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Language And Techniques In Martinson's Proof

710 Words3 Pages

In the play Proof, the author presents many struggles both in the characters and between the characters. One of the main struggles in the play is betrayal of expectations between the two sisters, Cathy and Claire. While Cathy expected Claire to help her when Robert became insane, Claire expects Cathy to recuperate from Robert’s death and start a new life with her. Their different views towards each other advance the plot and further the audiences’ understanding of the play. Although the original script by Auburn only expresses this struggle through language, the director, Martinson, utilizes performance and costumes in addition to language to convey the theme of the play. Martinson expresses the conflict and the personality of the characters simultaneously through language. For example, Claire immediately talks about her marriage and her success in New York shortly after she meets Cathy. Claire’s excited voice and her bright life demonstrates her motif in being the perfect person who has everything under control in the way she likes. This attitude juxtaposes Cathy’s depressed …show more content…

The language and acting reinforces the fact that the sisters cannot understand each other because they are not able to control or rely on one another. The costumes also represent the personality of each through contrast of color and the different disposition of the characters further widen the gap between them. Through these measures, the director strongly linked the two siblings with the concept of expectation and betrayal. Compared to the original script by Auburns, Martinson’s detail in each character’s appearance and tone added more clearness and emotion to the play. The director’s effort of adding detail and complexity in each character enhanced the play’s overall meaning and provided the audience with more complex, intermixed emotion of the

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