Desire-Under-the-Elms课件

WorksofO’NeillEarlyplays:realism,mainlybasedonhislifeontheseawhenhewasyoungBoundEastforCardiff,1916东航加的夫IntheZone,1917在这一带TheLongVoyageHome,1917漫长的返航TheMoonoftheCaribees,1918加勒比的月亮Mid-termplaysEmperorJones,1920琼斯皇帝TheHairyApe，1922毛猿----playsofexpressionismTheGreatGodBrown,1926大神布朗----thecharacterswearmasksinordertoexpressorhidetheirinternalnatureStrangeInterlude,1928奇异的插曲----streamofconsciousnessisusedandthecharactersexpresstheirinnerthoughtsthroughasidesDesireUndertheElms,1924榆树下的欲望MourningBecomesElectra,1931悲悼-----transferthefeaturesofancientGreektragedytotheAmericanbackgroundLateplays:backtorealism,realizedhisdreamofwritingautobiographicalplays,standingforhisgreatestachievementinplaysTheIcemanCometh,1939送冰的人来了ATouchofPoet,1935-42诗人的气质LongDay’sJourneyIntoNight,1939-41长日终入夜TheMoonfortheMisbegotten,1943月照不幸人Hughie,1941休依MoreStatelyMansions,unfinished1935-41更庄严地大厦DesireUndertheElmsbyEugeneO’Neill(1924)DesireUndertheElmswasperformedinNewYork’sBroadwayTheaterforthirty-sixweeksonendin1925.Background•Inthelate19thandearly20thcentury,thecapitalistprimitiveaccumulationandthedevelopmentofindividualismstimulatedthedesiresofluxuriouslife,money,loveandpossession.Peoplecrazilypursuedthematerialwealth.Thesatisfactionofthesedesiresstronglyimpactedontraditionalreligion,ethicandmorality,whichcausedallsortsoftragedyatthattime.ThisplayisO’Neill’sfirsteffortatwritinginthestyleofGreekTragedy.However,hedidnotfollowtheGreektraditiontochooseagreatfigureofnoblebirth,aboutwhomfatewouldexplainhismisery.HedeliberatelychoseafarmerinNewEnglandandhisfamilymembersasimportantcharactersofhisplaytotellastoryofordinarypeopleinthemoderntime.CharactersCabot75yearoldfatherAbbie(histhirdwife)Simeon,Peter(hissonsofthefirstwife)Eben(hissonofthesecondwife)loversDesireUndertheElmsThe75-year-oldfather,CabotAbbieEbbieandEbenSimeonandPeter:TwosonsofCabot’sfirstwifePlotDesireUndertheElmstellsastoryaboutaruthlessstruggleforfamilyproperty,afarmandthemansion,betweenfatherandsons,betweenhusbandandwife,betweenbrothers,andbetweenlovers.The75year-oldfatherCabotisaruthlessimageofaPuritanatthattime.Hehimselfisdiligentandhardworking.Hesawmaterialpossessionstobemorevaluablethananythingelse.Therefore,hischildrenhatedhim.Bothhisfirstandsecondwifediedbecausehehadcompelledthemtolabortoohard.Healsomadehisthreesonsworklaboriouslyforhimonthefarmwithouttheintentiontoletanyoftheminherithisfarmandthemansion.SimeonandPeter,thetwosonsofCabot’sfirstwife,whocouldn’tseeanyhopetoinheritthefarmandthemansion,soldtheirsharestoEben,thesonofCabot’ssecondwife.Withthemoneytheygot,theyleftforCaliforniaforgoldrush.However,Ebenstayedandcontinuedtoworkonthefarm,hopingtoinheritthefarmaswellastorevengeforhisdeadmother.Unfortunately,oldCabotnowbroughthomeathirdwife,35-year-oldAbbie,whoisenergetic,passionatebutselfish.ShehadtheobviousintentiontoinheriteverythingfromoldCabotassoonasshecamehere.AfterAbbycamehere,shegraduallydevelopedapassionateloveforEben.Unabletoresistthestrongpassionbetweeneachother,thestepmotherandthestepsonmadeincestuouslove.Asaresult,AbbyhadEben’sbaby.Aftertheirsonisborn,oldCabotwantedhimtoinheritthefarm,thusleavingthesecondwife’ssonEbenadriftintheworld.Whenadancecelebratingforthenew-bornchildwentoninthekitchen,thefatherandEbenquarreledoutside.EbenmistakenlybelievedwhathisfathersaidthatAbbiewantedasononlytodrivehimoutofthefarm.EbenrudelyscoldedAbby.ToprovetoEbenthatitwasthegenuineloveforhimratherthanthedesireforthefarmthathaddrivenhertohim,Abbiekilledthebaby.Onhearingsuchacrime,Ebenwaswildlyangrywithherandtoldittothesheriff.Knowingthepresenttruth,theanguishedCabotbecametotallydisappointedandlosthope.Hesetallthelivestockfreeandplanedtoleavethefarm.Butwhenhefoundhishiddenmoneywasgone(Ebenstoleittobuythesharesofthefarmfromhisbrothers),hebelievedthatGodhasthewillthatheshouldstandbythefarmratherthangoawayfromit.ThenEbenreturnedfromthesheriff.HefellatthekneesofAbby,begginghertoallowhimselftotakepartoftheblameandsharethepunishment.Atlast,theywenttotheprisontogether.EndThemeAnalysisTheplayusesancientGreekthemesofmurderanddestinedretributionforthesinners.JustasfateleadstoaGreektragedy,theemotionalforcesofsuchhumandesiresasjealousy,resentment,lust,andincestuousloveresultinthefataltragedyinDesireUndertheElms.Desireforwealthmakespeople’shealthymindlosebalanceInthisdrama,everycharacterappearingonthestageshowsadesireforwealth.CabotisatypicalrepresentativeofPuritans.Hewasselfish,cruelandstubborn.Hegotpropertiesthroughhismarriageandforcedhistwoex-wivestoworkextremelyharduntiltheywereabusedtodeath.DesireforwealthdroveSimeonandPetertoCaliforniaforgoldrush.ItalsodroveAbbietomarryCabot,aratheroldman,sothatshecouldgetCabot’sproperty.Itisfromherdesirethatthetragedybegins.Evenanunrelatedpersonlikethesheriffdesiredtopossessthefarm!Hesaid,“It’sajim-dandyfarm,nodenyin’.WishedIownedit!”Itisfunny,butthereliessomethingnotsolightheartedbehindit.Thesarcasmcanbesensedbysensitivereaders.Thatis,itishumannaturetodesireforwealth.Desirefortruelovecangobeyondanyotherhumandesir