We have
often related the four causes of Frye with the plays in class. Here, I would
like to emphasize the application of Frye’s four causes to The Broken Jug because this play could be an excellent example compared
to the other plays that we have read so far.
As we have
seen from the play, the root of the story was Adam’s fall as a judge. The material cause in the play was clearly portrayed
by Adam’s biological need – his sexual desire. The previous blog posts compared
Adam’s crime to the sin of Adam and Eve in the Bible. His offence, his
re-enactment of the first fall of man, is driven by sexual desire. He threatened
Eve, in exchange for sexual favors, to avoid sending Ruprecht for conscription
at the East Indies.
After escaping
and breaking Martha’s jug on the way, Adam thought that he almost got away from
his crime because he was the judge and
he could conceal his wrongdoing. However, the district judge chose to visit the
village’s court during this critical period. Walter, the district judge, could
be seen as the formal cause of the
play. There were instances where Adam wanted to simply place a sentence on
Ruprecht because he wanted to close the case before anyone found out about his
crime. At those times, Walter would point out his suspicions and made sure that
the court went through all the necessary procedures before condemning anybody. One
cannot help feeling that, without Walter’s presence, Adam would probably mange
to browbeat the witnesses and get away scot free.
The efficient cause of the play would be
none other than Eve, the main female character of the play. She revealed the
real culprit who broke the jug and brought the play to resolution. Although she
knew that Adam was the one who broke the jug, she did not reveal it until the
very end. I do not know what her motive of doing so was. I’m guessing that she
might be afraid of Adam since he was the authority figure in the small village
or she might also be intimidated by Adam’s threatening remark.
The final cause would of course, be the
audience. Although it may seem like the audience wasn’t very much included in
the play, the audience was actually involved because they knew who the real culprit
was all the while. And it would be hilarious watching Adam covering up the loss
of his wigs with all the nonsense excuses.
Wow, way to go Serene. You did a great job here. The only thing that I would challenge you on was that I do not believe that the audience always knew who the culprit was. I really did not start to piece it together until there was the discussion about the criminal being struck on the head. But then again, I am no Sherlock. I just like Benedict.
ReplyDeleteYour comparison of Frye's four classes was excellently done and I agree with Zach on the audience not knowing it was Adam all along. I think the audience only really starts piecing it together when we start hearing the case. I would add that you could also say that Ruprecht and Adam are vying for the same girl and in Ruprecht's case judge Adam is the formal cause that stands in the way. Considering Adam is threatening Eve with Ruprecht's shipment to the East Indies Ruprecht could view Adam as a formal cause.
ReplyDeleteA great post that anticipates our class discussion. This shows me that we are starting to see comedies with new eyes! Excellent. In class, we'll talk not only about the causes, but also about when we _knew_ that Adam was the culprit. Sometimes, it can take a while to draw that conclusion, though if you re-read the text, you'll see that there are hints dropped early on...
ReplyDelete