Space is an important element in drama and is embodied by the stage itself as a representation of a space in which the action is presented. The representations differ significantly in how they present space and how much information about the space they offer the audience. Analyzing location and setting in plays can help audiences get a better idea of the characters and their behavior, as well as the overall atmosphere. In the script of a play, the layout and general appearance of the setting are usually described in stage directions or descriptions at the beginning of the acts or scenes. The dichotomy between extremely detailed and sparsely mentioned sets in plays' secondary texts is another crucial starting point for further analysis, as the preponderance or lack of setting description tells the reader something about the setting's more general functions . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The significance of scene descriptions is very evident in Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The extensive descriptions introduce the reader to the setting of the entire play, namely Brick and Maggie's bedsit in Big Daddy's Southern Mansion. While all of Williams' scene notes deserve careful consideration, it is undeniable that some elements of the setting have strong symbolic associations. Through these symbolic elements, it is possible to bring to light a greater understanding of both the emotional composition of Brick and Maggie and the prevailing homosexual tension of the work. Williams explains some of the symbolic elements of his work, including the console containing a radio phonograph, television and wet bar, in secondary notes. The significance of this console is to serve as a sanctuary of the "comforts and illusions" (6) behind which people hide from things and, during the show, offer the characters an auditory and (with alcohol) sensory distraction . However, a more passive symbolic element of the play's set is the large double bed that Williams instructs the actors to make a “functional part of the set as often as possible” (6). This large decor is the focal point of the set, and setting the entire action of the play in Maggie and Brick's bedroom makes sense because a major plot point concerns whether or not Brick will resume sleeping with Maggie. When Brick and Maggie openly argue, the bed serves as a point of refuge for each in turn. When Maggie confronts Brick with her own vitality in the face of the death of her true love, Skipper, Brick throws the crutch at her, over the bed behind which she takes refuge. This is a symbolic action as Maggie is crouching behind an object filled with sexual tension; literally hiding behind that the environment in which Brick was supposed to perform sexually with her to disprove her claim about his homosexuality. To get to Maggie, therefore, Brick must literally overcome what keeps them apart. That's why Brick has to throw something on the bed: it's a metaphorical attempt to overcome Maggie's accusation. When his shot misses Maggie, Brick refills his drink and sits on the impressive "big four-poster bed" (44). His pathetic return to the formidable mobile is the ultimate failure. Brick was forced to return, at least temporarily, to their hated love nest. Williams is keen to reveal that Brick and Maggie's room once belonged to the plantation's original owners, Jack Straw and Peter Ochello. These..
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