A New Way to Pay Old Debts
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Author Archives: Melissa Salamat
Posts: 5 (archived below)
Comments: 1
Comparison of Prodigal Sons
What I first noticed about Wellborn’s character was his description: ‘a prodigal’. The only other time I’ve heard the term ‘prodigal’ is from the Bible passage in the New Testament. Both Wellborn and the unnamed son personify the word ‘prodigal’ in that they squandered away the wealth and inheritance given to them by their fathers. However, that is where the similarities end. The son from the Bible passage returned home to his father in a state of remorse. The most notable point in the parable is that the father doesn’t punish or disown his son, but welcomes him with open arms. Unfortunately, Wellborn did not have this opportunity.
Wellborn’s father had passed away and he didn’t have any other relatives to turn to. His uncle, Overreach wanted nothing to do with him. He had to raise himself up from his own efforts and what is extremely commendable of him was that he didn’t accept the charity of others. If he was to atone for his past mistakes, he wanted to do it honorably. I found this a pleasant surprise after being introduced to him in a negative light by the other characters.
It’s interesting to find such a clear character to root for while in many of the other plays we’ve read, it is not so easy. Even the fact the Overreach was made to act so evil shows the playwrights intention at making transparent characters. Even to the end when Wellborn has gained access to a comfortable lifestyle again, he chooses to serve as a soldier. In both cases, the sons are able to turn over a new leaf. The title brings justice to a another take of a prodigal son, A New Way to Pay Old Debts.
Posted in A New Way to Pay Old Debts
1 Comment
“The Changeling”
I wondered what the title really meant for this play as I was reading through the scenes. I recognized that Antonio was listed as ‘the changeling’ in the cast list but from what I perceived, he was a minor character compared to Beatrice and De Flores. But it is clear by the end of the play that Antonio only serves as a faint parallel of the true changelings.
Beatrice’s working in cahoots with De Flores for their murder plots may not seem like an unusual situation for a Jacobean drama. What makes this unique is the fact that they have completely different image between themselves and the world. There are many examples where a switch in emotions is seen in Beatrice and De Flores, like their relationship; Beatrice went from despising him to seeking out his company and De Flores in changing his view of Beatrice from infatuation to controlling.
While these are obvious observations I noticed that their personalities never really changed. I felt Beatrice remained a spoiled and indifferent character throughout the play, from picking and choosing who her husband would be to killing people just for the sake of her well being. She blamed others on her misdirection, such as De Flores and Alsemero, rather than herself. Also, De Flores remained a trickster and a person in control throughout the play, even to the point of suicide. It is understandable that emotions will change day in and day out but I personally didn’t feel that these two characters genuinely embody the definition of a “changeling.”
Fed Fortune
As I was reading through Volpone and witnessing Mosca’s intelligence and position, I wondered why wasn’t Mosca’s already rich himself? From the start of the play I could tell Mosca held the reins of the whole scheme; all Volpone had to do was think of a plot and lie in bed. Mosca had to be the one on his feet, thinking of minute details in a short amount of time while Volpone acted like a blubbering mess. So why was Mosca still under Volpone’s roof or control for so long if it is clear Mosca’s aware of how a con-artist works? Sure, it could have been because Volpone already had an insurance of wealth that he could live well on for the rest of his life, but if he was so driven to act out Volpone’s antics, it could not have been all too difficult to start his own act? Well then, maybe it was loyalty? However, as the play progressed I could tell Mosca did not want to be under Volpone’s wing forever.
I feel Mosca would never have turned on Volpone if the course of events did not happen in this play. It is partly Volpone’s fault for giving Mosca the opportunity to turn against him, providing Mosca with such a large foothold on his treasures with the will. I believe as Volpone’s tricks started to lose their traction, Mosca started thinking of a way out. The way Jonson planned out the timeline of Volpone, it all worked out perfectly where the bad guys get their punishment and the good remain free. With such a clean ending, I wonder what would have transpired if Mosca could have gotten away with Volpone’s riches and how far the immoral could succeed.
Posted in Power struggles, Revenge, Volpone
1 Comment
The Shoemaker’s Holiday: The Wheel of Fortune
When finishing The Shoemaker’s Holiday, by Thomas Dekker, I was surprised to find it a very light play in comparison to the past ones we’ve read. Every character ended up in a favorable position, even the so called antagonists, Oatley and Lincoln. First, Lacy who rebelled against Lincoln and the English in general, was not only allowed to keep his marriage but also knighted by the King; Lincoln and Oatley got over their obsession over social standing because of this event. Simon Eyre changed from a lowly shoemaker into the high position of a Mayor, taking the place of Oatley. The shoemakers gained a holiday despite any actions of their own and the King was so pleased with Eyre that he obliged to his request for Leadenhall. Ralph was able to reunite with Jane. It may seem that only Hammon didn’t come out favorably in this play; however that is not really an option for him since it didn’t seem he was very driven for Jane anyway. He wagered money over her and even before meeting her, he had his fickle mind set on Rose.
So what does this make for the purpose of this play? I wondered about this, seeing that many plays we’ve read already presented very serious messages, going as far as murder in order to get them across. Is this simply a grown-up fairy tale in that everyone has their happy endings with a multitude of crude humor mixed in? Well, it could very well be that this play was made for this reason, maybe because of tragedy-based plays being presented during the Renaissance Era or maybe it could be a voice for different social classes in the English audience; where characters like Firk and Ralph can shine as unexpected heroes and instigators despite the higher authority they might be facing, be it Oatley, Lincoln, or Hammon. Simon Eyre can also serve as an escape for older members of the audience who dream of changing their economic standing despite the odds. It’s funny to think that the kind of messages this play sends out was even performed in front of royalty, who would probably relate the least to the main characters in the play.
Posted in Comedy, Power struggles, The Shoemaker's Holiday
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The Shoemaker’s Holiday – Scene Study
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFX50ZlpYNM
In planning this scene study, our group came up with several ideas on how to go about presenting this scene. We decided to film in the library although we preferred to have a more classic background which was not available for us in the area. In order to depict where Scene 16 was taking place, we displayed a drawing of the Old Ford, Oatley’s estate, to provide a backdrop for us. Also, we ran into the problem of not having any people on hand to film for us, realizing that all four of us had to be on camera at a particular time. Thus, we decided to have a stationary camera as we filmed our scene.
As for the dialogue, it consisted for very dynamic expressions at certain points, especially Firk’s quips and remarks, and also changes in mood throughout the scene. So we added some background music to help in setting the mood as certain characters entered the scene. We were fortunate enough to have a quiet setting to film our scene and did not have a difficult time hearing our voices played back through the video. Overall, it was a smooth filming session and gave us more insight into the detailed work required for live theatre.
– Jillian Gritz, 
Jasmine Bajraktari, Peter Wang ,Melissa Salamat
