Tell It Not In Gath by Joe Corrie
Tell It Not In Gath by Joe Corrie
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Q.-1.|Discuss the title of the play. Is it appropriate?
Ans.
“Tell It Not In Gath” is the most appropriate title for this play.
Arthur and other community members have arranged a meeting at rectory. Where all the members try to suggest the solutions to prevent gambling done by the new setteled coal miners. Everyone thinks to file a police case against them. But the question arises of who will suit the case. As all have their own reputation.
As play moves further, Marjory enters with excitement. She informs that Mr. Marden has won twenty thousand pounds on a football coupon things. ( Actually she herself has won the money but she misunderstood the conversation with the Old John Sexton.) Marden is in shock as he caught red handed in front of all the members. However, his behavior charges as he is now a rich guy.
At the end they all plan to leave now. Again Marjory appears, she informs her husband that actually Mr. Marden doesn't get a penny as the football coupon was of somebody else. Arthur seems disappointed with mankind and angry too. This is where Marjory reveals her secret and informs her husband about the money she has won.
Undoubtedly Marjory convinces her husband and we can see a smile on her husband's face. Here the question arises of will they tell this to Gath....! ?
When Miss Oliver says that “There's always a sense of peace comes over me when I come to Rectory. As if it would be impossible for anyone to want to quarrel or even say a unkindly word.” Other community members also agree with that. But as a reader we know that when the play opens there was a verbal fight between Marjory and her husband Arthur. But neither of them mentions that in Gath.
When a debate is going on, between Arthur and Marden, then Marden, one by one reveals the secret of all the community members of Gath.
Thus, “Tell It Not In Gath” is the most appropriate title for this play.
Q.-2.|Write a note on the themes of the play.
Ans.
Major themes of the play:
1. Situation of a married woman:
We get an idea of the situation of a married woman from the setting of the play. On the wall at the back are pictures of the parents of the Reverend Arthur Welsey. His mother can be seen as if lived her whole life as a victim of the poor situation caused by the church life. And same thing is happening with Marjory.
As the play opens, we are introduced to the Rev. Arthur Welsey and his wife, Marjory. The stage directions make it clear that both of them are not happy.
The opening scene in which we are informed about the meeting “of the Community Council” pin-points the cause of their unhappiness. Marjory is fed up with her life of drudgery as they cannot afford a servant. It means that she considers her self as slave. She thinks that his church was in the way of their unhappiness. Even the miners earn more than her husband. Their wives are not “enslaved to their work." Her desire is “to get free of the church and be a thousand miles from her.”
Throughout the play the situation of a married woman seems like that they don't want to live in the bonds of society.
2. Morality and practicality:
This play succeeds admirably in its aim of showing the hiatus between word and deed, between theory and practice.
The progress of the meeting which has been called to consider ‘gambling which has become so prevalent in our midst’ soon reveals the absurdity of their position. Sam Marden is the most vociferous of them all and the most vain, it appears. An insufferable, pompous and proud climber, he puts on the airs of a moralist in his opening speech; “we must old on to the good and put a stop to the bad.” They all lament the loss of peace and innocence in their small village due to the opening of the coal mine. They all recognise that “it's our duty as members of this church, and church wardens, to put stop to it-root and branch.” Admirable sentiments!
But when it comes to the question of belling the cat, Marden the most vocal of them all, is unwilling to take the lead. For as it is, his prosperity is at stake. The Rector, too, does not want to antagonise the miners by complaining to the Police. The hypocrisy of Sam Marden “chairman” of so many bodies, of—Rev. Arthur Welsey, who “received a call to come here and preach the Word,” and of the remaining three members, Joseph Devinish, Miss Oliver and Miss Crundle, is brought out realistically and forcefully. The dramatist's purpose seems to be to demonstrate that where self-interest is concerned, higher values of life are easily brushed aside even by those who consider themselves champions of public morals.
When Marjory announced that Marden has won 20,000 pounds on a football coupon things, then Marden who was so loud in condemning the miners for gambling now finds himself stripped naked. Even Arthur is not happy because of his current situation.
All these scenes shows that practicality is more useful than morality to live life.
3. Money driven world:
There are many examples in the play that shows that money is a dominant motive in human affairs.
Arthur and Marjory, both of them are not happy. Marjory thinks that his church was in the way of their happiness. Even the miners earn more than her husband.
At the end of the play, again Marjory appears, she informs her husband that actually Mr. Marden doesn't get a penny as the football coupon was of somebody else. Arthur seems disappointed with mankind and angry too. This is where Marjory reveals her secret and informs her husband about the money she has won.
Undoubtedly Marjory convinces her husband and we can see a smile on her husband's face.
This shows that money is the cause of their unhappiness.
Marden has an air of being the most important person in the room. Moreover, he argues with Arthur upon who will lodge a case against gamblers. He sounds arrogant and threatening in his tone and nature. Furthermore, his nature becomes more cruel towards the ending of the play when Marjory, mistakenly informs him that he has won 20,000 pounds on a football coupon things. Where he openly says that one can't do anything to a rich guy. Even he tries to bribe other community members.
When the life necessities of the miners are not satisfied, then they may have adopted the wrong way of this gambling. In real world the same thing is happening. People need money to satisfy the necessities of life because in practical life, money gives happiness.
All these scenes shows that money is a dominant motive in human affairs.
Some other themes of the play:
- Pessimistic and Optimistic
- Slave Mentality
- Irony
- Moral Superiority
- Hypocrisy
- Hiatus between Word and Deed
- Role of commons in the economic growth
- Secular Life and Spiritual Life
- Bourgeois values
- Who's more evil? Common people or Rich people (Coal miners or Community members)
Q.-3.|Money is a dominant motive in human affairs. Prove it.
Ans.
(As per the third theme of the second question)
There are many examples in the play that shows that money is a dominant motive in human affairs.
Arthur and Marjory, both of them are not happy. Marjory thinks that his church was in the way of their happiness. Even the miners earn more than her husband.
At the end of the play, again Marjory appears, she informs her husband that actually Mr. Marden doesn't get a penny as the football coupon was of somebody else. Arthur seems disappointed with mankind and angry too. This is where Marjory reveals her secret and informs her husband about the money she has won.
Undoubtedly Marjory convinces her husband and we can see a smile on her husband's face.
This shows that money is the cause of their unhappiness.
Marden has an air of being the most important person in the room. Moreover, he argues with Arthur upon who will lodge a case against gamblers. He sounds arrogant and threatening in his tone and nature. Furthermore, his nature becomes more cruel towards the ending of the play when Marjory, mistakenly informs him that he has won 20,000 pounds on a football coupon things. Where he openly says that one can't do anything to a rich guy. Even he tries to bribe other community members.
When the life necessities of the miners are not satisfied, then they may have adopted the wrong way of this gambling. In real world the same thing is happening. People need money to satisfy the necessities of life because in practical life, money gives happiness.
All these scenes shows that money is a dominant motive in human affairs.
Q.-4.|Write a character sketch of Arthur Welsey.
Ans.
Arthur Welsey is a sixty year old priest, who seems unhappy and discontented throughout the play. Usually behaves like a hero of the play. His job is to preach people.
Arthur is somehow failed to reach for spiritual growth. He feels that he is failing as a preacher of the church. Whereas his wife Marjory, she feels that because of church life, they are not ‘Free’. The same was true of her husband, if he could but “be honest about it”. No wonder, the Rector, Arthur Welsey, unable to answer the charge, indulges in meaningless heroics.
When Marden asks Arthur to file a case against the miners, Arthur refuses because he does not want to antagonise the miners by complaining to the police. This shows the pathos of Arthur.
When Marjory informs that Mr.Marden has won 20,000 pounds on football coupon thing, then his good luck excites the envy of all. But it is the attitude of the Rector that needs to be noted carefully throughout this part of the scene. He talks of the damage done to his faith and when all are gone, he talks to himself in these words: “Verily, the way of the parson is hard... Where is the hope? Where can one find real faith?” This sentiments elevates him and seems to give him a moral grandeur. But the crowning irony is still to come. Exactly at this moment when he feels so noble and elevated, he is informed by his wife of the mistake she had committed; it is she who has won 20,000 pounds and nor Marden. His reactions are interesting to watch. He is stunned to begin with, and as Marjory dwells on the possibility of a comfortable life, he stares at ther and gasps and lastly “a smile comes to his face,” and he does something-kisses his wife on the cheek-which amazes her as he does not seem to have shown affection for her for years.
But there are some negative points of Arthur. Arthur and other community members have arranged a meeting at rectory. And he does not consider it necessary to inform his wife Marjory about it. Which upsets Marjory, and leads both couple to a verbal fight. Arthur hired a gardener for his reputation but could not hire a servant who could help his wife with housework. His job is to preach people but during the meeting he forgot his own job.
Nevertheless, the hero of the play is, no doubt, the Rev. Arthur Welsey. There may be some justification for other members of society to be money-minded, but there is no excuse for a priest, who, while selecting this calling, takes a vow of poverty, and is expected to follow in the foot-steps of Christ.
Q.-5.|Who is the most honest character in the play according to you? Give reason for your answer.
Ans.
Marjory/Mrs.Welsey is the most honest character in the play according to me, because of her faithfulness.
She is the wife of Arthur Welsey. She is some years younger than her husband. Normally we find her knitting. When the couple argues, she says that she is not happy. Throughout the play she questions her husband regarding his profession. She is fed up with her life of drudgery as they cannot afford a servant. She thinks that his church was in the way of their happiness. As it is leading them nowhere. Rather they dwell into poverty.
Even the miners earn more than her husband. Their wives are not “enslaved to their work”. Her desire is “to get free of the church and be a thousand miles from her”. Despite all this struggles in her life, she never loses her courage.
At the end of the play she reveals that she had put money in betting and as a result of it she wins 20,000 pounds for a shilling only. She also apologizes to Arthur for her mistake she made. This act of her shows that she is more practical than her husband. Marjory's this nature makes her the most honest character throughout the play.
Q.-6.|If you are given the chance to develop this play further, what scenes will you add?
Ans.
If I will get the chance to develop this play further, than this are the scenes that I will like to add.
First, I will give the chance to those miners so that they can put their statement in the Community Council Meeting.
Going forward, these Community members will come up with a cure to stop the gambling that is taking place in the Gath.
I would fulfill the dreams of both, Marjory and Arthur, and they would spend their future lives happily.
In the next council meeting Arthur would tell about the 20,000 pounds that actually won by his wife. Yes, all of them would fight back but they would also calm down.
I would also make, Devinish a famous singer so that he can fulfill all his dreams.
● References
2. Msks: One Act Plays
