You are performing the role of Beatrice from her first appearance in Act One to her
exit at the end of Scene Three. Explain how you would create comedy from Beatrice’s disguise as Federigo. [or]
You are performing the role of Beatrice from her first appearance in Act One to her
exit at the end of Scene Three. Explain how would you want to present Beatrice to the audience?
You must make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or historical context of
The Servant of Two Masters in your answer.
[25 marks]
Look at the 2 versions of the question – What is the difference? {Open & Closed Questions}
This is a typical essay with an essay structure – What is that?
[Remember (What /Statement – How / Example – Why /Explain – Link to the question or Social/Historic/reference.]
Your answer needs to be about 5-6 paragraphs in length.
[What should go into the Introduction?] – Pair talk
Title, author, date, style (Commedia) genre (comic farce) = 1 line
Some context for the question: who she is, why is she coming to Venice, that this is the 1st time we/audience sees her. =1-2 lines
Any historical or social information relevant to the Question.
What your intention as a performer would be. =1 line
Write your own – 5 mins
Explore HOW you would generate comedy from Beatrice first appearance (DISCUSS IN PAIRS)
Write your own paragraph – 7 mins {focus: a costume malfunction or a physical/vocal mishap}
Compare your Intros and 1st paragraphs to the ones below.
SAMPLE ANSWER – ‘DRAMA & THEATRE
(Mr Jones)
[Remember Structure: What /Statement – How / Example – Why /Explain – Link to the question or Social/Historic/reference.]
You are performing the role of Beatrice from her first appearance in Act One to her
exit at the end of Scene Three. Explain how would you want to present Beatrice to the audience?
You must make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or historical context of
The Servant of Two Masters in your answer.
[25 marks]
Introduction: {Link to the question}
‘A Servant to Two Masters’ (So2M), written by Goldoni in 1745, is a fast, action-driven, comic play that has many well-known characters from the Commedia tradition. Beatrice is inspired by the stock characters of the Lover and the Master, but in this play her role is complicated by the fact that she is dressed in men’s clothing (disguised as her dead brother Federigo). She is searching Venice for her lover Florindo. As a result for most of the play she presents as a typical male Master. Women in the 18th century were not meant to be adventurers, but remain subject to the wishes of their father’s and husband’s. Therefore, seeing a woman dressed and behaving as a man would have been a source of amusement for the audience. It is this comic potential that I wish to draw out in the opening scenes.
Paragraph 2: What costume / 1st impressions would you make?
As Beatrice, I would wear a man’s costume loosely based on the stock character of The Captain (a Commedia character who doesn’t appear in Goldoni’s play.) I would have a hat with feather, a cloak, riding boots, a sword and an eye-patch. I would talk in a ‘foreign accent – possibly French to indicate that Beatrice is from Turin and an outsider to Venice.
In order to create comedy from Beatrice’s entrance and clearly show the difficulty she has in maintaining her deception, I would say to Pantaloon, “Your humble servant, sir,” as I bow, take off my hat and throw the cloak over my shoulder puffing out my chest with confidence. Then, as I realise I am revealing my female cleavage, I would quickly turn away and cover myself with the cloak. In a fluster, I would have a voice break on the next words, “Federigo Rasponi” here my voice would revert to a higher feminine pitch. I would stop, then cough and say the name again in a deeper more stereotypical male voice whilst adopting the macho stance of standing, hand on sword, with my legs shoulder width apart.
Paragraph 3: choose a different moment and perhaps a different aspect of the performance – e.g: if paragraph 2 was about Beatrice’s costume and physical appearance then Paragraph 3 could focus on vocal delivery.)
Remember to include quotes – what Beatrice says AND also what is said to her that she must react to!
Later in the scene when Brighella recognises me as a woman I would want to portray her sincerity and distress as it looks my true identity is about to be revealed. I would move across to him and bring him downstage so that my aside, “Please don’t give me away” can be said quietly and in a feminine voice for the audience’s hearing only. This would reveal to them (if they haven’t already done so) that Federigo is a woman in disguise. There would be an urgency in my tone. At the same time I would lift up my eye-patch so that he can see that I am actually only pretending to have an injury. I could also wink with this eye to indicate a secret ‘agreement’ between Brighella and Beatrice on the line, “love could drive e to far greater excesses.”
Conclusion: The fact that the audience will quickly understand that I am a woman in men’s clothing, but the other characters (except Brighella) don’t, makes them ridiculous and allows the audience to laugh AT Pantaloon, the Dr and others, (which is part of the social satire that Goldoni was intending.) On the other hand it makes me (Beatrice) out to be a more sympathetic character acting out of more noble motives like true love and in the hostile environment of men (an under-dog style story).
45 mins = Band 4 20/25 Mark scheme – “thorough and thoughtful response”
I think this has the right balance between social and historic facts and knowledge and specific examples of HOW the part could be acted. It has a range of interpretations for Beatrice. It has enough terminology and the actions/vocal choices fit the character and her situation. There is use of quotes and a reference to audience. To move into Top Band 5 this needs possibly another paragraph and more perceptive comments about audience perceptions and a bit more creative acting ideas.