THEATRE by W. S. Maugham

THEATRE by W. S. Maugham

 (Chapters 1-2)

I. Explain in English or give definitions of and find contextual synonyms for the following words and phrases:

Complacency - a feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness

three times running  - taking place three times

filthy - very dirty or obscene; muddy

supercilious - displaying arrogant pride, scorn, or indifference; contemptuous

military bearing -  the high level of military professionalism;

natural flamboyance natural brightness

stupendous –extremely large, great; astounding

staggered - to astound or overwhelm, as with shock; embarrass

natural homage – special respect; esteem

entanglement – state of confusion; involvement

concubinage - cohabitation without legal marriage; cohabitation

languorous - lacking spirit or liveliness; torment

flippant rejoinde frivolous answer

to risk smth - the possibility of incurring misfortune or loss; hazard

 a quick study – to learn smth by heart very quickly

II. Search for the allusions in the text. Define their type (literary, artistic, historical and others) and functions; explain their meaning.

Artistic allusions:

Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was a leading English portrait painter and president of the Royal Academy. The most outstanding work: Satan summoning his legions. Here he illustrated lines from John Milton's Paradise Lost. The portraitist was mentioned to emphasize the lightness, tenderness, and feminity of the main character.

Jean-Marc Nattier (March 17, 1685 – November 7, 1766) was a French painter. He is noted for his portraits of the ladies of King Louis XV's court in classical mythological attire. He subsequently revived the genre of the allegorical portrait, in which a living person is depicted as a Greco-Roman goddess or other mythological figure. Nattier's graceful and charming portraits of court ladies in this mode were very fashionable
To my mind the author used this name in the chapter to show lightness and all the beauty of Julia Lambert.

Sarah Siddons (1755 – 1831) was a Welsh actress, the best-known tragedienne of the 18th century. She was most famous for her portrayal of the Shakespearean character, Lady Macbeth, a character she made her own, and for famously fainting at the sight of the Elgin Marbles in London. 

This allusion occurs in the text because Sarah Siddons was an idol in the world of theatre, she was the most famous and conciderate actress, moreover, Julia had a dream to play one of the Shakespearean character.

John Philip Kemble (1757 – 1823)  was an English actor. His elder sister Sarah Siddons achieved fame with him on the stage of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He played a huge number of parts, including a large number of Shakespearean characters.

Benoît-Constant Coquelin ( 1841 – 1909), known as Coquelin aîné ("Coquelin the Eldest"), was a French actor, "one of the greatest theatrical figures of the age."

Sarah Bernhardt (1844 – 1923) was a French stage and early film actress, and was referred to as "the most famous actress the world has ever known." Bernhardt made her fame on the stages of France in the 1870s, at the beginning of the Belle Epoque period, and was soon in demand in Europe and the Americas. She developed a reputation as a serious dramatic actress, earning the nickname "The Divine Sarah."

This actress was very tallented and had all opportunities to be the great actress, so did Julia.

Charles John Kean (1811-1868) was born at Waterford, Ireland, the son of the actor Edmund Kean. Plump of figure, facially expressionless, and vocally nasal, Charles Kean was not well endowed to enter the profession in which he was bound to be compared—unfavourably—with his father. Nevertheless, despite or because of the family name, Charles Kean had early opportunities to play Shakespearian leads in London: Romeo (1829), Richard III (1830), Iago (1833) to his father's Othello, Othello and Hamlet (both 1838); in addition to which he undertook engagements in the provinces and America. Charles Kean's Shakespeare performances were criticized for ‘clap-trap effects’, misplaced emphases and unceasing—but pointless—locomotion.

All these allusions were used in the first to chapters to make the reader closer to the world of theatre, to appreciate all the beauty of it.

Literary allusions:

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Historical allusions:

Sir Francis Robert Benson –  was a British actor-manager. He founded his own company in 1883 and produced all but two of Shakespeare's plays. From the first he devoted himself largely to the production of Shakespeare's plays.

III. Using direct and indirect evidence from the text give character sketches of Julia Lambert and Michael Gosselyn.

Julia Lambert is the main character of Maugham’s novel “Theatre”. She is 46 year old woman with big brown eyes and very nice delightful "warm, ready" smile."She wasn’t a brilliant conversationalist, but her eyes were so bright, her manner so intelligent" She is an independent woman, in whom the sense of humor, the ability to judge people and to understand the circumstances are combined with being an adventurer.She was really a born actress and the fate gave her a great opportunity to develop her talent. Her clothes, made only in Paris, were very luxury. All Julia’s life was an acting. Jane Taitbout gave Julia her first lessons. She taught her all the arts that she had herself learnt at the Conservatoire and she talked to her of Reichenberg who had played ingenues till she was seventy, of Sarah Bernhardt and her golden voice, of Mounet-Sully and his majesty, and of Coquelin the greatest actor of them all. She recited to her the great tirades of Corneilly and Racine as she had learned to say them at the Francaise and taught her to say them in the same way. Jane Taitbout must always have been a very stagy actress, but she taught Julia to articulate with extreme distinctness, she taught her not to be afraid of her own voice, and she made deliberate that wonderful sense of timing which Julia had by instinct and which afterwards was one of her greatest gifts. When Julia was sixteen and went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Gower Street she knew already much that they could teach her there. She won every prize that was open to her, and when she was finished with the school her good French got her almost immediately a small part in London as a French maid. It looked for a while as though her knowledge of French would specialize her in parts needing a foreign accent, for after this she was engaged to play an Austrian waitress.

Michael Gosselyn is the main character of Maugham’s novel “Theatre”.He is 52 years old. He had a very good figure, a great mass of curling chestnut hair and large deep blue eyes, a straight nose and small ears. The only thing that slightly spoiled him was the thinness of his mouth.He was the best- looking actor on the English stage. He was six foot tall and he had a military bearing. He was extremely handsome, so he had decided to go to the stage, rather than to connect his life with military career. He boasted that his weight had not changed since he was twenty, and for years, wet or fine, he had got up every morning at eight to put on shorts and a sweater and have a run round Regent's Park. Michael had started with Shakespeare. He had played Romeo at Cambridge.
Michael was a pedant, stern, and meticulously thorough in fulfilling all the formal requirements. The man adored his wife, Julia, her skills and ability to play on stage. When he was young his playing was poor, though he grew popular with the company. The man was good-humoured and kindly; he would take any amount of trouble to do anyone a service. However, Michael didn’t like spending money; neither had he ever given on credit.

IV. Summary 

Having come to her husband Julia, one of the best English actresses, noticed an odd man. He was the new account of the theatre and was employed by her husband, Michael Gosselyn. The couple diceded to invite a fellow for  lunch, which was an immense event in the account's life. He was keen of Julia's playing, and saw plays with her acting 3 times! Besides, Julia gave him a photo of her own. Looking through the photos she recollected their past. She was born in Jersey. Her Aunt, who was a former actress, gave her the first lessons of actor's skill. At sixteen she entered the Royal academy of the dramatics, but only Jimmie Langton made a real actress of her.