Monday, October 29, 2007

"A question most untoothsome."

The moment in Act IV, scene iii, where Bonavent challenges Lacy to dance, rather than duel, is very amusing to me. I suppose that, as the audience, we should expect him to desire to cross swords with Lacy as he (Lacy) has married Bonavent's wife. But that's not what happens. Instead, Bonavent hires a bagpiper to play music and, declining Lacy's offer of a duel, insists only that Lacy owes him a dance. Can we connect this displacement of violence for revelry (of a sort) to the Green space that Hyde Park represents? Is there a connection to be made wherein the natural world obeys a different logic, perhaps a celebratory logic rather than a vengeful logic? Or is this just the place where the play becomes a tragic-comedy rather than a revenge play?

The thwarted marriage between Julietta and Trier seems to be the most tragic aspect of this play. We can surmise that Trier's uncouth test of Julietta's faithfulness is what brought about the breaking-off of the engagement. However, the third part of this love triangle, Lord Bonvile, is what troubles me. Of all the characters, he seems to make the most sexual puns and solicits Julietta sexually near the end of the play. Essentially, his transgressions, on the surface, seem to me to be worse than Trier's test. There is one important difference; Lord Bonvile purports to see how vile he appears and promises to change. Julietta accepts this and promises to honor Lord Bonvile at the end of the play. My question, going along with Ann's about the Comedy of Manners, is this: do we see the beginning of a change in the trend of plays with various tests (virginity, faithfulness, etc.) that shows they will not be tolerated? Is Lord Bonvile believable when he says that he will change even though throughout the whole play he has made many sexual puns? Does his change of heart endear him to us more than Trier, who seems a very stock character in his desire to test his fiance?

On a short side note, doesn't it seem interesting that his name is Lord Bon-vile? Good-vile? Tragic-comedy personified?

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