Author Archives: Sabrina Esclavon

Posts: 4 (archived below)
Comments: 1

About Sabrina Esclavon

NO-CARD

The Downfall of Giles Overreach

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Sabrina Esclavon

A New Way To Pay Old Debts is a play in which the audience finds themselves truly rooting for the downfall of the bad guy.  This is different from some of the other plays we have read as most of the characters are all mixed up in circumstances that lead to terrible deeds being done by a multitude of characters.  While A New Way To Pay Old Debts does have its share of bad things being done onto others, there is a clear distinction between who is right and who is wrong.  The character of Giles Overreach feels entitled to whatever he sets his eyes on and has no moral limit as to what he will do to get it.  In contrast to the characters of Frank Wellborn and Lady Allworth who are aristocrats, Overreach has climbed up the societal ladder through unsavory means.  This connects to another major theme in the play, which is how the author portrays differences between the aristocratic class and the working class.

While Wellborn and Lady Allworth were born into money, Overreach lets the audience know fast that he has personally acquired his wealth over the years.  However, he is no hard worker having earnestly earned his new status.  This is important, because through this character choice, the author creates a clear distinction between social status; that those who are born into money are inherently better, both in morals and intelligence.  Although Overreach was able to scam Frank out of his wealth, leaving him nothing but a poor has-been, Wellborn and Lady Alllworth are still able to outsmart him, playing on his own tactics to rob him of his riches.  Overreach’s grandiose ambitions and sense of self blind him, making him not susceptible to only Wellborn’s plan, but to Lovell’s plan as well.  In the end, we see the crash and burn of Giles Overreach, ultimately being left with the idea that although he was able to acquire a higher social status, he could never make up for what he was lacking on the inside.

Posted in A New Way to Pay Old Debts, Power struggles | 2 Comments

Bosola; An Almost-Hero is realized?

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Sabrina Esclavon

During Monday’s class, we had a discussion about the terms ‘hero’ and ‘dramatic hero’.  We went on to question who the dramatic heroes are in The Duchess of Malfi.  After doing a bit of research, my better understanding of a tragic hero is that of someone who evokes a sense of pity in the audience, and is also made to endure undeserved misfortunes.  That being said, it is clear that The Duchess is this play’s foremost dramatic hero.  In Act 4, Scene 2, the Duchess is wrongfully fooled into believing that her husband and children have been murdered, thus taking with them her own will to live.  This was orchestrated by the Duchess’ brothers, and carried out by Bosola in an attempt to receive his fair due in the form of an advancement after continually doing the brother’s dirty work.

However, after he has done so and reported back to Ferdinand, he is once again let down.  Now this isn’t meant to evoke any kind of pity in the audience for Bosola, as he seemingly has no moral compass in regards to what he is willing to do for his advancement.  This is also not the first time he has murdered someone, and it is not the first time he has not been given his promised reward.  Having said that, Bosola plays a very important role in the last few scenes in the play.  Although he has multiple motives (revenge, his sense of betrayal), Bosola does perhaps the most valiant action in the play.  He takes it upon himself to confront the Cardinal, bringing death to both him and Ferdinand, while in the process being mortally wounded.  When Antonio spoke of Bosola not reaching his full potential earlier in the play, this final act of boldness comes quite close to what I believe Bosola would have been had he not chosen a darker path.

Posted in Revenge, The Duchess of Malfi, Tragedy | 1 Comment

Social Status in The Shoemaker’s Holiday

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Sabrina Esclavon

The Shoemaker’s Holiday, written by Thomas Dekker, is one of the first plays we have read in class that closely examines social status.  I say closely because I think the other plays we have read thus far do incorporate social status as a plot device in one way or another, but none do so as thoroughly as The Shoemaker’s Holiday.  The plot’s main character is the boisterous yet charming Simon Eyre, a shoemaker dedicated to his craft and to those who work with him.  Eyre’s trademark phrase is “Prince am I none, yet am I princely born”.  He says this over and over again, and it might provide an explanation as to how and why Eyre is able to ascend the social ladder as a shoe maker to a Lord Sheriff, to finally a Lord Mayor.  The fact that Eyre has the opportunity to climb the social ladder is intriguing, and offers and interesting parallel to the side plot of Lacy and Rose, whose guardians are opposed to their marriage due to differences in social status.

While Lacy’s Uncle is opposed to his marriage to Rose because she is middle class (albeit her father is what one might recognize as New Money).  On the other hand, Rose’s father opposes the marriage due to Lacy’s previous lifestyle as a reckless spender, and in turn a threat to Roses’s assets if they do get married.  However, Lacy finds his way around this roadblock to his happiness with Rose, and chooses to disguise himself as a shoemaker, thus entwining his plot with that of Simon Eyre.  Things aren’t completely settled between the already married Lacy and Rose, as their guardians still oppose the union.  Leave it to the King to make an appearance in the last scene, and set everything right.  He talks in length about how the problem of social status shouldn’t be an obstruction to the couple’s happiness, as Rose is ” worthy bride for any gentleman” (21.109) and Lacy “To gain her love became a shoemaker” (21.113).  This part of the King’s speech is moving as he stands up for the couple’s love for each other coming before social status.  However, he promptly appoints Lacy a higher status as a Knight, much to the delight of Oately and Lincoln.  In conclusion, I don’t think that this play is campaigning that social status doesn’t really matter; instead it provides a well thought out portrayal of matters of the working class in a manner that showcases the cunning and vivacity of these particular characters.

 

 

Posted in Love relationships, The Shoemaker's Holiday | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Endymion: Devotion to Cynthia and Queen Elizabeth

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Sabrina Esclavon

In Endymion, John Lyly refreshingly transforms a play based on the classical myth, into a comedy.  In class, we spent a good portion of time discussing who Lyly was writing this for, and where it was performed.  The conclusion was that this play was performed before Queen Elizabeth, and the main role of Cynthia the Goddess of the Moon was used to represent her.  This brings into perspective why Lyly would choose to alter the original plot of Endymion.  In the original myth, the Moon Goddess is the one who fawns over and chases after Endymion.  In Lyly’s version, it is Endymion, a man, who devotes himself to the Moon Goddess Cynthia.  Act 1 opens with Endymion confessing his love of Cynthia to his best friend Eumenides.  There are many instances before Endymion’s notorious lengthy sleep in which he professes his love for Cynthia.

I believe this was an important and well thought out move on Lyly’s part when writing the play.  If Cynthia is meant to represent Queen Elizabeth, then the implication is that Endymion, who can be interchanged with Queen Elizabeth’s subjects, sincerely adores her.  I also think that it is worth pointing out that the relationship between Cynthia and Endymion is largely platonic (aside from the kiss that breaks him from his sleep).  Endymion shows no signs of lusting after Cynthia; he purely worships her.  This solidifies the symbolism of the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and her subjects.  The reason Lyly would write a play to this effect for Queen Elizabeth is because she was in her later years, and this play would serve as a playful and meaningful method of honoring the Queen.

Posted in Endymion | Tagged , | 1 Comment