I. Explain
in English or give definitions of and find contextual synonyms for the
following words and phrases:
Complacency
- a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's
achievements
three times running - taking place three times
filthy - disgustingly dirty, very unpleasant
supercilious - behaving or looking as though
one thinks one is superior to others
military bearing - the high level of military
professionalism
natural flamboyance – natural beauty, stylish,
exiting person
stupendous
- extremely impressive or large
staggered - astonish or deeply shock
natural homage - special respect
entanglement - a complicated or compromising
relationship or situation
concubinage – 1) cohabitation without legal
marriage 2) the state of living as a concubine
languorous - If you describe an activity as
languorous, you mean that it is lazy, relaxed, and not energetic, usually in a
pleasant way.
flippant rejoinder - frivolous answer
to risk smth - act in such a way as to bring
about the possibility of (an unpleasant or unwelcome event)
a quick study – to learn smth in a short
period of time
II. Search
for the allusions in the text. Define their type (literary, artistic,
historical and others) and functions; explain their meaning.
Literary
allusions:
William
Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) 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.
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.
Sarah
Siddons (5 July 1755 – 8 June 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. The Sarah
Siddons Society continues to present the Sarah Siddons Award in Chicago every
year to a prominent actress.
Benoît-Constant
Coquelin (23 January 1841 – 27 January 1909), known as Coquelin aîné
("Coquelin the Eldest"), was a French actor, "one of the
greatest theatrical figures of the age."
Sarah
Bernhardt (23 October 1844 – 26 March 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."
Mounet-Sully
(February 28, 1841 – 1916), a French actor, was born at Bergerac. His birth
name was Jean-Sully Mounet: "Mounet-Sully" (without the
"Jean") was a stage name.
Jean-Marc
Nattier (March 17, 1685 – November 7, 1766), French painter, was born in Paris,
He is noted for his portraits of the ladies of King Louis XV's court in
classical mythological attire.
Charles
John Kean (18 January 1811 - 22 January 1868), was born at Waterford, Ireland,
the son of the actor Edmund Kean. 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).
Historical
allusions:
Sir Francis
Robert Benson (4 November 1858 – 31 December 1939), commonly known as Frank
Benson or F. R. Benson, was a British actor-manager. He founded his own company
in 1883 and produced all but two 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. Give a
summary of the first two chapters.
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.
