From the back seat of my car, I looked on as the Mickey Mouse signs flew past my window. Up Mickey's long drive we drove, many others joined us in our journey to Disney, like a group of small children flocking towards a melodic ice cream van. A large Mickey was visible in the distance perched upon a wide banner coated in sparkling magic. Under this elaborate banner we drove, feeling the magic that Walt Disney had created, thrust upon us. The anticipation was building as the wonderful world of films and fun grew nearer and nearer. On and on the highway continued, round to the left and round to the right, we followed in line, lemmings watching each other's heels. After a long but by no means boring journey, it looked as though we had finally arrived at Walt Disney land as the huge parking lot we entered. As the car door slammed behind me the five year old inside me was jumping out, bouncing around in happiness at the thought of meeting his favourite television character. This excitement had to be kept within as I, along with many other five year olds had to withstand even more torturous waiting and travelling before we reached our destination. Along the great, Disney sized escalator I walked, gazing at Disney film posters, splattered all over the walls showcasing the many years of