 |
| Neb English Support Class 12 |
Section 2: Literature (One-Act Play)
A Matter of Husbands Exercise | Ference Molnar
A Matter of Husbands by Ference Molnar
MAIN INTRODUCTION
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
A Matter of Husbands by Ference Molnar
Write about the playwright of the play "A Matter of Husbands"?
Ferenc Molnar (1878–1952) was regarded as Hungary's most celebrated and controversial playwright. Being a Jew, he migrated to America to escape the Nazi persecution during the Second World War. His famous plays include The Devil (1907), Liliom (1909), The Guardsman (1910), The Swan (1920), and The Play's the Thing (1926).
This one-act play is an entertaining play that focuses on the main function of the actor, that is, to make the audience believe what is in fact not real.
MAJOR CHARACTERS
A Matter of Husbands by Ference Molnar
Who are the major characters in the play "A Matter of Husbands" by Ferenc Molnar.
Famous Actress
She is an actress named Sara, who is having an affair with a man named Alfred, who is a lawyer of her manager.
Earnest Young Woman
Her husband Alfred is having an affair with a Famous Actress. She goes to the Famous Actress, demanding her husband's back.
Alfred
He is Earnest Young Woman's husband, who has an affair with a Famous Actress. He has a short role, but he is the central issue in the play.
SETTING OF THE PLAY
A Matter of Husbands by Ference Molnar
What is the setting of the play "A Matter of Husbands" by Ferenc Molnar.
The drawing room of the Famous Actress during the late afternoon.
SHORT SUMMARY
A Matter of Husbands by Ference Molnar
Write a short summary of the play "A Matter of Husbands" by Ferenc Molnar.
The play "A Matter of Husbands" is a one-act play. This play was written by Ferenc Molnar. This play contains only one scene and conversation between two women: an Earnest Young Woman and a famous actress. These two women are the major characters in this play.
This play "A Matter of Husbands" sheds light on the basic function of actors: to make the audience believe in the illusion.
When the play begins, we find that Earnest Young Woman walks into the famous actress' drawing room and asks her to return her husband. The Famous Actress replies that she has not taken her husband, although she has met him. She asks for justification for blaming her. The Earnest Young Woman says that her husband has sent her flowers and written a letter of apology for her. She reads the particular letter in front of the actress. The Famous Actress says that her husband has come up with this trick to get more love from her. She convinces Earnest Young Woman, saying that such incidents are common for actresses like her. Many co-workers, even bosses, ask her for favours to make their wives jealous. The Earnest Young Woman realises her folly and expresses her gratitude to the actress. She even kisses the famous actress being joyous. As the Earnest Young Woman leaves the drawing room, the Famous Actress calls Alfred, and he comes out of the closet.
MAIN PLOT POINTWISE
▪︎ Earnest Young Woman comes to Famous Actress and asks her to give her husband back.
▪︎ Earnest Young Woman blames her, saying that her husband has been in love with the Famous Actress. He sends her flowers and writes letters.
▪︎ A Famous Actress starts weaving a fake story about her husband, saying that he is attempting to trick her to get more affection from her.
▪︎ Earnest Young Woman believes in the fake story made up by the Famous Actress and realizes her stupidity.
▪︎ When Earnest Young Woman goes out of the drawing room, the Famous Actress asks Alfred to come out of the closet.
MAIN SUMMARY
A Matter of Husbands by Ference Molnar
Write a summary of the play "A Matter of Husbands" by Ferenc Molnar.
When the play opens, we find the Earnest Young Woman who is sitting on a chair in a drawing room of the Famous Actress named Sara. The Earnest Young Woman seems quite upset and worried. She has a belief that her husband, Alfred, is having an affair with the Famous Actress. When the Famous Actress arrives in, she asks the Famous Actress to return her husband back. When the Famous Actress asks her the reason of her doubts, the Earnest Young Woman explains that she found a passionate letter and also saw some other signs that make her think that her husband is in love with the actress.
The Famous Actress listens all her matter calmly. Later, she begins to explain the situation in a way that completely changes the Earnest Young Woman's mind as well as perspective. The Famous Actress tells her that her husband is only trying to make her jealous to regain their love. She even claims that once Alfred asked her to write the passionate letter and left it on his desk in a hope that his wife would find and read it. The Famous Actress even shares a story about how she wrote similar type of letters for another man to help him win back his wife's love and affection.
She further provides some explainations that all the other signs - like ordering flowers and later canceling the order and keeping a lock of the Actress's hair - are just tricks especially to make the Earnest Young Woman feel jealous and love her husband more.
Later, the Famous Actress assures the Earnest Young Woman that any man associated to the theater would use such tricks. She admits that she also helped and played along with Alfred's plan not because there was an actual affair between them, but because she wanted to play a supportive role in the young couple's marriage. She also explains that men often try to create imaginary love stories with actresses and while the actresses are aware of the deception, their wives often believe the stories are real.
By the end of their conversation, the Earnest Young Woman is reassured and no longer suspicious of her husband. She feels quite relieved and even grateful to the Famous Actress for helping her understand the real story or the situation. The Famous Actress has successfully manipulated the situation, using her charm and wit to dissolve the Earnest Young Woman's doubts.
As the Earnest Young Woman gets ready to leave the drawing room, she seems much calmer and more secure in her marriage relationship. She is thoroughly convinced that her husband still loves her. Just after her departure, the Famous Actress calls out name of Alfred who has been hiding in the closet the entire time, listening to the conversation. This particular twist reveals that the Famous Actress may not have been entirely truthful, and there might be more to the story than she led the Earnest Young Woman to believe.
DETAILED SUMMARY
A Matter of Husbands by Ference Molnar
Write the detailed summary of the play "A Matter of Husbands" by Ference Molnar.
INTRODUCTION TO ONE-ACT PLAY
A one-act play is a very short and simple drama with just one scene. It ends in a single sitting and doesn’t have many characters or a complicated story. This type of play delivers an important message or feeling.
ABOUT THE PLAY
Today’s one-act play, "A Matter of Husbands" was written by Ferenc Molnar, a famous and controversial playwright from Hungary. During World War II, he escaped the Nazi regime and moved to America, where he became a citizen. This play was published in 1923.
The story revolves around a meeting between a housewife, Earnest Young Woman, and a Famous Actress. The whole play focuses on a conversation about Earnest’s husband.
It highlights the basic role of actors: the art of confusing the audience. The play beautifully shows how an actress uses her cleverness to trap a simple woman in an interesting way.
SETTING OF THE PLAY
Now, let’s talk about the setting. The main location of this play is the drawing room of the Famous Hungarian Actress Sara. The time is set in the afternoon. The room is decorated with various items, making the scene look amazing and adding excitement to the story.
MAIN THEME
Now, let’s discuss the main theme or core idea of the play.
Here, we find themes as: the art of actors creating confusion and the dual nature of people.
It also presents human emotions like jealousy, deceit and the complexities of relationships.
MAIN CHARACTERS
Let’s talk about the characters. We meet three main characters in this play:
1. Sara (Famous Actress): Sara is a very beautiful and smart Hungarian actress. In this play, she uses her cleverness and acting skills to trick the simple housewife, Earnest Young Woman.
2. Earnest Young Woman: Earnest Young Woman is a straightforward housewife. She is Alfred’s wife and believes her husband is in love with the Famous Actress, so she goes to the Actress to get him back.
3. Alfred: Alfred is a clever lawyer and Ernest Young Woman’s husband. We see him only at the end of the play, but the story revolves around him.
DETAILED SUMMARY
This humourous one-act play begins in the colourful drawing room of the Famous Hungarian Actress Sara during the afternoon. Inside, we see a housewife, Earnest Young Woman sitting on a chair, looking a bit nervous. Her worry is clearly visible on her face.
She is waiting for the Famous Actress ctress Sara and feels very anxious. Her mouth is drying up, and she’s losing patience. She keeps looking nervously at the door covered with furniture and curtains. She’s wearing a simple frock, a hat and a fur coat, waiting for the actress.
When Sara enters through the curtained door, she asks Earnest Young Woman the reason of her arrival. Right away, Earnest Young Woman, filled with tears and emotions, begs the actress to return her husband Alfred.
Sara is shocked and speechless by Earnest Young Woman’s behaviour. She asks whose husband it is.
Earnest Young Woman describes her husband, saying he has blond hair, medium height, wears glasses, and is a lawyer - who also happens to be Sara’s manager’s lawyer, named Alfred.
When Sara admits she knows and has met Alfred, Earnest Young Woman gets upset and pleads for him back.
The Famous Actress is confused by Earnest Young Woman's actions. She claims she has no relationship with Alfred and says she’s only met him once or twice backstage. She tells Earnest Young Woman that she knew he had blond hair, spoke well, but didn't know he wore glasses.
This makes Earnest Young Woman ’s suspicion grow. She thinks Alfred must have removed his glasses to impress the Actress and never takes them off in front of her. She begs, “He doesn’t love me, that’s why. Please give my husband back”.
The Famous Actress thinks Earnest Young Woman is a bit silly. She asks where Earnest Young Woman got the idea that she stole her husband.
In response, Earnest Young Woman says her husband Alfred regularly sends flowers to the Actress. But Sara denies ever receiving any flowers. When Sara asks if Alfred said this, Ernest Young Woman replies that she learned it from the florist. According to the florist, Alfred sends flowers to the Actress’s dressing room twice a week and pays for them. Sara calls this a lie and denies it.
To prove her point, Earnest Young Woman pulls out an emotional apology letter she found on Alfred’s desk and shows it to the Actress, asking what it is. She claims the letter, full of apologies and kisses, was probably written for Sara.
Sara asks Earnest Young Woman to read the letter, but Earnest Young Woman reads it aloud herself. It says, “My darling, I can’t call you to the theater tonight. I have urgent work. A thousand apologies. Ten thousand kisses. Alfred”.
Earnest Young Woman explains she found the letter on Alfred’s desk that morning and thinks he forgot to send it to the theater. She opened it and started crying heavily.
Overwhelmed with tears, she accuses the Actress of stealing her husband and comments that Alfred was tempted by her attractive dress. According to her, actresses like Sara use makeup, bright lights, and beautiful lines from writers to attract men, even a simple lawyer like her husband. She admits she feels less attractive compared to Sara.
The Famous Actress calms her down, saying she never received any flowers or letters and calls it a very interesting matter.
When Earnest Young Woman wonders what’s interesting, the Famous Actress advises her to relax. She asks if things haven’t been good between Earnest Young Woman and her husband lately and suggests this is all a play by Alfred. She says he pretended to be in love with her to make Earnest Young Woman jealous, all to strengthen their marriage. She asks if Alfred might have a lock of her hair, and Earnest Young Woman says she found one in a drawer and brought it. Hearing this explanation, Earnest Young Woman is amazed.
The Famous Actress tells Earnest Young Woman that men connected to the theater do this kind of thing. When their wives are upset, they use these tricks to win back their love by creating fake love stories with actresses. She admits she joined Alfred’s play but only to help strengthen Alfred and Earnest Young Woman’s marriage.
She says she tried her best to save their relationship. Alfred left the letter on the table on purpose, ordered and canceled flowers, and put the hair lock in the drawer to make Earnest Young Woman jealous.
The Famous Actress adds that if they start loving each other again, Alfred will keep leaving letters in her name.
She confesses she wrote a love letter for Alfred so he could show it to his wife. She recalls writing a similar letter for someone else before, but that man’s wife returned it to him respectfully without reading it.
After hearing all this, Earnest Young Woman feels a bit foolish but also relieved. She thanks the actress with a hug and a kiss, which makes the actress happy.
Feeling happy and at peace, Earnest Young Woman asks to leave and walks out of the room. As soon as she leaves, the actress calls out “Alfred”. Alfred comes out from the closet right away. He had been hiding in the closet, listening to the conversation between the actress and his wife. This final scene reveals that the Famous Actress and Alfred are actually in love.
Friends, this play "A Matter of Husbands" teaches us a lot. It seems funny but carries a deep message: we shouldn’t believe everything we see or hear right away. Trust and communication are the only ways to solve problems in relationships. The play also shows the art of actors creating confusion.
CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ
CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ
ALL PLAYS CLASS 12 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS' SOLUTION PACK
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
A Matter of Husbands by Ference Molnar
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Answer the following questions.
a. What favour does Earnest Young Woman ask from The Famous Actress?
Answer:
The Earnest Young Woman asks for a favour to give her husband back from the Famous Actress. She loves her husband much. She has come to know about her husband's deception.
b. What, according to The Earnest Young Woman, are the indications that her husband has fallen in love with Famous Actress?
Answer:
According to The Earnest Young Woman, the following are indications that her husband has fallen in love with a Famous Actress:
▪︎ Her husband has sent her (A Famous Actress) flowers. She learned about it from a florist.
▪︎ She finds her husband's love letter on the table that he has forgotten. The letter contains her husband's apology and thousands of kisses for not being able to call her.
c. Is Earnest Young Woman convinced by the argument of Famous Actress? How?
Answer:
Yes, Earnest Young Woman is convinced by the argument of a Famous Actress. We find Earnest Young Woman quite satisfied and happy at the end of the play. She seems fully convinced and kisses the Famous Actress being so happy. She thinks that she has gotten her husband back.
d. Where is the Earnest Young Woman’s husband hiding himself as they are talking about him?
Answer:
The Earnest Young Woman's husband is hiding himself inside the closet as they are talking about him. When Earnest Young Woman moves out of the drawing room, Famous Actress calls out by his name, Alfred, and he comes out of the closet.
e. When do you feel that Famous Actress is really good at acting?
Answer:
I feel that the Famous Actress is really good at acting when she calls out the name of Alfred and Alfred comes out of her closet at the end of the play. This suspense at the end of the play makes me feel that she is really good at acting. She seems quite confident in her words and gestures while convincing the Earnest Young Woman. She convinces not only the Earnest Young Woman but also the audience very precisely. Her last word, "Alfred" and the entry of Alfred from her closet surprise the audience.
f. How do we come to know that Famous Actress and the husband of Earnest Young Woman are in love?
Answer:
We come to know that Famous Actress and the husband of Earnest Young Woman are in love through the last act of Famous Actress when she calls Earnest Young Woman's husband's name Alfred, and Alfred comes out of her closet.
g. Write down the plot of the play in a paragraph.
Answer:
When the play begins, Earnest Young Woman enters the Famous Actress's drawing room and asks her to give her husband back. Earnest Young Woman blames her, saying that her husband has been in love with her (a Famous Actress). According to her, her husband has sent her flowers and even written an apology letter. A Famous Actress starts weaving a fake story about her husband, saying that he is attempting to trick her to get more affection from her. Earnest Young Woman believes in the fake story made up by the Famous Actress and realizes her stupidity. When Earnest Young Woman departs, the Famous Actress asks Alfred to come out of the closet.
REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT
a. Sketch the character of Famous Actress.
Answer:
The Famous Actress in this play is young and beautiful. She is quite a good actress who works in theatre. She is quite good at acting. She seems so innocent in her outer appearance. But she is quite deceptive and wicked inwardly. Here in this play, she has been suspected and blamed by the Earnest Young Woman. She has a good quality of speech. She defends herself quite tactfully. She convinces the Earnest Young Woman with her reasoning. The way she tells stories to prevent a woman from believing that her husband is having an affair with her is cunning and deceitful. She also leads an immoral life, which is seen at the end of the story, where it is revealed that Alfred, the husband of the Earnest Young Woman, was actually in her house.
b. Shed light on the difference between an ordinary woman and an actress.
Answer:
In this play, "A Matter of Husband" we find two major female characters. These two characters are quite different in their appearances and natures.
Here, the ordinary woman is a wife, whereas the Famous Actress is a single woman. The play presents the conversation between these two women. Through their conversation, we get to know that the ordinary woman is a simple-minded and timid person who has easily been deceived by the false story of the actress.
In the beginning, the ordinary woman enters the actress's drawing room full of tears, blaming her husband for having an affair with the actress. She has evidence against the actress. When she blames the actress, the actress convinces her with her fake story. The actress tells her a fake story related to her husband's intentions behind his acts. According to her, an ordinary woman's husband wants to make her jealous so that he can regain her love.
The ordinary woman believes her words without any doubt. She becomes extremely happy, and she even kisses the actress at last.
At the end of the play, when the actress calls out Alfred's name, Alfred comes out of her closet. This final act shows that the actress is such a cunning woman, whereas the ordinary woman is timid. We find the actress brilliant at her acting and speech. She seems full of confidence while sharing her opinions. She doesn't hesitate to weave her fake story. On the other hand, the ordinary woman seems so hesitant. She has a fear of losing her husband. The play presents her as a simple wife who loves her husband so much. However, the actress is presented as an immoral woman who has an illegal relationship with an ordinary woman's husband, Alfred.
c. According to Famous Actress, men associated with theatre use the theatre actresses to make their estranged wives jealous so as to woo them back. Do you agree with her argument? Why? Why not?
Answer:
No, I don't agree with her argument. These are very rare cases. Her statement is so fake, which has less connection with the reality of men associated with the theatre. According to her, men associated with theatre use the theatre actresses to make their estranged wives jealous so as to woo them back. Here, we find that she gets blamed for cheating by Earnest Young Woman all of a sudden. To escape herself from that blame, she weaves a false story regarding entire men who are associated with the theatre. Not every man associated with the theatre has a timid, simple-minded, and gullible wife. In the case of Alfred, we find a simple-minded wife. The Famous Actress is such a cunning woman who has an immoral relationship with Earnest Young Woman's husband, Alfred. Both Famous Actresses and Alfred are cheating Earnest Young Woman in the real sense. To convince Earnest Young Woman and save herself from the blame, she makes a so-called statement.
d. How does Famous Actress make a fool of Earnest Young Woman?
Answer:
Famous Actress makes a fool of Earnest Young Woman by putting forward a fake story regarding men and actresses associated with the theatre. When the Famous Actress gets blamed by Earnest Young Woman, she states that there was a misunderstanding between her and her husband. She convinces the Earnest Young Woman that her husband is playing with her to make her jealous and get her love back. After hearing her opinions, the Earnest Young Woman innocently realizes her mistake and apologizes to her. She even kisses the Famous Actress at last, being convinced and satisfied.
e. The conversation between the two women takes place on the stage of the theatre. What role does the theatre house as a part of the setting play in A Matter for Husband?
Answer:
The play "A Matter of Husbands" by Ferenc Molnar sheds light on the basic function of actors: to make the audience believe in the illusion. Here, we find the whole play presented on the stage of the theatre house, where two major characters have a conversation. As a part of the setting, the theatre house has provided a fine environment to present the basic function of actors, i.e., making the audience believe in the illusion. The setting of the theatre house has made it possible to create an illusion among the audience about the excellent roles of the actors. Here, the theatre house has provided both characters with a fine environment to have their private conversations, which shouldn't be done publicly. The theatre house as a part of the setting has played a tremendous role in the presentation of the thematic concern.
REFERENCE BEYOND THE CONTEXT
a. Write a paragraph describing your favourite actor/actress.
Answer:
My Favourite Actor
My favourite actor is Akshay Kumar. Akshay Kumar, whose real name is Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia, is a well-known film actor as well as a producer and martial arts expert. People also fondly call him 'Akki'. Akshay Kumar has worked in more than 125 films. He has been nominated several times for his films in the Filmfare Awards, out of which he has won this award twice. He has been working in the Hindi film industry for a long time and is also known for his disciplined nature and routine. Known as 'Khiladiyon Ke Khiladi', Akshay does most of the stunts in his films himself. Akshay Kumar was born in Amritsar, Punjab. His father, Hari Om Bhatia, was a military officer. His mother's name is Aruna Bhatia. Akshay also has a sister named Alka Bhatia. He did his schooling at Don Bosco School and his further studies at Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Mumbai. After earning a black belt in Taekwondo in India, Akshay studied martial arts in Bangkok, Thailand. After returning from there, Akshay got his photoshoot done, after which he was signed for the film 'Deedar'.
b. John Cassavetes says, “I’m very worried about the depiction of women on the screen. It’s gotten worse than ever and it’s related to their being either high- or low-class concubines . . . . There’s nothing to do with the dreams of women, or of woman as the dream, nothing to do with the quirky part of her, the wonder of her.” How do you assess Famous Actress in the light of Cassavetes’ argument about the portrayal of women?
Answer:
The Famous Actress fits Cassavetes’ worry because she’s shown as a tricky and immoral person, not as someone with dreams or wonder. She acts like a clever seductress with Alfred, which makes her seem like a controlling concubine, missing any deep or fun side to her character. This matches Cassavetes’ point about shallow portrayals, as her role lacks the dreamy or unique qualities he talks about. Instead, she’s painted as someone who deceives others, especially with her secret relationship with Alfred, which hides her true personality and reduces her to a manipulative figure in the story.
CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ
NEXT ONE-ACT PLAY: FACING DEATH CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE: SUMMARY & EXERCISE | AUGUST STRINDBERG
Thanks for Visiting my Website: Suraj Bhatt
Post a Comment