Willy Russell's Educating Rita

From your study of Willy Russell's Educating Rita, describe which

character in the play changes the most

Explain:

· How the characters change

· The characters role in the play

· How the playwright uses dramatic devices

· How the use of language shows these changes

· How these changes reflect the social, historical and cultural

background.

The play 'Educating Rita' was written by Willy Russell in 1985, for

all the 'Rita's' and all the 'Frank's' in the audience. The play is

based on Willy Russell's life so it could be interpreted as an

autobiographical play. Like Rita, Russell did not study at school so

he did not have any O levels, so he wanted an education to get away

from Hairdressing like Rita wanted an education to see what she could

become. At this point in the play Frank can tell Rita anything and she

will listen and believe all of it. As time goes on she looses this

hunger for knowledge because of summer school and her flatmate Trish

that dramatically changes Rita. At the end of the play the two

characters seem to have changed roles, Rita comes back from summer

school and knows more then she ever thought she could and discovers

that the 'proper students' are not as good and intelligent as she

thought. Franks relationship with Julia is breaking down and the

banishment to Australia seems more and more imminent. The two seem to

swap roles because Frank used to tell Rita things and she would try

and understand it, but the return from summer school shows that she

has memorised Blake poetry and has significantly changed.

Rita is driven by the need for education, having realised that life

has more to offer then her ordinary existence in the hairdressing

salon. Rita says to Frank that b...

... middle of paper ...

...that there is only one thing for

her to do to thank him so he sits down and the audience gets the

impression of something sexual about to happen but Rita gets a pair of

scissors and begins to cut Franks hair. In this scene the dramatic

device used is one for humour.

Educating Rita is mainly about a character trying to find the right

words to express herself, and as she becomes more educated Rita learns

to adapt her language to different audiences. Rita's increasing

mastery of the language helps her to grow more confident. In the

character of Rita, Willy Russell was reaching out to an audience whose

daily language was not of the theatre or the university but to all the

Franks and Rita's in the audience. Rita attempts to change her

language to the proper use of words, because of what Trish said: 'you

can't discuss beautiful literature with an ugly voice.'