Susan Glaspell's Trifles And The Real Inspector Ho
880 Words4 Pages
Susan Glaspell's, Trifles, and Tom Stoppard's, The Real Inspector Hound, are both about a murder mystery, however there are many aspects of the two plays that are different, such as the setting, style, and tone of the plots. Glaspell and Stoppard both had different influences that helped to make them and their writing famous. Susan Glaspell is an early twentieth century playwright who had a knack for acting and a gift for writing plays. Glaspell was influenced by her mid-western history such as a murder case that took place in Iowa, this is how she came up with Trifles. Trifles was one of the most powerful plays of the time about feminism and how women are overlooked in society. Trifles is about an older woman, Mrs. Wright, who is in her house…show more content… His works were greatly influenced by T.S. Elliot and Samuel Beckett and by certain absurdists. Absurdists are those who believe that “that the universe is irrational and meaningless and that the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the universe” (Absurdism). Stoppard's play is a perfect example of a parody. A parody is “a piece of writing, music, etc., that imitates the style of someone or something else in an amusing way” (Parody). Stoppard is making a parody out of the play, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. The Real Inspector Hound is a prime example of absurdism. The way the play is set up is not normal compared to other plays. The play starts off with a spotlight on two characters either off to the side of the stage or even in the audience. The two characters are Moon and Birdboot, two theater critics in the 1960s, whose seemingly ordinary lives get interesting. As the play goes on, Birdboot and Moon's lives get ensnared in the play-within-a-play, what they think is fantasy turns out to be reality. Birdboot and Moon become characters in the play-within-a-play. After Birdboot discovers that he isn't in an ordinary play, he shows up dead. Then, Moon puts the pieces of the puzzle together and figures out who killed Birdboot; however, before he can run away, he is shot (Stoppard). This absurd play is not only confusing to…show more content… One of the ways that Glaspell uses the setting to help get her theme across is through the time period. In the 20th Century, men were chauvinistic and looked down on women. Another way she uses the setting is through the physical placing of the play. It takes place in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. It also helps the women in the play identify with Mrs. Wright as to the “why” she killed her husband. The final way she uses the setting is through the scene. The entire play takes place in the kitchen, where women were expected to be. In the story, everything is dirty and somethings are misplaced. According to society, a woman's kitchen should never be dirty. These reasons are why it is one of the most powerful plays to relate to the theme of feminism. While Stoppard and Glaspell have very different settings and themes, they still convey their message clearly. Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound takes place in a theater in the mid 20th Century. There is a play-within-a-play that takes place in a country manor which resides in a swampy, desolated area located near a cliff. Stoppard also uses some of the parts of a setting to help provide more detail to the play. The play takes place in the 60s, where it wasn't uncommon for critics or other decision-makers to have affairs with those who are receiving the