In The Relapse by John Vanbrugh; or Virtue in Danger, Act I, scene i. plays a crucial role in establishing the theme of appearance versus reality. Since this play is a continuation of Colley Cibber's Love's Last Shift, it is vital that the opening act one scene has the ability to stand on its own. Therefore, to make the themes of duplicity and manipulation, deception and denial shine through, it is essential that the chosen actor and actress know not only how to act, but how to act within an act. Furthermore, by specifically focusing on the tone and word choice that Vanbrugh uses for the dialogue between Loveless and Amanda in the opening scene, the audience can easily pinpoint the ultimate fate of the couple's marriage. Finally, by choosing the perfect setting for the opening scene and directing the actors' desired physical movements and facial expressions, Vanbrugh's new interpretation of The Relapse will not only be a success, but will allow the audience to develop a deeper insight. understanding the characters and the motivations behind their actions in less than 150 lines. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As the curtains open, the lights should be on a handsome man in his thirties. Wearing clothes that are not regal like those of the king or disheveled like those of a beggar, this man must look uncomfortable in his appearance, not suitable for the role he is playing. Likewise, surrounded by shelves and shelves of tightly bound novels, the man should be sitting in an armchair with a novel in his hand, but his eyes move from one object to another. Immediately the look and setting of the opening scene should radiate a sense of unease and inadequacy. Assuming that the majority of audiences have not seen Cibber's Love's Last Shift, Loveless, Amanda's husband, need not seem like the completely unkempt rake from the beginning or the completely refined and reformed gentleman at the end. By allowing the setting and the actor's initial perception to become the foundation of The Relapse, there is room for increasing validity in the actors' verbal exchanges. When Loveless opens with a soliloquy, he declares, “How true is that philosophy which says / Our heaven sits in our minds” (I. i. 1-2)! With the help of the uncomfortable manifestation in which Loveless manifests himself through his actions and words, the audience can deduce that Loveless is not only sitting in a room that he is not entirely accustomed to, but is also taking part in something that he rarely has done before, reading. Furthermore, Loveless betrays his desires to the audience by revealing to the audience "all the wandering pleasures of [his] youth / (where the nights and days seemed all spent in joy, / where the false face of luxury / showed such charms" (I. i. 3-6). Unaware of his vulnerability to the public, Loveless reflects mentally and emotionally on the "raging flame of wild and destructive lust" as he verbally searches for innocence by deeming his thoughts as "a warm and pleasant fire of love legitimate" (I. i. 15-16). By showing the contradictions between what he says and how he feels, as well as pointing out the inability to blend in with his surroundings, the audience can see that Loveless is trying to convince himself to give up to what he loves. As the title of the play suggests, Loveless has already had a relapse in his mind and heart. In fact, the reality is that Loveless does not find the life of the "peaceful moment" exhilarating the mind “meditating on [its] happy state / and full of grateful thoughts” (I. I. 9, 20-21). TheThe language of the opening scene is vital because it reveals both Loveless's actions and his habitual nature. Furthermore, by manipulating the setting and the actor's dress with the character's dialogue, the scene takes full advantage of the character's natural role as a libertine. When Amanda goes on stage, it shouldn't bring any surprises or excitement. Although the actress playing Amanda should be young, in her early twenties, and attractive, she cannot be overly beautiful. Furthermore, the actress who plays Amanda should have a calm gait and simple, sober clothing. In this way, no new feelings are aroused in Loveless, allowing their marriage to appear monotonous and habitual. In the exchange between the spouses, the word “paradise” is repeated more than five times, revealing to the audience that their love can extend beyond reality. There is a play between appearance and reality in this exchange; although the perfect and divine nature of heaven is used to delineate the relationship between Loveless and Amanda (appearance), religion itself is detached from their relationship (reality). Furthermore, when Amanda enters the stage to meet Loveless, there should be no interruptions in Loveless' thoughts. He verbally tells Amanda "You find me meditating on [his] happy state / And full of grateful thoughts to Heaven and you" but his thoughts have not strayed from "wandering pleasures" (I. i. 20-21, 2). Likewise, when Loveless woos Amanda by saying, "The greatest gifts that Heaven sees fit to bestow / To the things it hath decreed creep upon the earth / Are in the gift of women formed like thee," the actor must act deceptively, almost imagining it. the person he is courting is not Amanda, but a person of “wild destructive lust” (I. i. 28-30). In order for the relationship to appear ambiguous and manipulative, both the actor and actress must exaggerate their movements and words. Whenever the word paradise is used, the actors are supposed to exaggerate their physical interactions with each other by moving closer to each other, culminating when Amanda says, "There let [their love] grow forever" (I. i. 39). Unfortunately, the deterioration of Amanda and Loveless's marriage begins too soon after Heaven's unlikely exchanges grant them an ever-increasing love. Amanda should slowly move away from Loveless's caresses as she comments: “If it were all heaven I would ask. / But we are clothed in black mortality, / And the dark curtain of eternal night / Must fall between us at last” (I. i. 42-45). Amanda seems to recognize the futility of their relationship by revealing the inevitability of “that painful separation” (I. i. 47). Since Loveless is the deceiver, the actor playing his role must be able to be both sarcastic and charming at the same time. Amanda, on the other hand, is intelligent but insecure. Therefore, the actress who plays her role must not be domineering and hypocritical, but must possess both intelligence and a sense of fear and self-sacrifice when she questions her husband's fidelity. From the once apparently affectionate and loving exchange between husband and wife now emerges the harsh reality of a relationship built on the “rocks of reason” (I. i. 55). Furthermore, within this conversation, it is also necessary to focus on Amanda's ability to manipulate, although her manipulation causes pain and pain. Amanda's use of guilt is a weapon of manipulation. After claiming the certainty of a divide between them, Amanda must look away from Loveless in pain as she says, "Maybe that pain can only be my destiny"; but turn to him once more with a slight tone of accusation, saying, "Perhaps you may be exempted: men find sweeter ways to quench their fires" (I. i. 50-53). Questioning the consistency of Lovelessby simply generalizing men as having the ability to find another replacement woman, Amanda, in effect, is able to extract from Loveless the basis of his love for her: "You will find that it is built on a stable foundation - / The rock of reason now supports my love” (I. i.54-55). If logic and reasoning are the only means by which Loveless is married to Amanda, then the truth has been revealed and for this there is no more hope for marriage. Furthermore, knowing that the character played by Amanda is that of a submissive wife, she has no power or control over Loveless In fact, Amanda's fears are made so transparent to the audience that it elicits sympathy towards her while condescending and contempt for Loveless. Therefore, the actress must reveal her true identity, exposing to the public her love for Loveless and her fears of his infidelity in their marriage. Amanda confesses with parallel statements: “I know his false pleasures insinuating; / I know the strength of his disappointments; / I know the strength of his attacks; / I know nature's weak defense; / I know you are a man – and I – a wife,” her voice must cry out in desperation, her body grows weaker and weaker after each “I know” (I. i. 65-70), her knees touch the ground as she accepts her position as a submissive wife. Loveless, on the other hand, stands up angrily after hearing his wife's fears and confession that "she is uneasy that you will be in town so long" (I. i. 65). The role of the authoritative and the submissive can be represented by the physical physique of the actor and actress. Amanda must have a fragile and innocent charm about her; Loveless should appear arrogant and hypocritical. The words Loveless uses in response to Amanda include banish, traitors, weapons, destroy, vagrant, bankrupt; these words show the harshness and coldness that Loveless feels towards his wife. On stage, Loveless has to stand up angrily, his speech becoming more agitated, as he defends himself by saying "I never threw out a stray thought like that" (I. i. 89). The actor must also tower over the actress, exuding a sense of authority and power in the hands of a man. Knowing from the start that the character, Loveless, does not belong to the countryside, there must also be a sense of urgency in his speech which conveys his desire to leave the 'Town' and go to London too. In the end, Loveless once again betrays his inner desires to have sex with other women with his proud air. Although he uses “honest conscience [as his] testimony that he has never thought of other women, his rhetoric is all indicative of sex as he refers to the “old mistress of the cast” and his “former advantage partners” (I. i. 108). What appears to be an honest conscience is actually a mere reflection of Loveless's inner desires. Towards the end of this act, Vanbrugh uses short, staccato lines in the back-to-back exchange between the pair; Loveless and Amanda are both engaged in unbridled rage, and ruthless contempt has been made exceptionally clear in the structure of the language. Throughout the discussion, the two actors should be facing each other at a short distance. Although the discussion is tense, the actor who plays Loveless must remain steadfast in his belief that Amanda's distrust of his loyalty is wrong. To represent anger on stage, not only must this exchange occur in rapid succession between Amanda and Loveless, but they must physically exaggerate their bodily movements to show anger and frustration. Although Loveless will remain cold even when the act ends, Amanda's voice must be brought to a whimper after Loveless screams, “Fie, fie, Amanda! It is not polite to distrust me like that” (I. i. 127). While the fears of.