Machinal Flashcards
When was it written?
1928
How many questions must you answer?
2
What are the 2 questions?
- Acting focused
- Design focused
How long do you spend on each question?
30 minutes each
How many marks?
36 (18 marks per question)
What must you learn?
Episode titles
What was Treadwell’s inspiration?
The murder trial of Ruth Snyder
What is the story of Ruth Snyder?
- 32 years old housewife (Queens, NY)
- accused of murdering her wealthy husband
- had an affair with Judd Gray (both plotted to kill husband)
- killed husband with blow to head
- felt trapped in loveless marriage
- both executed on 12th January 1928
What was the original name of play?
The machine of life
What is Treadwell’s aim?
To show the effects of patriarchal control on women in the 1920s
What is expressionism?
Heightened performance
How long is section B?
1 hour
What is the Performer Acronym?
P- performer perspective
E- extract examples
R- ridiculous amount of terminology
F- for the audience
O- on the line…
R- reference whole play
M- machinal context/Treadwell intention
E- expressionism
R- refer to question focus
What is the Machinal rule?
You must choose a character that appears in the play more than once
Episode one: To Business quotes (Young Woman)
- “I had to get out!”- feeling trapped
- “baby - curls - little curls all over its head-“
- “no rest- must rest- no rest-“
Episode two: At Home quotes (Young Woman)
- “I do the best I can and I’m nearly crazy!”
- “Don’t you see? - Don’t you see?”
- “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”
Episode three: Honeymoon quotes (Young Woman)
- “Somebody - somebody-”
- “Ma! Ma! I want my mother!”
- “I was counting on seeing it!” (Desperate for freedom/ refer to ocean)
Episode four: Maternal quotes (Young Woman)
- “Let me alone - let me alone.”
- “I’ve submitted to enough-“
- “God never had one- Mary had one-“
Episode five: Prohibited quotes (Young Woman)
- “When you put your hand over mine! When you just touch me!”
- “then what did you do?”
- “I just want to keep moving.”
Episode six: Intimate quotes (Young Woman)
- “No!- I must go!”
- “We belong together!”
- “I’ll never get out of here.”
Episode seven: Domestic quotes (Young Woman)
- “Did you put it over?”
- “Sale of jewels and precious stones.”
- “Woman finds her husband dead.”
Episode eight: The Law quotes (Young Woman)
- “Well - I- “
- “I didn’t do anything!”
- “I did it! I did it! I did it!”
Episode nine: A Machine quotes (Young Woman)
- “I am ready.”
- “Always to have to submit-“
- “peace. Rest and peace.”
what is the designer acronym?
D- designers perspective
E- extract examples
S- Sophie’s intention/context
I- impact on audience
G- give detailed terminology
N- now compare to whole play
E- expressionism
R- refer back to question
Performer Q
- as a performer performing the role of YW I would aim…
- to link to Sophie Treadwell’s original intention of…
- on the line “…” I would use…
- impact on audience
- in contrast/ similarly in “episode…” I would use… (why)
- to enhance the expressionistic style of the play
- link back to aim
