Time And Place In Act 1

1. Based on the notes about the setting of this play, how important are time and place in this play, and how are they important?

First off, the time in this play is in 1400 and the place is in a room in Hebble Tyson’s house. The time in this is especially important since this was the time that not many women were able to choose who they wanted to marry and sometimes they didn’t even know the man they were marrying. This relates to the book in that Alizon wants to marry Humphrey but Nicholas, Humphrey’s brother, insists that he marry him instead. For instance, Nicholas claims that “it’s [him she] is going to marry” (pg. 16). Overall, this suggests that Alizon doesn’t really have much of a choice as she is being continuously pressured by Nicholas

For example, when Humphrey enters the room, he mentions the “daffodils for [Alizon]” (pg. 21). Since daffodils are a relatively pretty and desirable species of flower, their reference in the play adds to a more positive tone. However, Act 1 also uses images of nature to show negativity. This is seen through the references to “thistles…and deadly nightshade” (pg. 15). As nightshades are usually a dark color, it contrasts with the brightness the daffodils bring. In addition, thistles are not pleasing to the eye as they are spikey. By mentioning these plants, the playwright was able to get a more negative tone across.

5. How does this part of Act 1 portray gender relations?

This part of Act 1 leans towards the fact that males usually have more control than their girl counterparts. This is seen through the fact that the daughters usually get married off to other men without having say. For example, as Alizon describes her birth, she notes how her father thought “he would never be able to find enough husbands for six of [his daughters]” (pg. 14). This implies that it was the father who chose the person his daughters would marry, not the daughters themselves. As a result, it gives more power to the male.

6. Which characters does this part of Act 1 present more positively? More negatively? How does the play influence the way we think about these

This is seen through the fact that as soon as he is confronted by Thomas, a man who wants to be hanged, he sees it as an act of mockery and blows it off as Thomas being extremely unreasonable. For instance, he says to Thomas that he has “a tongue too big for [his] brains” (pg. 25). This suggests obviously that the mayor believes in being reasonable and also believes that Thomas has no idea what he is saying. On the other hand, Thomas seems to be more whimsical. Supporting this is the fact that he asks to be hanged, which is extremely unpredictable and takes many by surprise, especially Tyson. When the mayor turns him down, Thomas confesses that he has committed the crime of murder and continues to surprise the reader with his playful attitude when it comes to dying. For instance, he keeps asking the mayor to be hanged after being turned down multiple times almost like he is a child begging for candy but in this case, the candy is being