GEORGE: I know the difference.
NICK: You don't act it.'
Discuss the dramatic consequence of this debate for the action of the play as a whole.
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'NICK: ...You've got history on your side...I've got biology on mine. History, biology.
GEORGE: I know the difference. NICK: You don't act it.' Discuss the dramatic consequence of this debate for the action of the play as a whole.
13 Comments
Alondra Paulino
11/19/2013 09:13:47 am
Albee displays the consistency of the games in the familiar and callous nature George exhibits. The repetition of the games Martha and George play are shown in the alliteration in their titles, “Get the Guests, Humiliate the Host, Hump the Hostess.” Albee presents Martha’s vulgar idiolect to emphasize her condescending manner. Years and years of the same routine have caused George to become privy to Martha’s foolishness. However, when George lashes out, Albee reveals just how malicious he really is. Although “history is on [his] side”, George decides to rewrite history and end the games once and for all. After watching Martha be intimate with Nick and his glamorous “chromosomes,” George lets out a cry that is “part growl, part howl”. From then on, he takes on an animalistic persona, snapping at Martha, and only refraining from doing so when he gets beyond “the bone.” When Albee writes “We’ll play this one to the death,” he foreshadows the verbal execution of their “blonde eyed, blue haired” son. Albee shows that George’s scheme has allowed him to surpass Martha, as well as Nick.
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Stephanie B.
11/20/2013 06:51:01 am
History and Biology being two completely different subjects, Albee contrasts George’s and Nick’s characters in age, abilities, and future. As George has accrued a couple years, Nick is young and like Biology—always changing. Albee distinguishes the two when he brings up Martha’s revelation of George having to receive approval from her father in order to publish his book. Nick, on the other hand, is innovative and capable of pursuing his desires. This angers George as the young man poses a threat to his position in the college. Knowing how much their status relies on women, George is afraid of Nick using his good looks, blonde hair, and charm to play “musical beds” and work his way to the top. His fear is Nick taking over the Biology Department and then eventually the college as a whole. This concept of trepidation and uneasiness is Albee’s attempt of representing the U.S. during the Cold War. As George was named after the president George Washington (history) and Nick after the Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, Albee presents two opposing world views and a status that Nick, unlike George, is able to live up to.
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Gabriella Segovia
11/20/2013 08:57:29 am
Albee contrasts characters George and Nick by incorporating a debate based on their occupations. George, represented by history, is "old" and outplayed, while Nick, represented by biology, is young and "strong". Although biology is known for challenging prior beliefs, Albee displays history's overwhelming influence in the resolution of the play. Through Martha, Albee draws parallels to Nick's assumption that George "acts" as if he does not know the difference between History and Biology. Martha's statement, "Truth and illusion, George, you do not know the difference," highlights how George's actions have deceived the other characters into believing that he has lost the game. Of course, George, with a little help from history, still held the upper hand. When Nick and Martha first kiss, (George walks in….watches for a moment… smiles… (and) laughs silently). George’s scheming demeanor at the closing of this scene leads the audience to believe that George has one more card up his sleeve. George flips the switch on Martha and Nick as he plays the ultimate game, “Kill the Kid.” Albee’s euphemism, “Bringing Up Baby,” causes the suspense to rise as the complex plot unfolds. At this point, Nick has fallen for the illusion that Martha is interested in his “biology,” while George knows that their “history” will overpower any conflict. The audience experiences this in Martha’s description of their relationship: “George… who understands me, and whom I push off.” As Martha pours her feelings out to Nick, she is also invested in George’s illusion. George’s ability to define truth from illusion allows him to shatter the concept of their son, once again, leaving Martha behind in her own games. Throughout the play, Albee intertwines factors of truth and illusion. This puzzling plot intrigues the audience and involves them in the character’s struggle to clearly define truth and illusion.
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Alexis S.
11/20/2013 09:29:12 am
Albee utilizes the career choice of George and Nick to emphasize power struggle. “I’ve got biology on my side you have history, history biology” Albee embeds this quote in the drama to highlight the major “difference” through symbolism of two prominent characters. George embodies the characteristics of his field, being casts as geriatric and futile, in sharp contrast to Nick who is the epitome of his department attributes reflecting science in being fresh and new. This is a threat to George who unleashes this in the game of “get the guest” where he spills Honey “up and down” secret. Nick retaliates in “hump the hostess” when he becomes intimate with George’s wife. Both manage to wield each other’s wives as swords to pierce, to the heart. Albee uses there field to represent the past, George and the future, Nick which cause friction in the present in the drama of power struggle throughout the play.
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Shirley G.
11/20/2013 11:52:38 am
Albee employs the stark contrast of George and Nick's field of profession to enhance their own contradicting views of each other and the world around them. As the debate begins to heat up, George tells Nick that they are "the ones" who are "changing [his] chromosomes" to rid of "the ugly, the stupid, the.....unfit," representing George as a whole as he cannot compete with the "millions upon millions" of Nicks that will soon take over (starting with the Biology Department). This statement, tied with hints of animosity and malevolence, shows George's depletion of character, making him tenuous in comparison to Nick's broad and rising successes. This is further insinuated by Martha's flattery for Nick, saying how he is "right at the meat of things" while George fades "into the backgrounds," much like how history fades from our minds with time. We begin to internalize the tension George feels for Nick as he "(eyes him suspiciously)" throughout his conversation with Martha. He sees Nick as a "threat" to both him and his masculinity, exemplifying George's need of a challenge to prove himself man. Through this growth of ill-will, Albee presents to the audience not only the distance between George and Nick's ideals, but their parted relationship as well.
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Amber Sagastume
11/20/2013 12:24:03 pm
Albee contrasts characters by the couple, through their “History” and experience together in comparison to their “biological” animal instinct or rather, chemistry. Honey and Nick are the young couple experiencing only a touch of issues in their marriage that will develop, as reflected by what Martha and George go through in the play. When George’s character states, “The way to a man’s heart is through his wife’s belly,” Albee uses the line to reveal not only a dark past, but to show that George’s insight comes from experience as he hits Nick with a low blow. George’s character is portrayed as someone who has, in a sense, been there done that. Even while arguing with Martha, his line “Don’t touch me! You keep your paws clean for the undergraduates,” portrays George as already having accepted the reality of Martha’s betrayal. The affair between Martha and Nick not only portrays Martha as promiscuous, yet exemplifies that through Nick’s revengeful response to George’s taunting, his character is easily swayed. Albee uses the affair and hints of past betrayal, to express the biological instinct of attraction that takes a hold of the characters throughout the play. George and Nick are characters designed not only to defend their faculty division titles, but in return symbolize the titles of “History” and “biology” themselves.
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Amber
11/20/2013 12:26:44 pm
..Continued!
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Rebecca
11/20/2013 12:43:29 pm
Albee present the characters of George and Nick as two that can't seem to get along from the start. Nick, a good looking gent that works in the biology department and George, a man with years of experience both come together and clash. Albee uses a play on words to disguise the idea and ilustrate to the audience that in reality Nick does have biology on his side. The good looks, the young age, the smarts and what does George have? He has the history and the wisdom of the years. He also knows "history is inevitable" and that this has just begun another game. The alliteration in the name of the games such as Hump the "Hostess, Get the Guests and Bringing Up Baby," show the repetition of these games and how often they've been played before. Nick does not realize what he has just said but the audience can clearly see that Nick has hit a nerve. George feels he needs to one up this man and therefore he starts to make fun of this man. Making jabs that hit below the belt and at his "slim-hipped" wife, we see that the real winner of these "fun and games" is George. Even if Nick believes that he has the upper hand, George is already one step ahead and they truly will play this game to the death. Whether it be the death of an imaginary baby, the death of a relationship or the death of repetitive games.
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11/20/2013 12:45:01 pm
Albee's keen characterization of Nick and George exemplify the clash of two different worlds aiming towards superiority. While Nick's area of expertise is biology which depicts his meeting of the requisites that will satisfy Martha, George's historical background portrays his wisdom. Nick's "biology on [his] side" creates a constant controversy in the the evolution of the "games." He poses a threat in George and Martha's marriage due to his "firm body" and "pretty face." This is later seen when him and Martha punch George below the belt-line and commit adultery deliberately in "Hump the Hostess." While Nick has the biological advantage, George on the other hand has the history. He already know's Martha's vicious and condescending mien for over 23 years worth of spending together. His usual treatment of humiliation agglomerates into a world of internal hurt and ruthless acceptance, eventually becoming first-hand experience. Hence, the motive why Albee evokes the notion of conflict and superiority through the characters of Nick and George in utilizing their scopes of practice.
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Walter Velasquez
11/20/2013 12:53:18 pm
Albee juxtaposes the conflicting feelings that George and Nick have for each other with the hostility that Martha targets to George. This debate adds fuel to the fire that is starting to burn the people around. Although this miniature confrontation with George and Nick is insignificant at first, the effects start coming shortly after when Martha starts taking advantage of the fact that Nick might be George’s weak spot. When George mentions that “musical beds is the faculty sport around here” he isn’t kidding. Martha desperately tried to anger George, but he doesn’t budge because he knows her malicious intentions. Although Nick does “experiment on old Martha,” it doesn’t faze George. At the end of the day, George does more emotional damage to his partner by acting indifferent about her relationship with Nick.
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Michelle L
11/20/2013 07:49:48 pm
The dramatic consequence of the debate reveals Nick and George's internal conflict. "You've got history on your side" portrays the blows as Nick and George take jabs at one another through casual conversation. Nick is bragging as George is incapable of having children, remaining a step ahead while also one - upping him. Both men are represented by the subject they teach; Nick who teaches biology, a subject dealing with life, while George teaches history, dealing with the past. It is revealed to the audience that both men are discreetly competing in a competition to win over Martha.
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Wendy
11/20/2013 08:31:56 pm
In a metaphoric way, Albee portrays History and Biology not just as departments but departments of the men's life. In the debate, "...You've got history on your side...I've got biology on mine. History, biology.", Nick said this without noticing. Albee states that George has history on his side because of Martha's history with many different men from her father's school. Apart from that, the history of all the mind games George and Martha play with their guests such as "Get the Guests", "Bring up baby", and "Hump the hostess". Albee twists Nick's comment as a double entendre. Albee reffers to Nick having a very important aspect that George doesn't have which is being able to make kids, (reason he has biology on his side and George does not). With this, Albee lets the audience know that George feels inferior to Nick, lacking some of Nick's many important qualities, which Martha brings up, comparing their imaginary son to him.
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Thais
11/21/2013 01:33:48 am
Albee's discussion between the characters of Geroge and Nick paints a bigger picture than just two man fighting for a woman. The playwright wants to exemplify the Cold War. George represents the US like George Washington, and Nick represents Nikita Krushchev, a Soviet leader. When George is talking to his "little guest" and accuses him of "chang[ing] peoples chromosomes" to make them all the "same," he is referring to communism belief of making everyone the same as it's core. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? Was written in the 1960s, at the center of the war between the United States and the S.S.A.R. Albee's intention is to underline the war in between all the lines and for his more intelligent audience to comprehend the double meaning of his words. He does a splendid job uniting the two together.
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
Character Trees Poetry PPts
Below are some poetry presentations from another AICE class in the USA. You need to know YOUR favorite 10 poems well, and these links should help.
Do NOT rely solely on these presentations! YOU STILL NEED TO ADD YOUR OWN INSIGHT. All them are great, but you MUST add your own analyses to them for that P in KUPC (the mark scheme). I did not include the ones we did not cover! :) You are welcome to look for those on your own if you choose. REMEMBER, you should focus on your favorite 10 (maybe 12). "A DREAM" by Allingham "A MAN I AM" by Smith "ANTHEM FOR A DOOMED YOUTH" by Owen "A QUOI BON DIRE" 1 by Mew "A QUOI BON DIRE" 2 "ATTACK" by Sassoon "BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH" by Dickinson "BECAUSE I LIKED YOU BETTER" by Housman "CAMBODIA" by Fenton "COLD IN THE EARTH" 1 by Bronte "COLD IN THE EARTH" 2 by Bronte "ELEGY FOR MY FATHER'S FATHER" by Baxter "FOLLOWER" by Heaney "FRIEND" by Tuwhare FROM THE BALLAD OF READING GAOL by Wilde FROM THE TRIUMPH OF TIME by Swinburne "HERE" by Thomas "MEETING AT NIGHT" by Browning "MY DREAMS ARE OF A FIELD AFAR" by Housman "MY PARENTS" by Spender "ONE ART" by Bishop "PRAISE SONG FOR MY MOTHER" by Nichols "RESERVIST" by Cheng "SONG: TEARS, IDLE TEARS" by Tennyson "THE TREES" by Larkin "THE TREES ARE DOWN" by Mew "TIME'S FOOL" 1 by Pitter "TIMES FOOL" 2 by Pitter "YOU CANNOT DO THIS" by MacEwen |