A Matter of Husbands-Summary and Exercise || Compulsory English Grade 12 || Literature-One Act Plays

Unit-4

One Act Plays

 

1. A Matter of Husbands

 

Ferenc Molnar (Translated by Benjamin Glazer)

 

About the Author

v Ferenc Molnar (1878-1952)

v Celebrate and controversial playwright of Hungary

v personal experience in literary works,

v He migrated to the USA to escape persecution of Hungarian Jews during WW II and later adopted American citizenship

v He plays are relevant and performed all over the world,

v His plays: -

·       The devil (1907)

·       Lilion (1909)

·       The Guardsman (1910)

·       The Swan (1920)

·       The Play's the Thing (1926)

 

characters:

Ø  Famous Actress

Ø  Earnest Young Woman

Ø  Alfred (Husband to the Famous Actress and Lover to The Earnest Young Woman)

 

Setting: Drawing room in an apartment of the Famous Actress, afternoon

 

Summary:

"A Matter of Husbands" is a one act play written by a famous Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnar. All the actions in the play take place in a drawing room of the Famous Actress. The play begins with the Earnest Young Woman sitting nervously on the edge of a gilt chair. Her mouth is dry. She is dressed in a very modest frock, hat and furs. From the curtained door of a private room the Famous Actress enters the drawing room.

 

The Famous Actress wants to know the reason The Earnest Young Woman visits her for. The Earnest Young Woman emotionally begs her husband from the Famous Actress. This makes the Famous Actress surprised. The Earnest Young Woman describes her husband who is blond and of medium height and spectacled. He is a lawyer by profession. His name is Alfred. She desperately begs her husband back. The Famous Actress can't understand what the Earnest Young Woman is saying for. She denies that Mr. Alfred is with her. She admits that she has met him one or two times on backstage. Even she doesn't know that Alfred wears spectacles. The Earnest Young Woman says that Alfred takes off his spectacles to impress the Famous Actress because he loves her. He doesn't like the Earnest Young Woman so she implores the Famous Actress to return back her husband. The Famous Actress thinks that the Earnest Young Woman is acting like a foolish because she a bad idea about her husband and the Famous Actress. But the Earnest Young Woman insists that her husband loves the Famous Actress because he sends her flowers all the time. The Famous Actress denies it. She says that she has never received any flowers from Alfred. The Earnest Young Woman claims that Alfred sends flower to the Famous Actress twice a week. In response the Famous Actress blames the Earnest Young Woman that she is lying or somebody is lying to her. As evidence the Earnest Young Woman shows a letter written to The Famous Actress by her husband. She reads the letter written passionately for an apology. When she listens to the letter, she gets surprised. The letter has been found out by the Earnest Young Woman on her husband's desk. He has forgotten that he is probably intending to send to the Famous Actress through a messenger. She weeps and blames the Famous Actress that she has stolen her husband. The Earnest Young Woman further says that the Famous Actress wears beautiful dresses and looks attractive to allure her husband. The Famous Actress makes the Earnest Young Woman sure that she has never received any flowers or letters or anything else from her husband. According to the Famous Actress, The Earnest Young Woman is not affectionate to her husband and always gets angry with him. Alfred is playing a little comedy to make her jealous, and wants to receive her interest in him pretending that he loves the Famous Actress.  The Earnest Young Woman is surprised. The Famous Actress convinces the Earnest Young Woman that any man connected with theater plays such a trick to regain his wife or sweetheart's affection. They invent a fake love story with one of theater actresses. But the wives believe this is true. She also admits that she has taken part in such a fake love affair with Alfred to make the Earnest Young Woman and her husband's marriage life beautiful and to prevent a divorce. The Famous Actress further convinces the Earnest Young Woman that her husband is making her jealous to regain her love. Actually, he he writes letter and leaves it behind him on the desk so that his wife sees and reads it. He orders flowers by the telephone in the morning and cancels them in the evening. He has also kept a lock of hair that belongs to the Famous Actress. All the activities are merely to arouse jealous in The Earnest Young Woman. The Famous Actress assures that if both of them fall in love to each other Alfred never forgets to leave letters written to the Famous Actress on his desk. The Famous Actress has helped Alfred because he has requested her to write a passionate letter to him aiming to show the letter to the Famous Actress by a chance. Unfortunately, the Earnest Young Woman has not seen any one out of ten such letters. The Earnest Young Woman considers herself to be a fool. She is convinced. The Famous Actress advices her not be a fool like this again regarding any matter between them. The Earnest Young Woman ensures The Famous Actress and leaves happily. As soon as she leaves, the Earnest Young woman calls Alfred who is hiding in a secret room listening his wife and the Famous Actress talks about him.

 

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions

a. What favor does Earnest Young Woman ask from the Famous Actress?

Ans:- The Famous Actress believes that her husband Alfred has fallen in love with The Earnest Young Woman as she finds several evidences such as her husband sending flowers and letters to The Famous Actress. She has allured her husband so The Earnest Young Woman asks favor from the Famous Actress to return her husband back.

 

b. What, according to The Earnest Young Woman, are the indications that her husband has fallen in love with Famous Actress?

Ans:- According the the Earnest Young Woman there are several indications that her husband has fallen in love with Famous Actress. Her husband Alfred always tries to impress the Famous Actress when she is around him. He has written several passionate letters. He sends flowers in her drawing room twice a week. Most of time he is absent from her wife and so on.

 

c. Is Earnest Young Woman convinced by the argument of Famous Actress? How?

Ans:- In the beginning of the play The Earnest Young Woman seems quite nervous and sad. She goes at the Famous Actress's house to beg her husband back. When the Famous Actress finds that the Earnest Young Woman is suspicious about their illegal relation, she convinces the Earnest Young Woman that their affair is not real. She admits that she has taken part in that affair only to help Alfred to regain affection from his wife making her jealous. Sending flowers and letters to the Famous Actress by Alfred is not real. She further claims that Alfred has also kept a lock of her hair his his drawers. When the Famous Actress discloses these entire things The Earnest Young Woman realizes herself to be a fool and happily leaves the room.

 

d.  Where is the Earnest Young Woman's husband hiding himself as they are talking about him?

     Ans:- The Earnest Young Woman's Husband, Mr. Alfred, is hiding himself in a private room which is close to the drawing room of the Famous Actress while the two women are talking about him.

 

e. When do you feel that Famous Actress is really good at acting?

     Ans:- Until we read the last part of the play, we believe that The Famous Actress is really taking part in a fake love affair with Alfred to help him regain his wife's affection. But at the last we are surprised when The Famous Actress calls Alfred in the drawing room as soon as The Earnest Young Woman leaves. At that time we fell that The Famous Actress is really good at acting.

 

f.   How do we come to know that Famous Actress and the husband of Earnest Young Woman are in love?

Ans:-When we dive into the middle part and until the end of the drama, we believe what The Famous Actress says to convince The Earnest Young Woman about the pretended love affair. But when we know that Alfred is hiding himself in a private room of The Famous Actress, we come to know that their love affair is real one.

 

g. Write down the plot of the play in a paragraph.

     Ans:- The play "A Matter of Husband" begins and ends in the drawing room of The Famous Actress. In the beginning, The Earnest Young Woman is seen sitting nervously on the edge of a gilt chair. When The Famous Actress enters in the drawing room from her private room, The Famous Actress emotionally begs her husband back from The Earnest Young Woman. Her Husband's name is Alfred who is a lawyer of the manager of The Famous Actress. He is a blond man of a moderate height and wears spectacles. The Famous Actress denies that she has any sort of affair with Alfred except she has met him once or twice on backstage. She even doesn't know that he wears spectacles. The Earnest Young Woman believes that her husband takes off glasses when The Famous Actress is around him. The Famous Actress blames The Earnest Young Woman a foolish for having such a mean idea about them. The Earnest Young Woman finds evidences of Alfred sending flowers and letters to The Famous Actress. The Famous Actress insists that it is a lie. To convince The Famous Actress, The Earnest Young Woman shows a letter written to her by her husband. The Earnest Young Woman has found out the letter on his desk. She sobs and blames The Famous Actress that she has stolen her husband. She further says that The Famous Actress looks attractive and wears beautiful dresses to allure her husband. The Famous Actress denies that she has received any flowers and letters from Alfred. The Famous Actress blames The Earnest Young Woman that she is not being very good to Alfred where as she used to be in the past. Alfred is just playing a comedy to make her wife jealous and to revive her interest in him. The Famous Actress says that she has taken part in this affair to help Alfred to get his wife's affection back and to make their married life better. Alfred is not sending flower to The Famous Actress. The reality is that he orders the flower in the morning and cancels in the evening. The letters are written just to show The Earnest Young Woman. The Famous Actress also reveals that Alfred has kept a lock of hair that belongs to her in his drawer. The Famous Actress claims that she is not like other girls on the theater. Then The Earnest Young Woman is convinced and leaves the room happily. The Famous Actress suggests The Earnest Young Woman not to be fool like this again. As soon as The Earnest Young Woman leaves the room, The Famous Actress calls Alfred who is hiding in her secret room.

 

Reference to the context

a.  Sketch the character of Famous Actress.

     Ans:- The Famous Actress is a clever theater artist. She is fashionable, and keeps herself attractive all the times. She dresses like a royal princess and a Greek goddess. She blackens her eyebrows and reddens her lips and waxes her lashes and paints her faces. She always keeps herself beautiful to lure men. As an actress, she can make people believe acting even in real life. She seems good and helpful person in her real life. But inwardly she is corrupted and unaffected of any kind of emotion. She is really having an affair with Alfred, a husband to The Earnest Young Woman. When The Earnest Young Woman knows that she has taken her husband, The Famous Actress diverts her mind that she has taken part in affair with Alfred just to make his marital relation with The Earnest Young Woman fruitful. She acts far better in her real life than on the stage. Her cunning character is only revealed when we know that she is hiding Alfred in her private room. She is an immoral girl who nourishes an extramarital relation with Alfred. In spite of emotional appeal made by The Earnest Young Woman she continues her affair with Alfred. She is really a harmful girl who spoils other's married life.

 

b.  Shed light on the difference between and ordinary woman and an actress.

      Ans:- There are two main female characters in the story. These two female characters are different to each other. The ordinary woman is named The Earnest Young Woman who is wife to Alfred.  The Famous Actress is another character. As her name suggests, she performs on the theater. The Earnest Woman who is known as an ordinary woman is a straight forward woman. She is innocent and gullible kind of person. She is not as beautiful as The Famous Actress. She is normal type of housewife who doesn't care on her dress up and make up. The Famous Actress is so attractive and keeps herself attractive to lure males. She is immoral who secretly involve in illegal relationship with Alfred. She is so much cunning as she is able to keep another woman in illusion acting really in her real life. As an artist she satisfies audiences through her role playing, she convinces The Earnest Young Woman realistically that she has any illegal relation with Alfred. Without being much critical and analyzing what The Famous Actress says, The Earnest Young Woman easily trusts her. These two female characters represent two types of women: innocent and cunning ones.  

 

c.  According to Famous Actress, men associated with theatre use the theater actresses to make their estranged wives jealous so as to woo them back. Do you agree with her argument? Why? Why not?

     Ans:- When The Earnest Young Woman finds out that The Famous Actress is having an illegal affair with Alfred, to convince her, The Famous Actress says that men associated with theatre use the theater actresses to make their estranged wives jealous and so as to woo them back. But I don't agree with her. Alfred is not using The Famous Actress to make his estranged wife jealous so as to woo her back. Alfred really loves her and he is hiding in the secret room of The Famous Actress. Her argument and the reality are totally different. At the last of the play we come to know that most of the Alfred spends his time in a private room of The Famous Actress. If the Famous Actress was telling the truth, Alfred would not be hiding in her secret room.

 

 

d. How does Famous Actress make a fool of Earnest Young Woman?

     Ans:- The Famous Actress makes a fool of Earnest Young Woman through her fake arguments. She talks cunningly with The Earnest Young Woman when she comes to tell The Famous Actress to return her husband. She has strong evidences that Alfred is having an extramarital affair with The Famous Actress. Despite these evidences, The Famous Actress is able to convince that she is not having any kind of love affair with Alfred. She is so clever and easily diverts the mind of innocent woman. Whatever evidences The Earnest Young Woman finds are proved to be wrong by the Famous Actress. The Famous Actress uses the fault of The Earnest Young Woman to woo her. These days The Earnest Young Woman is not as affectionate to Mr. Alfred as she used to be. The Famous Actress caught the same point and convinces the so-called love affair is just meant to make The Earnest Young Woman jealous so that she could be affectionate to him again. She proudly says that she is helping Alfred to regain his wife affection back.

 

 

e. The conversation between the two women takes place on the stage of the theatre. What role does the theatre house as a part of setting play in A Matter for Husband?

      Ans:- The stage of the theatre is a place where characters play their roles of the respected play. It is place where people enjoy what the characters act out. It is the place where illusions are depicted as real. The setting of the play "A Matter of Husbands" is on the stage of a theater house. The play is trying to show the real life of theater actress but some theater artists don't show any differences in their behaviors either in real life or in theater life. These artists keep people in illusion either they are acting on the stage or in normal life. Every place acts like theater to such people. Only common people like us can differentiate between real life and theater life. Theater artists gain such a power to convert real incident into illusion and illusion into real incident. Every place is like a stage of theater for them.  

 

f.   What do you think about the ending of the play?

     Ans:- This is a short one act play that ends surprisingly. The twist that the audiences face at the last of the play is unbelievable. The dramatic skill of Ferenc is outstanding. No audience expects such a surprising ending of the play. Everything goes on normally while The Famous Actress is convincing The Earnest Young Woman about her misunderstanding regarding the affair between The Famous Actress and Alfred. Along with The Earnest Young Woman, we also trust that The Famous Actress is really doing good work for making the married life between Alfred and his wife fruitful. But actually she is making the marriage ruined. It is known when she calls Alfred out from her secret room where he is hiding. The ending is unexpected. This play shows that some people are trying to be good to us but inwardly they are stabbing knife to us.

 

Reference beyond the text

a. Write a paragraph describing your favorite actor/actress.

My favorite actor is Aamir Khan who was born in 1965. His full name is Mohammed Aamir Hussain. He is one of the most versatile actors in the Hindi film industry. He has established himself as one of the most popular and influential actors of Bollywood. Known as ‘Mr. Perfectionist’, Aamir Khan has always enthralled his audience with amazing movies. I have always been a fan of Aamir Khan ever since I first saw his full leading roll movie ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ released in 1988. Aamir Khan started as the chocolate boy in the film industry and matured as an actor as he did more and more movies. His idea of reading the script first and then selecting the role is what appeals me about him. The most famous romantic movie he played is Dil which was released on 22 June 1990, however he has given 100s of hit movies. It is a movie about two lovers who get married against their parents' will.

 

b. John Cassavetes says, "I'm very worried about the depiction of women on the screen. It's gotten worse than ever and it is related to their being either high- or low-class concubines….There's nothing to do with the dreams of women, or woman as the dream, nothing to do with the quirky part of her, the wonder or her." How do you assess Famous Actress in the light of Cassavetes' argument about the portrayal of women?