Author: Mary Beth

About that hanging…

Hey Eric–

I think you picked out a great piece here.

The fact that the characters casually contemplate suicide also puts the audience’s attention in the moment. At this point, it is really possible that anything could happen. During the play, it is difficult to avoid thinking about the sum of the play while the action is in progress. The sum of the play’s action cannot be assessed until every moment has concluded. Rather than focusing on the the “result” before the play has ended, the audience is forced to focus on the individual moments because they cannot predict when the play will end.

On Beckett’s Distortion of Time

by Mary Beth

In Waiting for Godot, Beckett distorts time by eliminating the characters’ attachment to time and time’s measure. Time becomes a relative measure. It is not discrete, like it is in reality:

ESTRAGON:

What did we do yesterday?

VLADIMIR:

What did we do yesterday?

ESTRAGON:

Yes.

VLADIMIR:

Why . . . (Angrily.) Nothing is certain when you’re about.

ESTRAGON:

In my opinion we were here.
Vladimir speaks about time in a non-definitive way when he says, “On the other hand what’s the good of losing heart now, that’s what I say.  We should have thought about it a million years ago, in the nineties.”  
 
Alejandro said, “Space and time, conjunctively misperceived by Didi and Gogo, are warped and blurred,while functioning detrimentally towards the perception of meaningful action.” Beckett may have thrown out the use of consecutive, constant time in order to help the audience focus on the existing (or non-existing) action of the play.
The indefinite arrival of Godot is the largest evidence of the play’s purposeful absence of measured time.

Group One- Compiled

Hey Guys!!!

I’m just compiling what we have into one post so that we can quickly copy it and ‘write a page’ as soon as y’all approve. I filled in some holes, and I also listed the scenes at the beginning of our action sequence even though it is backwards, just because I think it’s easier to read that way.

Thanks!

-Mary Beth Gayle

Here is all of the action— BACKWARDS!

End of Play.

Act V

-The Duke sentences Lucio to marry a prostitute he had a child by

-The Duke accuses Lucio of slandering him, and does not pardon him

-The Duke reveals that Claudio is still alive, and pardons Angelo

-Mariana and Isabella plead for Angelo's life

-The Duke decrees that Angelo is to be executed because he executed Claudio, and all his property will go to Mariana

-The Duke forces Angelo to marry Mariana because he was once contracted to marry her and he slept with her

-The Duke reveals himself, and Angelo confesses to his wrongdoings

-Escalus, Angelo, and Lucio all accuse the duke/friar of lying and inciting Isabella and Mariana to slander Angelo, and the duke/friar defends himself

-The duke sends for Friar Ludowick and leaves, and then returns as Friar Ludowick

-Mariana speaks out against Angelo, but is not believed, and then unveils herself

-Isabella accuses Angelo, but is not believed, and calls on Mariana (veiled) as a witness and mentions Friar Ludowick/the Duke

-The Duke makes his return to Vienna, and Friar Peter encourages Isabella to speak out against Angelo

Act IV

Scene Six

-Mariana and Isabella worry about speaking out against Angelo, and Friar Peter comes and tells them he has a place for them to stand near the duke

Scene Five

-Varrius meets the Duke and they go to meet their friends and make their entrance back into Vienna

-The Duke sends Friar Peter to round up his friends and Friar Peter leaves to do so

Scene Four

-Escalus leaves to alert people who want to make grievances, and Angelo worries about what will happen when the Duke returns, and regrets killing Claudio

-Escalus and Angelo are confused by the Duke's orders, and wonder why he has set up for people to bring forward grievances and injustices against them

Scene Three

-Lucio explains that he once got away with getting a woman pregnant when the Duke was in power.

-Lucio says that if the Duke were in power, then Claudio would not have been executed.

-The Duke tries to cheer up Isabella and tells her that he is returning to take power back from Angelo.

-Isabella comes to the jail and the Duke tells her that her brother was executed, hoping that this will make her happier when she finds out the truth.

-They send a dead man's head to Angelo in place of Barnardine's (in place of Claudio's.)

-Barnardine is avoids his executions by saying that he is tired and drunk.

Scene Two

-Vincentio asks the provost to send Barnardine in place of Claudio in order to buy four more days for Claudio.

-Pompey agrees.

-The Provost asks Pompey to help execute Claudio and Barnardine in exchange for pardon.

Scene One

-The Duke reassures her that her actions are virtuous.

-Mariana agrees to go with Isabella's plan.

-Isabella tells the Duke that she has agreed to Angelo's plan, sharing that she told Angelo that she would be bringing a servant with her.

-Vincentio visits Mariana just as Isabella enters.

Act III

Scene Two

The Duke laments that Angelo "kills for faults of his own liking." He remarks that Angelo will be revealed as a hypocrite and suffer the consequences of his actions.

-Escalus leaves to visit Claudio.

-The Duke tells Escalus that he has been counseling Claudio, and Claudio is prepared for death.

-Escalus tells the Duke that he has been pleading with Angelo for Claudio's release, but if it is not granted, Claudio must be prepared for death.

-Escalus says that Lucio will have to answer to Mistress Overdone's claims.

-Mistress Overdone accuses Lucio of getting Kate Keepdown pregnant.

-Escalus, Provost, and Officers with Mistress Overdone enter.

-Lucio leaves.

-Lucio responds that he would have no fear of doing so.

-The Duke defends "The Duke." He asks Lucio if he would say these things to the Duke's face.

-Lucio remarks about Angelo's poor leadership and overuse of punishment. He says that punishment will not deter sin, for it is in human nature. Lucio makes remarks about the Duke.

-The Duke responds he has no idea.

-Lucio asks the disguised Duke if he knows where the Duke is.

-Lucio enters.

Scene 1

-The Duke plans for Isabella to tell Angelo she will agree to his request, but send Mariana instead of Isabella.

-Isabella calls him a coward.

-Claudio changes his mind and tells his sister to give up her virginity for him.

-Isabella tells him that he will die, as she is willing to give up her life, but not her virginity.

-Isabella requests to speak to her brother.

-Claudio and the Duke discuss Claudio's likely upcoming death. Claudio thanks the Duke and says that he is ready to face death.

Act II

-Isabella decides to go visit Claudio in prison and tell him of Angelo's request.

-Angelo tells Isabella that nobody will believe her. He also adds that if she does not accept his proposition, her brother will suffer a long and painful death. Angelo tells Isabella that she has one day to decide whether she will accept his proposition and exits.

-Isabella threatens to tell everyone about Angelo's request.

-Angelo reasserts that Claudio will not die if Isabella does accepts his request for sexual relations. The seriousness of his request is established.

-Isabella tells Angelo that he is a hypocrite for putting Claudio death for loving Juliet, while he is in the act of stating his love for her.

-Angelo tells Isabella that she is being just as much as a tyrant as she is accusing him of being. He adds that he truly loves her.

-Isabella claims that she cannot redeem her brother through sin.

-Angelo asks Isabella if she would have sexual relations with him in order to save her brother. ("treasures of your body")

-Isabella responds that it would be worth a sin to save her brother life.

-Angelo asks Isabella if it would be worth sin to save her brother's life.

-The Duke tells Juliet that he will leave to see her lover, who will die the next day.

-Juliet repents her sin.

-The Duke realizes that the sexual encounter between Claudio and Juliet was consentual.("mutually committed")

-The Duke initiates conversation with Juliet, asking her if she repents of her sin.

-Juliet enters the prison.

-The Duke enters the prison disguised as a Friar.

-Angelo realizes that he sexually desires Juliet.

-As she leaves, Isabella tells Angelo that she would bribe him.

-Angelo tells Isabella to return the next day.

-Isabella continues to plead with Angelo.

-Lucio tells Isabella to touch Angelo.

– Isabella continues to plead with Angelo.

-Lucio tells Isabella to continue pleading with Angelo.

-Angelo tells Isabella that those who break the law must be punished.

-Isabella says she abhors Claudio's vice, but begs for his pardon.

-Isabella enters.

-Escalus decides to appoint a new constable.   

-Escalus gives Pompey and Froth a warning, and learns that Elbow has served seven and a half years. 

-Disgusted and frustrated, Angelo leaves Escalus to settle the matter.

-Elbow, Pompey, and Froth convey the events that had occured in a nonsensical manner.   

-Elbow enters, with Pompey and Froth. 

-Angelo calls for for the Provost, and orders him to see to Claudio’s execution the next morning.   

-Angelo refuses to give in.  

– Escalus tries to convice Angelo to treat Claudio mercifully.

Act I

Scene Four

-Isabella says she will leave to try to influence Angelo.

-Lucio continues to argue with Isabella, telling her that women have a degree of power over men.

-Isabella tells Lucio that she has little power to do anything.

-Lucio tells Isabella that Claudio has gotten Juliet pregnant, and has been sentenced to death.

-Lucio calls out to Isabella at the nunnery.

Scene Three
-The Duke says that crime has gotten out of control. Additionally, the Duke establishes that he intends to see whether or not Angelo's resolute appearance is false.

-Friar Thomas inquires as to why the Duke wishes to be hidden.

-The Duke asks Friar Thomas to hide him.

-The Duke enters a monastary.

Scene Two
-Claudio asks Lucio to find his sister so she can appeal on his behalf to Angelo.

-Lucio visits Claudio in prison.

-Claudio is imprisoned for lechery.

Scene One

-The Duke tells Angelo that he must leave right away, and he is given control of the city of Vienna.

-Angelo enters.

-Escalus approves of Angelo.

-The Duke tells Escalus that he must leave the city, and asks if Angelo would be the right person to choose to leave in control of the city.

-The Duke sends an attendant for Angelo.

Play Begins

Act IV, Scenes 1, 2, 3— But Backwards!

Scene Three

-Lucio explains that he once got away with getting a woman pregnant when the Duke was in power.

-Lucio says that if the Duke were in power, then Claudio would not have been executed.

-The Duke tries to cheer up Isabella and tells her that he is returning to take power back from Angelo.

-Isabella comes to the jail and the Duke tells her that her brother was executed, hoping that this will make her happier when she finds out the truth.

-They send a dead man's head to Angelo in place of Barnardine's (in place of Claudio's.)

-Barnardine is avoids his executions by saying that he is tired and drunk.

Scene Two 

-Vincentio asks the provost to send Barnardine in place of Claudio in order to buy four more days for Claudio.

-Pompey agrees.

-The Provost asks Pompey to help execute Claudio and Barnardine in exchange for pardon.

Scene One 

-The Duke reassures her that her actions are virtuous.

-Mariana agrees to go with Isabella's plan.

-Isabella tells the Duke that she has agreed to Angelo’s plan, sharing that she told Angelo that she would be bringing a servant with her.

-Vincentio visits Mariana just as Isabella enters.

But Do It Backwards- Act One

-Mary Beth Gayle

Scene Four

-Isabella agrees to go see Angelo in attempt to save her brother’s life.
-Lucio arrives at Isabella's convent, and tells her about Angelo's acquisition of the rule over Vienna and about Claudio's predicament and how he has been sentenced to death.
Scene Three
-Vincentio tells Friar Thomas that he gave Angelo power in order to clean up the city, and they discuss Angelo's likely effectiveness as a leader.

-Vincentio asks Friar Thomas to give him refuge, only intending to stay and observe Angelo at work.

Scene Two:
-Claudio asks Lucio to go to Claudio’s sister, Isabella, who is in a convent, to inform her of Claudio's imprisonment and to ask her for help.

-The Provost leads Claudio to prison.

-Mistress Overdone informs Lucio and two gentlemen that:
-Claudio has been taking to prison for impregnating his fiancée.
-All of the brothels outside of the city are to be shut down.

Scene One:

-Angelo accepts the responsibility.

-Vincentio leaves Vienna in the power of Angelo.

Beginning of Play

Notes on Ball

Mary Beth’s Notes:

What Happens That Makes Something Else Happen?

-A play is a series of actions.
-A play is not about action, nor does it describe action.

-Action occurs when something happens that makes or permits something else to happen. Action is two “something happenings,” one leading to the other.

-The first thing to discover is how a play goes from one place to another. Find the first event of each action, then
the second, then the connection between the two. The play’s journey is contained within its actions. We must know every connection between every event, from the start of the play onwards.

-What happens that leads to something else happening?

-An event without a second, connected event, without effect or result, is either inadequate playwriting or, more
likely, inadequate play reading. In life and on stage unconnected events are irrelevant. Life aside, it is hard to make irrelevance theatrically viable.

The playwright crafts a series of actions: trigger and heap.

An event is anything that happens. When one event
causes or permits another event, the two events together
comprise an action. Actions are a play’s primary building
blocks.

And What Happens Next?

-Each trigger leads to a new heap. (Each event causes or permits a second event.) That is one action. The heap, the second event, becomes a trigger: a new first event of a new action.

If you can discover connections between events, you will be able to take us, step by step, event by connected event, action by action, right to the heap of bodies at play’s end.

But Do It Backwards

-Free will- Nothing predetermines that you will carry out an action just because somebody else triggers it.

Life goes on; it goes forward — but never predictably.

Only when we look at events in reverse order can we see, with certainty, how events took place.

Going forwards allows unpredictable possibility.

Going backwards exposes that which is required.

-From Backwards and Forwards by David Ball-