Blood Brothers Flashcards
What are the 6 contextual points in blood brothers?
Margret Thatcher, Marilyn Monroe, willy Russel, Influences in Willy Russel’s life, School
What are the themes in Blood brothers?
Class and money, Fate and superstition, Coming of age, Nature vs. Nurture
What are Russel’s Dramatic devices?
Dramatic Irony, The fourth wall, Stage directions, Dramatic tension
What is an example of Dramatic Irony?
The audience know that Mickey and Edward are twins throughout the play but they do not know until end scene
What is an example of The fourth wall?
The narrator and Mrs Johnston breaking forth wall when speaking to audience
What is an example of stage directions?
‘uncontrolable with rage’, ‘waves gun around before it explodes at Edward’-Mickey
What is an example of Dramatic Irony?
The events leading up to the final scene, including Edward and Linda’s affair, Mickey finding out builds dramatic tension
How was class and money presented?
Mickey and his family represent the working classes, who were badly affected by the economic downturn, whereas Edward and the Lyons family embody the middle classes, who thrived in the 1980s.
How is Fate and superstition presented?
Mrs Lyons’s mental fragility: at the start of the play, Mrs Lyons laughs at Mrs Johnstone’s superstition about putting shoes on a table; towards the end of Act One,
How is nature vs. nurture presented?
1.Fraternal twins are separated at birth. 2.One becomes a college graduate and has a high-status occupation, while the other is unemployed and in prison.
3.Both fall in love with the same girl, which causes a rupture in their friendship.
How is coming of age presented?
Although the play ends with the twins Mickey and Edward’s deaths, most of the musical is occupied with their lives and the events of their growing up.
What is the context of Margret Thatcher?
Margaret Thatcher believed that anyone could be successful if they worked hard. Russell demonstrates that for Mickey this is not true. Without having the opportunities that Edward is given, Mickey’s prospects are very limited, regardless of how hard he works and his desire to succeed.
Marilyn Monroe.
Marilyn Monroe features as a symbol throughout Blood Brothers. Earlier on, she represents freedom and sexiness but towards the end of the play she stands for depression and early death, as her life spiralled out of control, leading to her becoming dependent on prescription medication and dying of an overdose. Linking to Mickey
