Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier Williams III, known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama.
A Streetcar Named Desire
Blanche DuBois, a high school English teacher with an aristocratic background from Auriol, Mississippi, decides to move to live with her sister and brother-in-law, Stella and Stanley Kowalski, in New Orleans after creditors take over the family property, Belle Reve. Blanche has also decided t…
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What does the polka tune remind Blanche of?
The music plays when Blanche is reminded of her husband in specific or when she is particularly disturbed by the past in general. The polka continues until some event in the real world distracts her or until a gunshot goes off in her memory.
What always stops the polka music in Blanche's mind?
This was the song which played while Blanche and her young husband were dancing, and the same song, running through her mind is interrupted by the sound of her husband's gunshot. So now when Blanche hears the music, she must drink until she hears the gunshot which signals the end of the song.
When Blanche begins to hear the polka music in her head what usually makes the music stop?
The music often comes back to haunt Blanche, particularly, because the only thing that stops the music from playing in her head is the sound of her husband's gunshot as it occurred that night.
What does blues music symbolize in Streetcar Named Desire?
As well as symbols expressed in visual images or in words, notice how Williams uses music to convey a message throughout the play. The blue piano stands for the callous vitality of the Vieux Carré (also known as the French Quarter) of New Orleans, while the Varsouviana polka recalls the tragedy in Blanche's past.
What is the music that Blanche often hears in her head?
The "Varsouviana" music — the tune which played when her husband shot himself — is heard as background music and Blanche is drinking to escape it all.
What is ironic about Blanche singing this song?
What is the irony of the song Blanche sings in the bathtub? "It wouldn't be make believe if you believe in me," everything she says is a lie. How does Stanley destroy Blanche's plans for her future? Stanley tells Mitch what Blanche did, if he knows this he won't want to marry her.
How is music used in Streetcar Named Desire?
The music of the play was illustrated through the 'Blue Piano', the Polka – Varsouviana and sounds such as the “hot trumpet” and “locomotives”. All of which play a gargantuan role in presenting different actions and emotions, including cruelty, lamentation and self-destruction.
What music is playing in the background of the scene as Blanche is bathing and dressing?
Blanche peeks out to check that the men won't see her when she comes out of the bathroom. She appears in the red satin robe. The polka music plays in the background.
When Blanche is stressed what sound does she hear in her head which reminds her of the night her husband died?
Rhumba is a very joyful and energetic type of music which Blanche could've used to ignore Stanley's violent actions as it might've reminded Blanche of her husband's suicide. Until scene eleven, the sound of Varsouviana polka music and the gunshot is always the same, only the volume of it changes.
What kind of music was written for A Streetcar Named Desire?
The New Orleans location sets off the jazz flavour that infuses the sultry, decadent atmosphere of A Streetcar Named Desire. However, this is only half of it; North understood these early jazz and blues elements and how to make them work within an orchestral music texture.
What emotion does blues music represent?
sadnessBlues songs are lyrical rather than narrative; blues singers are expressing feelings rather than telling stories. The emotion expressed is generally one of sadness or melancholy, often due to problems of love but also oppression and hard times.
What does the blues music represent?
The social significance of Blues music resides in the revolutionary element of African Americans creating their own aesthetics. Blues music represented the opposing voice that refused to be silenced by oppression and segregation. The Blues expressed this with unprecedented clarity, honesty and simplicity.
When Blanche is stressed what sound does she hear in her head which reminds her of the night her husband died?
Rhumba is a very joyful and energetic type of music which Blanche could've used to ignore Stanley's violent actions as it might've reminded Blanche of her husband's suicide. Until scene eleven, the sound of Varsouviana polka music and the gunshot is always the same, only the volume of it changes.
What music is playing in the background of the scene as Blanche is bathing and dressing?
Blanche peeks out to check that the men won't see her when she comes out of the bathroom. She appears in the red satin robe. The polka music plays in the background.
What does Blanche constantly do to calm her nerves?
Blanche takes frequent baths throughout the play to “soothe her nerves.” Bathing is an escape from the sweaty apartment: rather than confront her physical body in the light of day, Blanche retreats to the water to attempt to cleanse herself and forget reality.
What was Blanche's final line?
Whoever you are—I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. These words, which Blanche speaks to the doctor in Scene Eleven, form Blanche's final statement in the play.
What does Stanley tell Blanche about his acquaintance, Shaw? How does Blanche react? Why is the mention of Shaw threatening to her?
Blanche reacts with faint shock and fear when Stanley brings up Shaw, as Shaw knew her in Laurel, where he met up with her at a hotel called the Fl...
why is stanley home without stella? why is stanley in good spirits?
This depends on what scene you are referring to. Stanely is at home without Stella in a few scenes.
A Streetcar Named Desire can be described as an elegy, or poetic expression of mourning, for an Old South that died in the first part of the twentieth century. Expand on this description.
Stella and Blanche come from a world that is rapidly dying. Belle Reve, their family's ancestral plantation, has been lost, and the two sisters are...
What is the Varsouviana polka used for in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?
In contrast, the Varsouviana polka is used by Williams to highlight themes of death. This music is diegetic only for Blanche – when we hear the polka, we are hearing what is inside her mind. This memory worms its way to the forefront of her consciousness when she is recalling her husband and when she feels emotionally threatened, and serves to highlight her disintegrating sanity. Like the "click" that Brick awaits while drinking in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Blanche must wait for the polka to play out till the gunshot that ended her husband's life before she can shake off the auditory hallucination.
Why is Streetcar considered a musical?
Perhaps it is because of the strong presence of music in the plot and staging of Streetcar that it is sometimes thought of in terms of musical theater. The great theater conductor Lehman Engel, in his influential work on the Broadway musical libretto, "Words With Music," identified the emotion and pathos and passion of Streetcar as prime material for musicalization, contrasting it to the work of more cold-blooded contemporary dramatists like Albee and Pinter. Bernard Holland at the New York Times suggested that Blanche's speeches are essentially spoken arias and that the poker games are crying out to become ensemble numbers.
What is a streetcar named Desire?
A Streetcar Named Desire is a deeply musical work, from the strands of melody that are intertwined with the stage directions to the heroine's poetic speeches that punctuate the dialog like arias. And yet, it is a work that has notably resisted musical adaptation.
What song does Blanche sing in the bath?
Other music in the play has a more traditionally diegetic function, and even furthers the plot. Blanche's rendition of "Paper Moon" in the bath bothers Stanley while highlighting themes of illusion and belief ("but it wouldn't be make-believe if you believed in me"). And Stanley beats Stella after throwing her radio out the window.
What does Williams mean by blue piano?
Williams indicates a "blue piano" in the stage directions, spilling over from a nearby saloon, that comes and goes throughout the entire play. This contextualizing music is diegetic, as it exists within the narrative of the play-world as the entertainment at the Four Deuces, but because Williams closely prescribes when the blue piano should be ...
Is Streetcar a straight play?
But both of these commentators answered their own questions as to why Streetcar is so fundamentally a straight play, despite all the musical qualities.
Why did Romeo and Juliet have doom?
Romeo 's personality of peace, loving, yet vengeful caused his own doom once he was exiled for killing Tybalt who killed Mercutio. Thus 'evidently causing pain for Juliet who lost both her lover and cousin. Juliet 's father arranging Juliet 's marriage to Paris made her mourning worse, already being married to Romeo yet being separated made her to reason with Friar Laurence. The plan that was supposed to reunite both Lovers indefinetly brought upon their own doom. Juliet herself drank the sleeping potion when Romeo was on his way earlier than anticipated, whom bought poison upon hearing of her "death" , planning to kill himslef on her tomb alongside her.
What happened to Romeo and Juliet?
Once Romeo believes that Juliet is no longer alive, he makes another rash decision to bribe an apothecary for poison. Later in the tragedy, Romeo sees Juliet dead in the mausoleum, and decides to express his love for her, then drink the poison. Once Juliet awakes from her deep sleep and sees Romeo dead, she takes her own life with a dagger. Both Juliet and Romeo’s tragic downfall could have been avoided if Romeo thought about the consequences before he murdered Tybalt. Romeo’s rash behaviors in Romeo and Juliet resulted in many negative consequences, and he consistently acted impetuously that impacted others in an unnecessary way.
What is the relationship between Lysander and Hermia?
Explore the relationships/love presented in A1S1: In act one scene one, which is the opening of the play, Shakespeare firstly presented Lysander and Hermia as forbidden lovers. Hermia was just told that if she disobeys her father’s orders to marry Demetrius she can get killed and Hermia answers Lysander’s question: “Belike for want of rain, which I could well Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.” the metaphor “rain” suggests her tears are like rain, she is crying so hard that her tears flowed like rain; this means that she is very melancholy that she couldn’t marry the love of her life, Lysander. Additionally it might also be shocking and weird for the audience back in the Elizabethan era, because they were living in a Patriarchal society, and that if you don’t obey your father you can die; because Hermia isn’t like the other women characters
How does Shakespeare use stylized language in Romeo and Juliet?
In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare’s use of stylized language promotes a deeper understanding of Juliet’s struggle with her conflicting feelings for Romeo. Specifically, she shows her adversity through her monologue of paradox. In this scene, her nurse confesses to Juliet that Romeo, her beloved husband, has killed Tybalt, her kinsman. This leaves Juliet conflicted; she doesn’t know what to do, how to act, or who to choose. This passage is important because it not only shows that Juliet is confused about her feelings for Romeo, but also that she feels as though she is a victim of deceit, and for one fleeting moment, is unsure of whether or not she can trust him.
Why does Lady Macbeth say "at once, good night"?
When Macbeth started to act ill and even insane, Lady Macbeth bids the lords farewell to end the party so that she can tend to Macbeth’s illness. She says “At once, good night./ Stand not upon the order of your going,/ But go at once” to show her franticness and wanting of their departures quick. Though good-night usually a warm-hearted farewell, Lady Macbeth’s farewell is that of cold and apathetic. She could not care less about the lords, but her reputation being ruined due to Macbeth’s illness. Also, Macbeth makes use of the word night to ask Lady Macbeth what the time is, giving the word a new
What is the supernatural in Jane Eyre?
The supernatural is referring to all the unusual events that take place. In Jane Eyre, we have some incidents of that sort. For example when she thought that her uncle came to revenge her because Mrs. Reed did not treated her well, the thought that Gytrash was approaching to her, when the gypsy predicted her future and described her personality, when the chestnut tree, under which Mr. Rochester and Jane proclaimed their love was struck by lightning, the moment when she had a premonitory dream right before her wedding, or when, when she heard Mr. Rochester calling for her. Being imprisoned in the Reed Room, her childish mind made her perceiving the things around her in a supernatural perspective. The streak of light that stopped on her head made her think of Mr. Reed`s spirit who, awaken by her suffering, came to avenge his niece.
What does Stanley tell Stella about Blanche's past?
In the beginning of scene 7 Stanley reveals alleged information about Blanche’s past in Laurel to Stella.Stanley shares this information with Stella because he felt that Blanche is portray herself as higher than them, however he felt suspicious about her visit to New Orleans.Only later to reveal that he has a reliable source who tells him about Blanche’s past that confirm his suspicions.As a result, he tell Stella because he feels that she should beware of her sister, and that she is not the person Stella grew to know.While Blance is in the bathroom bathing her cares away, she sings a song called Its Only a Paper Moon by Ella Fitzgerald.The meaning of Blamche’s lyrics :“It 's a Barnum and Bailey world Just as phony as it can be But it wouldn
What scene does Stanley meet Blanche?
The first time we hear it is in Scene One, when Stanley meets Blanche and asks her about her husband. Its second appearance occurs when Blanche tells Mitch the story of Allen Grey. From this point on, the polka plays increasingly often, and it always drives Blanche to distraction.
What is the polka tune Blanche and Allan Grey danced in?
The Varsouviana Polka. The Varsouviana is the polka tune to which Blanche and her young husband, Allan Grey, were dancing when she last saw him alive. Earlier that day, she had walked in on him in bed with an older male friend. The three of them then went out dancing together, pretending that nothing had happened.
What did Blanche say to Allen in A Streetcar Named Desire?
In the middle of the Varsouviana, Blanche turned to Allen and told him that he “disgusted” her. He ran away and shot himself in the head. The polka music plays at various points in A Streetcar Named Desire, when Blanche is feeling remorse for Allen’s death.
What does Blanche sing in Scene Seven?
In Scene Seven, Blanche sings this popular ballad while she bathes. The song’s lyrics describe the way love turns the world into a “phony” fantasy. The speaker in the song says that if both lovers believe in their imagined reality, then it’s no longer “make-believe.” These lyrics sum up Blanche’s approach to life. She believes that her fibbing is only her means of enjoying a better way of life and is therefore essentially harmless.
What does Stanley tell Stella about Blanche?
As Blanche sits in the tub singing “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” Stanley tells Stella the details of Blanche’s sexually corrupt past. Williams ironically juxtaposes Blanche’s fantastical understanding of herself with Stanley’s description of Blanche’s real nature.
What happens to Blanche in the final battle?
All of these effects combine to dramatize Blanche’s final breakdown and departure from reality in the face of Stanley’s physical threat. When she loses her sanity in her final struggle against Stanley, Blanche retreats entirely into her own world.
What does Stanley throw at Stella?
In Scene One, Stanley throws a package of meat at his adoring Stella for her to catch. The action sends Eunice and the Black woman into peals of laughter. Presumably, they’ve picked up on the sexual innuendo behind Stanley’s gesture.
What is the genre of plastic theatre?
The genre of plastic theatre through the pathetic fallacy of music and didascaliae portray significance to modernist theatre and the progression from Greek tragic theatre. These connotations are initially presented through the setting of ‘Elysian Fields’, the resting place of Greek heroes, and the foreshadowing of Blanche. Shakespearean tragedy is then portrayed through Blanche’s metaphorical death and the intensified emotions and built-up drama. Greek Tragedy focused on the politcal catharsis of society whereas Shakespeare blended both politcial and personal tragedy and this trend continues to modern theatre as an evocation of intensely personal suffering. This is often presented within the microcosm of a community that is symbolic of the wider society; in Streetcar this is exemplified in New Orleans as the symbol of New America outstripping the Old confederate ideologies. Lastly, modern drama, known as ‘Kitchen Sink Dramas’ are linked through the use of plastic theatre; which ultimately focused on how the character and place allowed the reader to see the disintegration that happens to those characters over a period of time as the dominant and masculine Stanley, tramples on the more delicate and weaker surrounding him – Blanche. The “Blue Piano” and music of New Orleans seeks to blend the modernist elements of Plastic Theatre with Tenessee’s wider societal comments on cruelty and degredation.
Why did Williams use music in Streetcar Named Desire?
In conclusion, Williams did indeed use music in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ for more than a naturalistic device, as he used it crucially to highlight the main character’s actions, emotions and the process of how they initially were, to how they became towards the end of the play, through tragic and seemingly unstoppable events.
What does Blanche mean by "she now seems faint with exhaustion"?
Moreover, Blanche symbolises her feminine dependency through the actions depicted in the didascaliae: “She now seems faint with exhaustion” and “Blanche utters a sharp, frightened cry and shrinks away.”. Further linking to her being vulnerable, weak and submissive.
Why does the blue piano sound louder?
The ‘blue piano’ sounds louder.”. This is as a result of Stanley being deliberately cruel through “becoming somewhat sheepish” when he revealed to Blanche about Stella having a baby. Further emphasising Blanche’s progressive decay ...
When is the song "A Streetcar Named Desire"?
A Streetcar Named Desire: Music. May 6, 2019. May 6, 2019. by Jancke Dunn. ‘New Orleans is a city with a rich musical heritage, but the music in A Streetcar Named Desire is much more than a naturalistic device.’. In the light of this statement, explore Williams’ use of music in the play.