Physicality in The Broken Jug

Though most of the posts that I've seen on here are focusing on the names or symbolism, one thing that seemed to really stand out to me was the physicality of the characters. For those who are unaware of what physicality is, basically, it has to do with the physical elements of the characters in the play. Be it the way a character holds themselves, the movements a character makes when responding, or even the slapstick humor of when they knock each other around.

I've always been a fan of over-the-top, violent, slapstick humor (ex. Three Stooges), and at the beginning of the play, it seemed like this would be a reoccurring theme, but then the slaps became less humorous. For instance, it was funny that as the maids were getting stuff together in the morning, one slapped Adam on the backside to get him to way up. While not the funniest thing I've ever witnessed, it was still humorous. Even as Adam got up and started moving around, stumbling over himself and trying to figure out what was going on, I was amused. The actions on screen, though they seemed to be painful to Adam, were still humorous and kind of over-the-top. Once stuff started to get real and Adam started to freak out, though, he changed completely. The once lovably doofy guy suddenly became kind of scary and violent towards his servants, but in the not fun way.

Before this point, Adam was stumbling around and reacting to the new injuries to his body. His posture was lax, and he only seemed stiffened by the pain. Fast forward to the point where he realizes that he has to pull himself together quickly, and his entire demeanor changes. His posture improves, his face scrunches up in frustration and anger, and his once fluid movements become more rigid and violent as he slaps his maids around. This back and forth of essentially two different characters that we see in Adam continue throughout the play.

Though Adam was the only one that I noticed dramatic changes in, he wasn't the only one with noticeable physicality. Other examples would be Dame Martha’s posture of back straight/chest puffed that caused her voice to travel and asserted her belief that she was correct, Eve’s fidgeting as she struggled with truth over protecting her beloved Repurecht, and Ruprecht’s father generally cowering on his bench but getting up to yell at his son when he believes he has been deceived.

Fortunately, the slapstick comedy slowly came back throughout the play. By the end, almost everyone’s actions were over-the-top and almost jokey. I’ll bring up Adam at this point, too. He comically tries to prove that he is innocent, despite how obvious his guilt is, and he makes a huge fool of himself in trying to get away. The running, jumping, tripping, and even the kissing return to a lightheartedness that seems even lighter than it was in the beginning. The tension as broken, and everyone’s demeanors and postures have changed…. Well, almost everyone. Dame Martha is still determined to get some sort of payback for her broken vase, and remains in the same loud, matter-of-factly manner as when she is first introduced.