Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named Desire" Essay
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Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named Desire"
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Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named
Desire" Essay
In Tennessee William's play A Streetcar Named Desire dramatic irony has enriched
the audience's appreciation of the play and adds another dimension to the plays
meaning. The music contributes to the dramatic irony and is used throughout the play
to give to dimensions to what is being said and sung, often to completely different
things. We are reminded of the other character's past experiences or their state of mind
at the time and so can see why things have happened and how they feel. An example is
our opinion of Blanche at the end and the start. At the start we find Blanche irritating
and over-dramatic, by the end we can empathize, if not sympathize with Blanche and
the horrors she has been through. The lighting also gives another dimension to the
actions of the characters. The lights in the final scene haunt Blanche as if all her
mistakes and nightmare have come back. Using this the audience can come to
sympathize with Blanche for they can see she is `trapped' in her own `bee box.' There
are also little words said to bring another scene to mind and words said to show the
audience a certain aspect of a character's personality.
The music in the play has been carefully chosen by Williams to tell the audience
something about a characters state of mind or to highlight a certain ideal relevant at
the time. An example of this is the Varsouviana, which Blanche hears every time she
feels threatened or insecure. Because the other characters in the play are not privy to
this music or it's meaning to her, the audience is given a private insight into Blanche's
state of mind, something that is central to the play. This is not used only with Blanche.
When Stella has left Stanley there are "dissonant brass and piano sounds" showing the
audience the inner struggles and anger that are going on in Stanley's mind. Another
example of the use of music and dramatic irony is the words of the songs that are
sung. The characters in the play seem oblivious to the second meaning behind the
words as they are concentrating on something else but the audience can see the
innuendo of the music and so is able to see both sides of each argument and every
Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named Desire" Essay
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Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named Desire" Essay
quarrel. This is also used when Stella leaves Stanley. "The Negro entertainers in the
bar around the corner play `Paper Doll slow and blue." This not only gives us an
insight of Stanley's mood before he fully wakens up and captures the sexual undertow
of the play but the title of the song is a good summary of Stanley's attitude towards
Stella, his `baby doll.' Blanche's lyrics to songs are also suggestive of main themes in
the play. As she sings, "It wouldn't be make believe if you believed in me" the
audience is left to grapple with these ideas while the other characters on stage don't
pay attention to Blanche's words dismissing it as annoying and irritating.
The blue piano that is so prevalent in the Quarter is also a form of dramatic irony. The
characters in the play pay little attention to it as it so common a sound but to the
audience it becomes a symbol of life in the quarter. As Williams says, it "expresses the
spirit of the life which goes on" in the Quarter. It shows the easy intermingling of
races but later in the play reminds the audience of the sexual undertow of the play
sometimes accompanying brass instruments with their harsh raucous sound. It shows
the audience just how big a part sex plays in the lives of these people which we might
not see so well if the music was absent, thus enriching the audience's experience.
The lighting throughout the play tells us about the characters and gives us their view
on what is happening at the times without the other characters realizing it. An example
of this is the `lurid reflections' that haunt Blanche in the final scene. Her world has
been turned upside down and all her illusions crushed, just like her paper lantern.
These reflections are haunting her just like her lover's death. The other characters are
seemingly unable to see the shapes and therefore the audience is able to see something
that is completely individual to Blanche. We are privy to her horror and private hell as
all the other characters from the harsh Quarter are not. It would seem that the shadows
are monsters of her own imagination and we are able to see how she has been trapped
in her own mind and instead of being `boxed out of her mind' as Mitch suggested she
is boxed in, unable to escape, and unlike Plath's bee box there is no grid and `no exit.'
Or maybe there is a grid and we are able `put our eye to the grid' with William's help.
The audience can see Blanche stripped bare of all pretenses, "her profile outlined
against a pale and empty background, " and can understand her hell like none of the
Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named Desire" Essay
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Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named Desire" Essay
other characters.
Williams also uses small words or actions to remind us of previous conversations. The
characters usually seem oblivious to this though sometimes in the case of Stanley it is
a cruel and calculated act. An example of this is when Mitch tears the paper lantern of
the light bulb. This reminds of Blanche saying earlier "I can't stand a naked light bulb,
any more than I can a rude remark or a vulgar action." She doesn't want too much
reality and no one in the crass Quarter can really understand that "Human kind cannot
bear very much reality. " This seems to particularly to apply to Blanche. Also in the
last scene Stanley's steady shuffling of the cards in the last scene reminds us of
Blanche's earlier outburst of "I was played. You know what played out is? My youth
was suddenly gone up the water-spout" and how Blanche is `trapped' in a `desperate
situation.' There are examples of this all through out the play and they remind the
audience without reminding the characters on stage about previous occurrences.
Dramatic irony is also used to make the audience aware of certain aspects of the
character's personality. In this way Williams manipulates the audience to think of a
character in a specific way. In Stanley's case dramatic irony is used to show his
deliberate cruelty when dealing with Blanche. The audience sees how he toys with
Blanche and comes to hate him whereas at the start they might have enjoyed his
raucous conversations. An example of his calculated cruelty is the exchange between
him and Blanche while Stella is at the hospital. He is obviously playing with Blanche
when he says, "Gosh, I thought it was Tiffany diamonds." The irony for the audience
is that he did indeed think they were Tiffany diamonds until Stella corrected him. By
saying this to Blanche he is playing with acting more ignorant that he really is at his
point maybe to give her a false sense of superiority before pulling her off her podium
and `shattering her illusions.' The audience can see this but Blanche, in her drunken
state can't because she has not been privy to the prior conversation, although she
probably realizes how cruel Stanley was being later as he strips her hopes and dreams
of Shep Huntleigh from her.
Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named Desire" Essay
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Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named Desire" Essay
In this play dramatic irony has been used to gives another dimension to what is
happening on stage. It gives the audience a greater understanding of how each event
affected each character and also in Blanches's case, their mental state. Small phrases
or actions are used effectively to remind the audience of previous conversations and
confessions making the effect of the play greater for the audience and manipulating
their response to characters.
Dramatic Irony in "A Streetcar Named Desire" Essay
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