Light and music are two dramatic elements that can become significant in the development of the plot and characters. Some playwrights may further incorporate stage lighting, including directional lighting and ambient lighting, to not only divert attention to the critical area of the stage, but also to adequately present their ideas. Similarly, music can also be indirectly implemented in plays through character dialogues and allusions to musical pieces; therefore, becoming symbolic. Furthermore, this music can be presented directly in the background of the show. Both playwrights, Tennessee Williams and Athol Fugard, use the elements of lighting and music in their respective plays, The Glass Menagerie and Master Harold and the Boys, both to heighten the reality of their plays and to develop the theme of escape and accompaniment. theme of hope and despair. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Williams uses light for captions and as a symbol in The Glass Menagerie to develop his theme of hope; more specifically, to portray Laura's ultimate sense of desperation. The captions call for “dull gray” lighting with a “turgid red glow” and a “deep blue peel.” This form of enlightenment helps build images of memory and its unrelenting power, as well as the atmosphere of nostalgia and deep melancholy associated with it. This mood alludes to the sense of desperation that Laura feels. This desperation is emphasized through the symbol of light rather than through stage lighting. That is, the following simile is developed in which Laura is described as “like a piece of translucent glass touched by light, given a momentary splendor, not real, not lasting.” Such a description not only predicts her inability to maintain confidence, but also suggests that her beauty is innately tied to her delicacy and the disadvantage she has with her condition. Furthermore, it shows the impermanence of hope in his life, as it comes as quickly as it leaves. Williams further highlights Laura's delicacy through another character: Jim. Upon Jim's arrival at their home, and Laura's refuge, a "delicate lemon light" appears, and finally a soft light that highlights Laura's "otherworldly beauty." Since the light symbolizes hope, it becomes apparent that Jim provides Laura with a temporary sense of hope upon his arrival. The “lemon” or yellow color through which the light is described, however, becomes significant as it becomes a warning of the damage that Jim will ultimately cause in Laura. Although Jim instills hope in Laura by providing her with comments that temporarily boost her self-confidence, he suddenly runs away, leaving Laura once again hopeless and thus triggering the argument that the play ends on a rather pessimistic note. Williams highlights this lack of hope through Tim's physical escape from the house; that is, his attempt to escape reality suggests that he too has withdrawn all his hopes that Laura will have a better and happier life. Williams further conveys the very theme of escapism and demonstrates the characters' abstinence from confronting reality by incorporating music into his theatrical delivery. piece. Not only does the music have great symbolic meaning, but it also provides emotion to the scenes. In the fourth scene, for example, Williams plays “Ava Maria” in the background to allude to the harsh responsibilities Amanda has as a mother. TheseResponsibilities are what ultimately fuels Amanda's desperate efforts to achieve a better life for her daughter. In doing so, Amanda feels inclined to escape her reality and her own failures, as well as the reality of Laura's handicap. As Tom attempts to force the mother to face the reality of her daughter's disability, "the music changes to a tango which has a lower tone and a bit of a threat". The music helps to provide a worrying impression and thus demonstrates the Amanda's fear of reality and the consequences that come from confronting reality. Another character whose attitude towards reality is described through music is Laura. That is, when Jim arrives, Laura becomes terrified and begs her mother to open up the door, but she refuses and forces Laura to open it. Before she reluctantly opens, however, she charges the Victoria to play the music play this music to escape the intense situation, to escape reality With Amanda running away from her past, Laura who fleeing her troubled existence and Tom fleeing the house with his responsibilities, including the burden of achieving a better life for Laura, the characters ultimately distance themselves from each other as they retreat into their own imaginations. Thus, the music helps to convey not only the idea of escape but also to describe the alienation that the characters feel not only from each other, but from society as a whole. Fugard uses light well in his work, Master Harold and the Boys simply as a symbol of hope. When Hally and Sam discuss ballroom dancing and whether or not dancing is considered an art form, Hally argues and describes that in her imagination, dancing simply involves people "having fun." Sam offers another description, claiming that Hally's imagination "left out the excitement" and that "it's not just another dance...there's going to be a lot of people...having fun...decorations for parties and imaginative decorations." lights all around the room… the ladies in beautiful evening dresses!” The lights evidently become a symbol of positivity and hope as the description of such lights helps Sam challenge Hally's pessimistic view of ballroom dancing. Fugard associates “fancy lights” with the extended ballroom dancing metaphor to present ballroom dancing in a rather positive and hopeful way. In doing so, Fugard describes the dreamlike quality that dance and dancers possess. This type of description demonstrates dance as a metaphor for social harmony. The symbolic element of light is proposed again at the end of the show when the jukebox "comes to life in the gray twilight". This gray light is incorporated at the end of the work to further emphasize the hope of such potential harmony and peace between blacks and whites. Since gray is halfway between black and white, Fugard deliberately incorporates this light as a means of conveying the hope that blacks and whites will unite as one. This same idea is further highlighted through Fugard's employment of the motif of music and the corresponding theme of escape. Fugard uses music not only to provide movement to the work, but also to develop the theme of escape; more specifically, escaping reality as attempted by Sam and Willie. During the show, Sam and Willie practice the "waltz" and "foxtrot" for their ballroom dance. Similarly to light, music is also associated with the extended metaphor of ballroom dancing. Thus, the music helps to allude to a dreamlike, collision-free world by which dancers are able to bring order to a disorderly world and, respectively, an ideal society without "collisions" between blacks and whites. Sam and Willie use music and ballroom dancing to escape their reality; however, Hally interferes with.
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