Wedekinds Spring Awakening - Book Report/Review Example

Wedekind's Spring Awakening Act One, Scene Five a) How does the scene work dramaturgically The scene works dramaturgically in a number of ways. First of all, the two characters Melchior and Wendla meet in a wood by surprise. This shows two things: first, that a lot happens by chance within this world and second, that the young teenagers spend a lot of time in the forest. Melchior says that he is "having his own thoughts" while Wendla is looking for woodruff. Neither is doing anything particularly "dramatic" in turns of a classic dramaturgy. The scene rather opens out into a world in which thought is as important as action and inaction often seems to be the dominant feeling. The fact that both characters seem "lost" in one way or another is of great dramaturgical importance. Their physical uncertainty - Wanda has no idea what time it is, Melchior seems unsure (or uncaring) about what part of the forest they are actually in - reflects their mental malaise. The two characters sit under a tree and have what is essentially a philosophical conversation. Thus Wanda says that it makes her happy to visit the poor and Melchior poses the dilemma of whether she goes because it makes her happy or because the poor need the visits. The subject, apparently intractable, is whether true altruism actually exists. Wanda explains that she too is unhappy through the recounting of the dream that she had while lying down in the forest. The very inaction of the scene dramaturgically is suddenly contrasted with action as Wanda suddenly asks Melchior whether he wants to hit her with a switch made from a branch in the tree. Thus the tree - that had been used dramatically as a stable place under which the two teenagers can muse about their meaningless lives, suddenly becomes an instrument of violence. At first Melchior refuses, but with continued goading from Wendla, he eventually does hit her. But the girl doesn't feel anything because she is wearing so many clothes, and she teases him for "just stroking her". This continued goading makes Melchior throw away the switch and hit her with his fists until she yells. He then runs away, presumably offstage, leaving Wanda crying on the stage. The sudden move into violence shows that perhaps this is the only reaction to make their world meaningful, at least at this point. The teasing that he was just stroking her, because she cannot feel anything through the clothes, suggests the sexual content that will come. b) What is its function and how does it relate to the play as a whole The play revolves around the subject of repression and the need for a "spring awakening" of sexuality. The meeting between Melchior and Wendla is essentially a foreshadowing of what is to occur. Wendla dreams of being beaten but actually goes to feed the poor. She says that Melchior should be confirmed to please his parents but then asks him to beat her with a stick. Wendla is attracted to Melchior for a number of reasons. First, he represents the knowledge that she wants and also, it seems she is attracted to him physically. The manner of this physical attraction is important for the rest of the play. Wendla goes further than just wanting to be beaten, she longs to be beaten in an almost sexual manner. Her need for an intense physical experience, even if it is violent, leads to her yearning for sexual experience, or perhaps just sexual knowledge. The need to have an experience of some kind relates to what occurs in the rest of the play. Sexual experimentation and experience are linked to "learning". Melchior enjoys teaching his fellow teenagers, and he especially enjoys being a figure of authority with someone who knows less than himself. He also, in a more subtle way, wants to learn things from her. Thus when he asks her about her feelings and motivations for feeding the poor he perhaps also wants to discover the manner in which girls and women think. The dynamic equilibrium of learning in which both parties learn will be a theme throughout the play. In a basic manner, the scene is a pivotal interaction between the two characters. It serves on one level to show their mutual attraction for one another. Yet it is as much a scene that deals with ideas as much as characters. The ideas reveal the characters, and the characters reveal the ideas. Thus Melchior constantly uses references to Greek and Roman myths, concepts and stories. He shows his fellow character, and the audience, his intelligence and learning. He also shows his independence from the thoughts of others. Melchior identifies himself as a Pagan in order to show that he is not a Christian. It also shows that he serves no master but himself. Melchior knows that he has laid himself open to the risk of doing wrong as he has no absolutes on which to rely, but essentially celebrates the fact within the scene. Within dramaturgical terms, the method with which the tree turns from being merely part of the set to becoming a symbol for the changes that will occur within the play. A tree is a sign of life and stability, and yet it turns into a tool for violence. The switching of the girl is in turn a symbol for the awakening of sexuality that is about to occur, which brings the audience back to the original symbol of the tree as an embodiment of fertility. The scene also exemplifies the episodic nature of the play at this point. Thus characters meet one another, have conversations and then the scene changes to new characters being introduced who follow the same pattern. This is classic exposition in which the playwright introduces the characters, setting and themes to the audience before setting the actual drama into motion. The sudden violence that is asked for by the character who is hit takes the scene away from such exposition however. Wedekind effectively introduces the audience to the strange and yet fascinating characters that make up the world of Spring Awakening. He makes the audience wonder exactly what type of awakening is about to occur among these young people, and whether it will lead to contentment or chaos for those concerned. ________________________________________________ Read More