Prompt 7 on Noises Off

A motif that Michael Frayn uses in Noises Off is self-centered delusions. Each character in Noises Off is concerned with only his or her own desires and needs. The characters are all narcissistic and only care about what they want for themselves. Their self-centered motives cause a lot of problems in the world of the play, especially in regards to the production which they are trying to put on. The characters are so concerned with themselves and wrapped up in their own worlds that none of them are willing to go the extra mile and put in the effort necessary to make the play work. Instead, the characters impede the play’s progress by putting their individual needs first. The selfish attitudes of the characters are made obvious to the audience and seen clearly throughout the play. Selsdon is willing to miss his cue in order to continue his search for the bottle of whiskey, and in another similar instance Lloyd is more concerned with getting Brooke flowers than with helping the play run smoothly. At one point, Garry is swinging an axe at Frederick, which would clearly be detrimental to the play’s outcome. However, no one seems to actually care about the play more than their own personal problems. This continues throughout the entirety of the play, while the play within the play becomes worse and worse because of it.

A good tagline for this show would be “One moment they’re kicking you to death, next moment they expect you to come waltzing in with more sardines.” I think this line really explains the complete and utter chaos that is prominent throughout the play. To me it explains that there’s more going on than just the play that is being put on. It shows that things simply cannot be done correctly because of all the other nonsense that is going on with all the players. Even the fact that Mrs. Clackett, played by Dotty, is the one saying this ad-lib line is surprisingly appropriate. Dotty is the one who wants the show put on in the first place, and even she cannot overlook the developments that have happened between the players. All of the characters are so lost within themselves that they can’t even make the play what it is supposed to be. The entirety of the show consists of one big jumbled mess, and this line shows that quite well. 

Prompt 6 on Glass of Water

In Eugene Scribe’s The Glass of Water, many of the play’s characters are easy to identify with. All of the characters receive a significantly large amount of stage time, and in some cases, they are striving for the same things. However, I think the protagonist of this story is undoubtedly Abigail. Abigail is the character with which we can relate to the most because she never can quite get her way. In a sense, Abigail’s character is easy to sympathize with due to her underdog status throughout the show’s entirety. The audience does not expect her to achieve a reasonable position because of her rank in society, nor does the audience expect her to gain Masham’s love on account of her competitors’ status. We all want to fight for Abigail in hope of seeing her triumph.

However, I think the other characters play just as large of a role and are equally important to identify with.  The other characters assist by expanding upon the protagonist’s characteristics. Without the rest of the people in the court, Abigail would not be successful in her endeavors. One instance of this is when Bolingbroke uses what he has around him to further his needs in an attempt to attain peace, and in doing so he manages to help his friends succeed. Bolingbroke proves to be a great tool and is used to enhance the plot; he is the character that can be used as a helping hand.

Abigail’s struggle plays a crucial, central component to the plot in many ways as well. If she loses the battle for Masham, the fate of the English War would be altered exceedingly. Because the duchess is Abigail’s direct advisory, if the duchess succeeds and Abigail does not, the entire fate of the story changes. Also, Abigail receives the majority amount of stage time because she is used to bridge the gaps between the queen, the duchess, Bolingbroke, and Masham. Abigail directly affects the outcome of each of the character’s personal endeavors. Thus, she is the one who holds the play in place. The well-made play needs Abigail’s character to enhance each of the other characters on all levels.