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Metadrama In Blood Relations

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Blood Relations by Sharon Pollock utilizes metadrama within its plot to stress the uncertainty that develops regarding the accusations that Miss Lizzie faces concerning the murder of her parents. At the end of Act 2, in lines 586-595 metatheoretical elements are present when Miss Lizzie denies the indictments that are directed towards her, concerning her involvement in her parent’s deaths. In line 593 The Actress regains control of her own character and comes to the decision that Lizzie did in fact kill her parents by saying “Lizzie you did” (Pollock 429). However, Miss Lizzie replies saying that “[she] didn’t. [The Actress] did.”; since this scene is metadramatic, it allows Miss Lizzie to transfer the blame for the murders onto The Actress (429). …show more content…

This reciprocation of the allegation serves as a mean to construct doubt. Essentially, this passage leads to uncertainty, because the accusations are being directed towards more than one character, who both portray Lizzie at times throughout the play. Although the flashback earlier in the play portrayed reasonable cause that Miss Lizzie did commit the murders, Pollock leave the reader with scepticism through this last metadramatic passage, which introduces hesitation into the situation. Ultimately, the use of metadrama within the play Blood Relations is representative of the uncertainty that has surrounded the Lizzie Borden case for the last

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