The Academy
Émile Zola, The Heirs of Rabourdin
Synopsis of Émile Zola, The Heirs of Rabourdin
Zola, Emile. The Heirs of Rabourdin. London: Henry, 1894. Google Books. Web. 28 Sep. 2015.
by Danny C. Miller and Mekdad Muthana
Rabourdin, 60-year-old notable resident of the town of Senlis, and his god-daughter Charlotte are talking in Rabourdin’s dining room in front of his safe, which they note is completely empty. Rabourdin says that he has spent all his money, but since everybody thinks he still has a fortune left they all bring him gifts in hopes that he will mention them in his will. Charlotte reads the ledger of all the gifts that Rabourdin has received and Rabourdin identifies greed as the motivation of these gift givers: “If I hadn’t played the miser when I had hardly a farthing left, I shouldn’t have a crust of bread or a glass of water from them! Ah! If they only knew, there would be no more dainties, my poor Charlotte; no more petting, no more serene old age for me! I should be ‘that old scamp of a Rabourdin'” (3). After Rabourdin has gone to the next room to await the arrival of guests, Charlotte’s fiancé Dominique comes in unexpectedly after a five-year absence. They reminisce of their childhood and discuss plans to live together as man and wife. When Charlotte says that Rabourdin is expecting his nieces, they devise to have Dominique pretend to be his nephew.
Rabourdin’s two nieces along with his old business partner Chapuzot and his doctor Mourgue arrive, all under the mistaken impression that Rabourdin is very ill and their inheritance is close at hand. The guests argue about whom among the four of them Rabourdin will name as heir and each of the two nieces speaks ill of the other when she is out of the room. When Rabourdin enters playing up the act of being terminally ill, all four pander to him and try to out-do each other in showing concern for his poor health.
Dominique enters and greets Rabourdin as his uncle, and after a moment of hesitation Rabourdin welcomes this “nephew.” A businessman named Isaac joins the group, come to collect a debt from Rabourdin. Rabourdin employs a ruse in which he cannot find the key to his safe and in his frustration must borrow the money from his nieces, who tell him they have nothing but pocket change. It is Dominique who steps forward to pay Isaac, prompting Rabourdin to call him “a true Rabourdin”. The niece Madame Vaussard takes Isaac aside to discuss extending her loan from him in expectation of Rabourdin’s inheritance, but he refuses. Meanwhile the other niece, Madame Fiquet, speaks with Ledoux, the fiancé of her daughter Eugenie, who has been waiting in the garden. She pressures him to marry her daughter so that he can have a share of the Rabourdin inheritance. At the conclusion of act one, Charlotte, having heard from Dominique that he paid Rabourdin’s debt, swears that she will make Rabourdin repay him for the ruse.
In act two, upon confronting Rabourdin about Dominique’s money, Charlotte finds out that he has spent her dowry as well. According to Rabourdin, the heirs were responsible for making him spend all the money, so Charlotte says they must pay her back, and she devises a scheme to get the money along with a clock for her godfather. She has Dominique summon the other guests, telling them that Rabourdin is dying. Chapuzot, the business partner, comes up first to Rabourdin, who appears to be on the point of death, and celebrates his approaching hour of inheritance but will not oblige Charlotte with the money she asks for. Rabourdin, who is of course not dying at all, can barely hold back his rancor at Chapuzot’s greed but must maintain the charade. After Chapuzot leaves the room, Madame Fiquet comes in with Eugenie and Ledoux, and Charlotte convinces her that she must buy a clock from Isaac in order to receive Rabourdin’s inheritance. The doctor Mourgue comes in to treat Rabourdin, but has to attend to Chapuzot who is actually sick. Charlotte sends Madame Vaussard to race against Madame Fiquet to buy the clock, however Madame Vaussard returns with Isaac and the clock right after Fiquet leaves. Isaac agrees to lend money to Madame Fiquet after all.
In act three, the guests leave Charlotte and Rabourdin with the doctor in the bedroom. They sit in the other room discussing what they plan to do Rabourdin’s property, which they each expect to inherit. Soon after the doctor leaves, Charlotte comes out to tell everyone Rabourdin is dead. The heirs say that their feeling of loss is too great to even cry. Charlotte convinces Chapuzot he must give her money to settle Rabourdin’s affairs because while she is certain that Rabourdin left Chapuzot all the money in the safe, the key is still missing. After playing this trick on Chapuzot, Charlotte tells Madame Fiquet that she will inherit everything because Rabourdin’s will says the money must go to the person who bought him the clock. Charlotte, however, knows that she did not buy the clock but instead rented it, so Madame Fiquet runs out of the house. Next Charlotte tells Madame Vaussard that the will leaves everything to the person who pays for Rabourdin’s funeral, thus convincing Madame Vaussard to give her three thousand francs. Madame Fiquet returns with a receipt for the purchase of the clock.
Charlotte tells the two nieces they will find the will inside the safe, the key to which is under her godfather’s pillow, upon which Rabourdin’s head still rests. The nieces bicker about who will be the heiress, until they finally retrieve the key and open the safe. All that is in the safe is the ledger, upon which is a note from Rabourdin, telling the nieces that he has no money left for them to inherit. At this moment, they discover that Rabourdin is not dead, and they angrily leave the house carrying various valuable presents they had given him. However, they soon return to pander to Rabourdin once again because, as Charlotte explains, the social esteem the nieces command is dependent on the continued perception that they are the heirs of Rabourdin. Charlotte shows Dominique the money that she has recovered from the heirs through her scheme: they can now be married as they planned.
John Todhunter, The Black Cat
Synopsis of John Todhunter, The Black Cat
Todhunter, John. The Black Cat. London: Henry & Co, 1893. Project Gutenberg. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
by Lashawn Joyner, Wendyliz Martinez, and Lena Matos
In the first act we are introduced to Undine, the young daughter of Arthur and Constance Denham, who is studying when her father enters. She complains about having trouble with a sum and being forced to study during the holiday. Mr. Denham quizzes Undine on math problems, which she has difficulty with and answers incorrectly. Mrs. Denham, who comes in to check on her daughter’s progress, notices that Undine’s clothes are dirty. The mother immediately screams at Undine for wasting time, making a mess, and disobeying her. The child’s confession to the fact that she has climbed a tree angers Mrs. Denham, so she shakes Undine until her daughter screams. Undine is sent out of the studio, and Mrs. Denham states that it would have been better if their daughter had never been born. She talks poorly about Undine, calling her an idiot. This scene leads to a long back-and-forth between Mr. and Mrs. Denham and their relationship as husband and wife. Mrs. Denham admits that she is aware of making Mr. Denham unhappy, but she blames him for always pushing her away. She believes that at heart her husband despises her because she is a modern woman. Mr. Denham retorts his beliefs of “la femme est une malade;” he explains that women generally are sick creatures who suffer a constant war between their instinct and rationality, and that the societal relationship of marriage is a necessary evil much like war and politics. Mrs. Denham wonders why her husband doesn’t leave her if he seems so unhappy with their marriage. Mr. Denham explains that there are only three possibilities of woman in the world: the Divine Mistress, the Divine Matron, and the Divine Virgin.
The Denham’s servant Jane interrupts this philosophical speech with a telegram. The note informs Mrs. Denham that her old friend, Blanche Tremaine, who is famous for her multiple marriages, is coming to pay her a visit. Mr. Denham’s friends, Fitzgerald and Cyril Vane, both of whom Mrs. Denham detests, arrive to look at his new work—a portrait of Brynhild. Both friends comment on Mr. Denham’s painting: Fitzgerald believes that passionate women like Brynhild always have a strong character and this character is ugly; Vane is offended that Mr. Denham foolishly attempted to make an epic painting with unnecessary meaning. After Vane’s negative comment about the painting, Mr. Denham destroys his work. Miss Macfarlane, a friend of the family, enters the studio, followed by Mrs. Tremaine. The women talk about Mrs. Tremaine’s scandals of romance and marriage: her running away from her first husband and being widowed of her second. Mrs. Tremaine has no children; she expresses her feelings on marriage: it is not suited for her due to its artificial bond that makes people too comfortable with one another. While Mrs. Denham and Miss Macfarlane leave to discuss the drawing-room’s refurbishment, Mr. Denham convinces Mrs. Tremaine that she has an art of persuading that she is beautiful; hence Mrs. Tremaine agrees to model. Mrs. Denham and Miss Macfarlane return, and Mrs. Denham disapprovingly points out Mr. Denham’s black cat walking about. She wants to get rid of the cat, but Mrs. Tremaine interjects that killing a black cat would incur bad luck. The Denhams are surprised at Mrs. Tremaine’s superstitious beliefs but allow her to keep the black cat for herself. When Mr. Denham takes Mrs. Tremaine for tea, Miss Macfarlane warns her friend about Mrs. Tremaine and Mr. Denham’s possible affair, because she’s a “woman that loves men.” Mrs. Denham reasons that since her husband doesn’t love her anyway, it doesn’t matter if he leaves. Miss Macfarlane disagrees with Mrs. Denham’s sentiment; she explains that Mr. Denham still loves her, but men are different than women in their interpretation and understanding of things, and for this Mrs. Denham should still guard her husband from Mrs. Tremaine.
The second act opens with Mr. Denham painting Mrs. Tremaine in his studio. Mr. Denham complains about his wife being a poor painting model due to her overall pessimism and irritability. This turns into a conversation about love, marriage, men, women and living in “sin.” Mr. Denham reveals to Mrs. Tremaine that her arrival made him happy again, and Mrs. Tremaine confesses that being in the studio posing for his painting is like an oasis compared to the “desert” of the outside world. At the same time, Mrs. Tremaine receives a letter that notifies her about a new job: she is signed on to sing for a private house in the capital. Therefore, she informs Mr. Denham that she will be unable to continue to pose for him. Mr. Denham shows Mrs. Tremaine the painting and she loves it. When Mrs. Denham momentarily comes in for money from Mr. Denham, however, she does not show similar enthusiasm and support for the painting when her husband asks her opinion. Realizing that their time together is near an end, Mr. Denham asks Mrs. Tremaine to sit in a chair, which he calls a “throne,” and listen to his poem titled “To a beautiful woman,” dedicated to her. After Mr. Denham has recited his poetry, he reveals his true feelings for Mrs. Tremaine: he is in love with her. Mrs. Tremaine does not feel the same way towards Mr. Denham. She calls him just a friend and takes the flattery with vague discomfort. Nevertheless, Mr. Denham does not accept this answer; he tries to convince her to open up and not fear her true feelings. Mrs. Tremaine does not want to entertain this love, because it would be dishonest to his marriage and their reputations. As Mr. Denham is increasingly persistent, Mrs. Tremaine finally accedes and says she loves him too.
Mrs. Denham walks into the room while her husband is kissing her friend. The situation escalates, and Mrs. Denham refuses to hear Mrs. Tremaine’s side of the story. After Mrs. Tremaine leaves, the spouses argue. Mrs. Denham blames her husband for his dishonesty; she is disappointed that her husband never showed her any love. Mr. Denham responds that he wouldn’t leave her and Undine simply because he loves another woman, and that marriage is not always based on love, therefore they can still try to be friends. Mr. Denham’s request–“to leave the things as they are,” because “love is just a dream”–makes Mrs. Denham even angrier. Mrs. Denham doesn’t want his compromise, and she tells him he should leave her and go to Mrs. Tremaine. They are interrupted by Miss Macfarlane, who consoles Mrs. Denham and berates Mr. Denham for feeling entitled to his impulses and hurting his wife as no gentleman would. Mr. Denham tries to defend himself, saying he is not a gentleman because a gentleman would be discrete with his flirtations. Miss Macfarlane tells him: “if ye can’t have good morals, at least have good manners.” Mr. Denham exits, and Mrs. Denham admits that she is miserable and her marriage is over. Miss Macfarlane says, “A thunderstorm is not a Day of Judgment” and calls Mrs. Tremaine the “Black Cat” that Mrs. Denham needs to get rid of. Nevertheless, Mrs. Denham still feels that her marriage is hopeless, believing that “a good tragedy is better than a bad comedy.”
At the beginning of act three, Mr. Denham finds his wife in his studio, lying on the sofa with her face buried in her hands. He inquires about their daughter. Soon enough, the father discovers that Undine has escaped out of the window by using a skipping rope. By questioning his wife about the reason behind Undine’s running away, Mrs. Denham confesses that she beat Undine up for her disobedience. While Mr. Denham is preparing to look for Undine, Fitzgerald arrives into the studio with good news: he has found Undine and brought her home. The parents are shocked to hear that their daughter ran away with the intention of drowning herself in the River Thames. The explanation behind Undine’s actions is even more disturbing; Mrs. Denham promised to kill her. Feeling guilty, Mrs. Denham consoles Undine by telling her that she is sorry for saying things she does not mean when she is angry. Although Undine forgives her, Mrs. Denham is very troubled and believes that she has been a poor mother. Undine is put to bed, and Mrs. Denham talks about the situation with her husband, though he seems more occupied with his drawing than with their daughter’s attempted suicide and Mrs. Denham’s emotional state. Mrs. Denham begins to believe she is going mad. Mr. Denham tells her he will return shortly, and he goes to see Fitzgerald about his drawing. While he is gone, Mrs. Denham writes a note for Jane to deliver to Mrs. Tremaine saying she must come to their home at once. Mrs. Denham is overwhelmed with the sequence of terrible events in her life and debates what to do, torn between killing herself and staying alive. Believing that her life is no longer worth living, she puts poison in a tea cup and drinks it. Mr. Denham and Mrs. Tremaine walk in, discussing the difficulty of their situation. With regard to Mr. Denham’s decision to stay with his wife, Mrs. Tremaine reacts aggressively, calling him a “limp coward.” They finally discover Mrs. Denham’s dead body on the floor. Mr. Denham asks Mrs. Tremaine to leave him alone with his wife. Before exiting, Mrs. Tremaine wonders whether Mr. Denham will end up hating her. The play ends with Mr. Denham’s lasts words of despair, because he always meant
George Moore, The Strike at Arlingford
Synopsis of George Moore, The Strike at Arlingford
Moore, George. The Strike at Arlingford: A Play in Three Acts. London: Walter Scott, 1893. Web. 9 Sept. 2015. https://archive.org/details/strikeatarlingf00moorgoog
by Nykia Blanks, Sandra Brown, David Castro and Ramata Cisse
The play opens in the home of Lady Anne Travers. A journalist, Fred Hamer, is shown in by the footman. When the footman leaves, Hamer begins taking notes on the appearance of her Ladyship’s drawing-room. After being espied by Baron Steinbach, Hamer explains to him that he has come to the home of Lady Anne in hopes of being granted an interview about the state of the town and the current labor strike. Steinbach informs Hamer that it is doubtful that Lady Anne will grant the journalist an interview as she has recently returned from abroad and is probably still fatigued from the trip. Hamer is not dissuaded by Steinbach and takes a seat.
After a short conversation about the strike, Steinbach reiterates that Lady Anne would more than likely not be interested in an interview. When she enters, her ladyship greets Steinbach, and Hamer introduces himself as a journalist. Steinbach addresses Lady Anne saying that he’d already informed Hamer of her ladyship’s lack of interest in being interviewed. After negotiating a later appointment, Hamer takes his leave and Lady Anne and Steinbach remain. Lady Anne explains to Steinbach that the miners want a twenty percent wage increase, but if such an increase were granted, the mine would see no profit; the most she could offer is a five percent increase. After some discussion about the labor strike, Steinbach notices that Lady Anne has taken a particular interest in a book of poetry. The two discuss Lady Anne’s relationship with the author: an old secretary of her father’s with whom she had a flirtatious relationship. The two briefly discuss Steinbach’s love life.
A party arrives to discuss the matters of the strike. Ellen Sands, the fiancée of the strikers’ foreman, John Reid, and six miners enter the drawing-room of Lady Anne. Speaking on behalf of Lady Anne, Steinbach explains that their demands are not possible. He negotiates with the miners, and just as the miners are accept his offer, John Reid chimes in. Reid convinces the miners to maintain the strike until their demands are met, and he denies Steinbach’s counter-offer. The miners agree to continue the strike. After Ellen departs, Reid and Lady Anne discuss the preceding events. Lady Anne explains that she does not intend to be unfair and that she can prove that she simply does not have the resources to offer a larger wage increase. The two make an appointment to go over Lady Anne’s paperwork the following afternoon. Hamer, who has been present for the entire meeting, remarks on the apparent relationship between Reid and Lady Anne. Steinbach confirms his suspicions by stating that the two are indeed ex-lovers. Hamer remarks that this would be a great story and begins to ask for permission to write about it, but Steinbach refuses. Hamer leaves and the curtain closes on the first act.
The second act continues with Steinbach and Lady Anne in her drawing-room. Steinbach informs Lady Anne that the paperwork indeed supports their stance on the wage increases. This pleases Lady Anne as she is certain that a strike that can only end in ruin for both parties and does not seem like an endeavor the miners would be keen on pursuing. Steinbach is not convinced that it will not be as easily resolved as Lady Anne thinks, considering Ellen’s influence on the group. Steinbach also reveals that he informed Hamer of Lady Anne’s relationship with Reid. Lady Anne expresses her dissatisfaction with his actions, since she believes this will only fuel Ellen’s opposition towards her, making Steinbach’s predictions more likely to become a reality. Steinbach apologizes and brings up the subject of romance again. Their conversation is interrupted when Reid arrives.
Lady Anne dismisses Steinbach so she and Reid can discuss the paperwork and hopefully end their dispute. After examining the facts and figures, Reid is convinced that his party’s demands are impossible. Lady Anne points out that the decision may still be met with some opposition by Ellen. Nevetheless, he tells Lady Anne that he will relay the information to the miners. Lady Anne then shifts the topic to that of their past together, which she believes is more important that the topic of the strike. Reid disagrees and insists that they stay on the topic of business.
Lady Anne and Reid move their conversation to the library after Steinbach reappears in the drawing room. Hamer enters shortly after and questions Steinbach about his views on the Capitalist system. Steinbach is not interested in such a controversial subject but agrees to answer the questions Hamer sets forth. Following the questioning, Hamer exits and Lady Anne and Reid reenter the drawing room. After some discussion about the conclusion they’ve reached, Reid experiences a fainting spell due to lack of nutrition. Lady Anne advises him to take care of himself, and Reid leaves. He returns with a check from an anonymous Socialist supporter, money that would sustain the strike for longer. Lady Anne tells Reid that the only option left is to reach out to Steinbach who will use his millions to stop the strike on his terms leaving the workers in poorer conditions than before, something that both she and Reid oppose. Lady Anne advises him to withhold the check and end the strike. Reid agrees on the condition that the two of them cannot meet again. Lady Anne assents, and the curtain closes on the second act.
The final act commences in Lady Anne’s drawing-room. She and Reid are present, discussing how they each deceived their associates in order to be alone together in that moment. Anne begins to express regret for the position she has caused them to be in because Hamer’s article about their history turned Reid’s people against him. Reid offers a solution: they will run away together. Lady Anne cannot imagine leaving her lavish life behind and instead proposes suicide. As the two argue about Anne’s suggestion, the footman enters to announce Ellen’s arrival and refusal to leave until she has seen Reid. She is shown in and requests to speak to Reid alone. They discuss the subject of the strike and a rumor about the suppressed check. When the conversation proves the rumor true, Ellen informs Reid that she cannot protect him and warns him to stay away from the townspeople if he values his life. Reid leaves regardless, and Ellen follows.
Steinbach enters and calls for Lady Anne, who enters as well. When she inquires about where Ellen and Reid have gone, Steinbach tells her that as he entered he passed Reid on his way out. Anne surmises that he is going to betray her and goes to the window to see him addressing the crowd. The crowd seems to be growing violent and Anne and Steinbach are sure that they intend to kill him. The two can no longer bear to watch and Steinbach informs Lady Anne that they must get away to save themselves. The two are about to escape through a window when a ragged Reid appears to see the two about to flee with together. Anne decides to leave with Steinbach but not before giving Reid an escape plan. When Anne and Steinbach leave, Reid remains sitting in the drawing room, and Ellen walks in, advising Reid to leave at once as the riot has found him. He tells her that the only escape is death—suicide. She urges him to escape but he refuses; he has been deceived and he has lost all honor in his own eyes. Ellen objects at first, but ultimately concedes. He kisses her forehead before leading her away. The curtain falls as he raises his glass of poison to drink.
Synopsis of Henrik Ibsen, Rosmersholm
Ibsen, Henrik. Rosmersholm. N.p.: n.p.,. Project Gutenberg. 2000. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
by Vivien Oye, Eileen Paige, and Devina Rambharose
Rosmersholm is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1886. Act one opens with two characters, Rebecca and Mrs. Helseth, discussing the whereabouts of Rosmer, a widower, who lost his wife Beata to suicide before the opening of the play. Kroll, Beata’s brother who has not been seen since the death of his sister, enters and joins the discussion. Shortly after, Rosmer returns and Kroll and Rosmer converse.
When Kroll enters, Rebecca talks about how much Rosmer and she have missed him. Kroll starts to inquire about how things have been since Beata’s passing, and whether or not Rebecca thinks she will remain living in the house with Rosmer. She says the house feels empty and has stayed the same as it was when Beata was alive, except now she can have flowers in the house. Rebecca reveals to Kroll that she reads the Radical Newspaper, and he expresses his disapproval about women’s participation in civic disputes. Kroll begins to question Rebecca’s actions. In contrast, he speaks to Rosmer about his students’ revolt. He perceives their participation in his rival Peter Mortensgaard’s paper Searchlight as a serious problem, because even his own two children are going against his beliefs. In response, Kroll and his friends have purchased the “County News” to start an opposition paper. He asks Rosmer to work as an editor for his paper, placing emphasis on how Rosmer’s family name as well as his status as a former clergyman would benefit his paper, but he is quickly turned down. Ulrik Brendel, Rosmer’s old tutor, makes an unexpected visit in Rosmersholm. Brendel recognizes Kroll as someone who got him kicked out of a debating society and draws a chilly response from Kroll, who wants nothing to do with a man of different ideologies. Rebecca’s acknowledgement of Brendel’s writings opens a dialogue about Brendel’s wish to deliver his ideals across the country through poetry. Brendel borrows clothes and money from Rosmer to continue his travels, receiving Kroll’s disdain. In response, Rosmer questions Kroll about his fixed ideals. He informs Kroll that he supports the movement of emancipation and has left his faith. He also highlights Kroll’s bad behavior in public meetings, which is contrary to Rosmer’s beliefs in peace in the human soul. This provokes Kroll into severing relations with Rosmer. Kroll resurrects the memory of Beata with Rosmer, causing Rebecca and Mrs. Helseth to briefly discuss Beata.
Act two opens with Rebecca checking in on Rosmer to see how he slept. Rosmer claims to feel refreshed, renewed, and excited that he was able to have that talk with Kroll. Rebecca then confesses to sending Brendel out with a letter to Mortensgaard, and Rosmer is unhappy with this. As she explains herself, Mrs. Helseth interrupts saying that Kroll is downstairs and wishes to talk with Rosmer immediately. Kroll asks to speak to him alone, and Rebecca leaves the room. He then begins to talk about what he thinks may be going on behind Rosmer’s back, and wants to know if Rosmer is aware of Rebecca’s whereabouts. Kroll realizes that Rosmer refers to Rebecca by her first name and not her formal name, “Miss West.” Kroll then talks about how she has contacted Searchlight. Rosmer says he is aware of this and also that she is independent and can do as she pleases. Kroll begins to ask about how much Rosmer was aware of Beata’s activities before she took her own life. Flabbergasted, Rosmer demands that Kroll stop speaking nonsense. Kroll then divulges that Beata came to him a few times before her death, saying she had little time left and that Rebecca and Rosmer must marry immediately. He also says that Beata wanted nothing more than for Rosmer to be happy and be with whom he desired. Rosmer is horrified.
Unexpectedly, Mortensgaard pays a visit to Rosmer, asking Rosmer to lend his name and reputation to his publication, Searchlight. To Mortensgaard’s surprise, Rosmer informs him about his departure from church, thwarting Mortensgaard’s goal to introduce a Christian element to his movement. In response, Mortensgaard mentions a letter from Beata, which revealed that Rosmer caused Mortensgaard to be dismissed from his position as schoolmaster. Mortensgaard promises to publish the information in Searchlight. Rebecca who has been listening to the conversation, appears and watches Rosmer berate himself for believing he caused his wife’s death. He believes that time spent reading books with Rebecca led Beata to perceive a relationship between them. Rebecca highlights the importance of a new life, leading Rosmer to propose a marriage between them. To the dismay of Rosmer, Rebecca turns down his proposal, threatening to leave Rosmersholm if he continues questioning her.
In act three, Rebecca and Mrs. Helseth begin talking about a letter that was sent from Rosmersholm to Mortensgaard. They wonder who wrote it. Rebecca prompts Mrs. Helseth to reveal what she knows about the letter by persuading Mrs. Helseth that they are friends. Then Rosmer tells Rebecca that he has been enchanted by her the whole time. Once Kroll enters, he talks with Rebecca about how she bewitched Beata, which is why Beata wanted Rebecca to stay with them. He accuses Rebecca of having a “cold heart.” Rebecca starts to agree and admits that he is right about his inquiries. She says, “I mean, John, that you could never have attained freedom except in the full glory of the sunshine. And, instead of that, here you were—ailing and languishing in the gloom of such a marriage as yours.” To Rosmer’s horror, Rebecca confesses that she led Beata to suicide for his happiness, since Beata felt it was her duty to replace herself as a childless wife. Rebecca did not try to dissuade Beata that Rosmer had to choose between two lives. After her revelation, Rosmer and Kroll depart, having convinced Rebecca to leave Rosmersholm.
The final act of Rosmersholm shows Rebecca getting ready to leave and asking Mrs. Helseth why she thinks she’s leaving. Mrs. Helseth, being unaware, has a different view of what is happening. Rosmer wonders what will become of all of this and asks if Rebecca is really leaving, almost as though he would rather she stayed. She decides she will take a boat north, and they discuss what has happened. He wants her to explain herself fully; she is almost incapable of doing so. She rambles about how what she has done has a logic, and she agrees to having lost herself for a while. Rebecca proceeds to talk about Rosmer’s dreams, and her actions have been for his good. They are interrupted by Brendel announcing his departure and disillusionment with his empty ideals. He discovers that, in contrast to himself, Mortensgaard has the strength of living without ideals. Brendel also suggests that Rebecca’s love for Rosmer should be measured through concrete and self-destructive actions, such as chopping off her body parts for him. This leads Rosmer to ask Rebecca if she is willing to end her life with him, in the manner of Beata’s suicide. Rebecca agrees to his request, revealing that she is under Rosmersholm’s view of making amends for offences. The play concludes with Rosmer taking Rebecca as his lawful wife and leaving Rosmersholm. As Mrs. Helseth looks out the window, she sees them on the foot bridge. To her horror, they end their lives by throwing themselves into the mill-race.
Henrik Ibsen, Rosmersholm
Synopsis of G. H. R. Dabbs and Edward Righton’s Dante: A Dramatic Poem
Dabbs, G.H.R., and Edward Righton. Dante: A Dramatic Poem. London: Macmillan, 1893. 23 September 2015. <https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=wWhNAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&pg=GBS.PA7>
by Kashamire Jean-Baptiste, Wendyliz Martinez, and Juan C. Hernandez
In this one-act play, Gemma, a poet’s wife, and an exiled noblewoman from Florence, Italy is discovered working in a poor Italian house in Ravenna, at a spinning wheel. Upon discovery Gemma rises and opens the window, speaking to herself while she gazes at her husband, Dante, as he daydreams in the garden. As she stares at her husband in his trance, she thinks about how much better it must be to be married to a clown as opposed to being married to a poet, who always seems to be stuck inside of a dream. After returning to her spinning wheel, she considers the self-sacrifice and virtue in being the sole provider for her family. She cannot fathom that even though she has sacrificed her nobility to be with Dante, his mind is always on another lady, her rival, whom she has not met.
As she is speaking to herself, Dante enters the room. He reveals that he was unable to find any inspiration for his work and that he has realized that he is on the verge of death. In response, Gemma tries to coax Dante to stop worrying about his inability to write and to pay attention to his family. She tells him that his “bitter tongue, and hand, and pen” has caused them to become isolated from those in Florence who were once their friends, and also has made the family so poor that they have nothing to eat. In turn, Dante voices the importance of his words. Once again he states that he is growing weak and frail and that he has to continue writing until he can write no more.
While they are speaking, he sits down to write. As he is writing, the couple continues to dispute back and forth, and Gemma repeatedly emphasizes their family’s destitution and Dante’s lack of renown. Dante responds that the nobles called his thoughts their own, accusing them of thievery. Chastening his wife for focusing only on matters of the flesh, he asks her to leave him alone. She explains to him that they had a chance to escape their current predicament, and he didn’t take it. He rebuts that the price of their status came with an unreasonably high rate of interest, that he did not want to pay and, more importantly, with the loss of his pride and honor if he were to petition his enemies to end their banishment. He says that the status and wealth that he had in Florence is no longer relevant to him, although he would not object if Gemma returned to. He is prepared to live in Ravenna for the rest of his life.
As Dante is telling Gemma that her concerns come only from her pride and that they should remain at an impasse because both of their arguments are in vain, there is a knock on the door. Folco Portinari, an old acquaintance from Florence, enters the house. Gemma welcomes him warmly, while Dante, who only vaguely remembers him, questions whether Folco will truly be received in his home. Folco addresses Dante and states that he has heard of Gemma and Dante’s plight and made the announcement that they could end their exile and return to Florence. Dante in reaction says that he’s suspicious of this news and asks Portinari what price he will have to pay in return. Although Folco voices that there’s no price to bear, Dante states that he does not want to go back to Florence as a destitute refugee. Alternatively, Gemma argues that if he dies his children will no longer remain in exile as he wishes. Pointing at a portrait that hangs on the wall of Dante’s house, Folco reveals that he is the brother of the woman in the painting and offers Dante enough money for it so that he may move back to Florence comfortably. Gemma begs Dante to accept Folco’s offer, but Dante laughs at the idea of giving up his painting. He sees Folco’s overture as a bribe, confirming that giving up the portrait would be like giving up his soul. While trying to reason with Dante, Gemma reveals her hatred of Beatrice, the woman in the painting Dante. Dante extols Beatrice’s virtues and how she understands him. Folco questions Dante’s obsession over the painting and Gemma states that it is Dante’s common night-time behavior.
While raving about the painting, Dante says “Ah, Beatrice, my heavenly Beatrice!,” and his young daughter, who is also named Beatrice, enters the room begging for some bread because she is starving. Dante states that he has no bread to offer, and Folco uses Beatrice’s hunger as a tool to lure Dante into relinquishing the painting. Dante breaks down. He says that he will give up the painting under the condition that he keeps it until his death and that payment for the painting come after his death and after all his debt has been paid off. He desires is not money but peace. Desperate for money, Gemma picks up Dante’s manuscripts and throws them on the floor, begging Folco for payment for the poet’s work. Folco refuses to pay for the poet’s work.
Dante describes his work as an expression of his communion with God, and his daughter Beatrice states that that his words have satisfied her; she is no longer hungry. Therefore, he doesn’t have to relinquish the painting of Beatrice, her namesake. Gemma criticizes her daughter for being just like her father and Folco. As Folco, following Dante’s repeated request, prepares to leave, he offers them one gold coin, which excites Beatrice as she sees it as the ability to have so much more than she has ever had in her life. She envisions the bread, figs, clothes and so much more that the one gold coin would bring them.
Dante and Beatrice converse and he asks her to recite a poem. As she recites the poem, Dante joins her. Folco leaves through the front door and Beatrice, while still reciting the poem and speaking of food, goes offstage in the opposite direction. Dante picks up his manuscript from the floor, and his eyes meet Gemma’s glare. Gemma finally confronts Dante about the identity of the other woman that he has fallen in love with, and he says that it’s too complex for her to understand. He explains that he is getting weak, and soon this woman will guide him that very night to a “brighter sphere.” Before walking away, Gemma warns Dante that his search for satisfaction will lead him to lose both his wife and his daughter.
After Gemma leaves, Dante sits to write and states that he is close to death. He laments that death comes before a poet is finished writing. He states, “The seal is graven that will close my soul.” He paces around his room until, pausing at the picture, he wonders whether he has exhausted the painting’s magical spell that has provided him with inspiration night after night. He returns to his writing but stops when he thinks his mind is playing tricks on him. Dante hears a voice, which advises him that the one thing preventing him from completing his work is his lack of love in his life. As Dante feels that his life is slowly coming to an end the figure of Beatrice, the lady in the picture, appears from the shadow. She reveals that his work is what has allowed her spirit to remain on the Earth, since the work of an artist continues to exist even after the artist has passed away. Dante questions whether these words are coming from within him or if it is truly Beatrice speaking. He decides that it is her influence. As he looks at Beatrice’s portrait, he receives more inspiration. As he writes and Beatrice dictates to him, he grows weak and speaks to her. He is happy with his exchange despite his weakness.
When he finishes his writing, he states that the “end is near” and that he can feel his end. Beatrice, illuminated, appears at the back of the stage. She calls Dante, and he s the room trying to find her. When he finally sees Beatrice, he falls to his knees. They speak, and Dante recalls the Easter morning before she died. She reminds him that he told her that they would be united in his death. Dante states that he understands why she is there and that he had called for her before. Beatrice assures him that her life truly started after death, and she was not “living” while alive. A light falls on the Virgin and child as they speak. Beatrice explains the image of the Virgin and child to Dante. She tells him that he will be content with the afterlife. She tells him that his time has come, and Dante walks towards her.
Outside the room, Gemma believes that she has discovered her rival as she opens the door. As she walks in, the room starts to feel gloomy, the apparition of Beatrice disappears, and Dante falls in front of a cross. After she calls out to her husband, she declares how strange the room looks, and little Beatrice comes into the room stating that her father called her. Gemma tells her that she cannot find Dante. Gemma walks about the room and finally finds Dante’s lifeless body. While she is looking after Dante’s unresponsive body, a vision of Beatrice and Dante appear. Little Beatrice can see the image, but Gemma cannot. Little Beatrice insists that Beatrice and her father are in the room, and Gemma begins to worry that Little Beatrice may be mentally unstable. Dante begins to speak, however, and Gemma hears his voice. Dante asks her to forgive and forget while telling her she has been a good wife and that he is leaving behind “sweet souls.”
As Gemma is holding on to Dante’s body, she vows to uphold his wishes. Dante tells Little Beatrice that she is pure and, therefore, can see his and Beatrice’s image when her mother cannot. Beatrice directs little Beatrice to tell Gemma that Dante looks full of peace. Dante then passes away after pledging to follow the spirit of Beatrice. The figures of both Dante and Beatrice ascend, and his daughter crosses her hands on her breast while her mother falls over Dante’s body.
The Independent Theatre Society 