Maugham "Theatre" (Chapters 1-2)

I. Explain in English or give definitions of and find contextual synonyms for the following words and phrases:

1.Complacency - a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect.

2.filthy - vile; vulgar; obscene

3. supercilious – haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.

4. military bearing – is how a soldier conducts himself on duty. 

5. stupendous –amazingly large or great

6. staggered – a state of becoming unsteady:

7. natural homage – special honor or respect shown or expressed publicly and accepted as one's due

8. entanglement –the act of entangling.

9. concubinage – cohabitation of a man and woman without legal or formal marriage

10. languorous –  lacking energy, spirit, liveliness or vitality

11. flippant rejoinder – when you retort without care.

12. to risk smth –  to expose to the chance of injury or loss.

II. Search for the allusions in the text. Define their type (literary, artistic, historical and others) and functions; explain their meaning.

Jean-Marc Nattier (artistic) -  French painter,  a miniaturist, noted for his portraits of the ladies of King Louis XV's court in classical mythological attire.

As a painter Nattier was considered to have a high aesthetic taste. The allusion serves to compare the taste of the main character with the great artist's one. 

Charles John Kean (artistic) - English actor and theater director.

serves to show the theatrical atmosphere which their life is impregnated with. 

William Shakespeare (literary) - an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.

The allusion serves to show the high theatrical atmosphere.

Mounet-Sully - (artistic) - a French actor of the 20th century.

The allusion serves to show the high theatrical atmosphere.

Sarah Siddons (artistic) -  a Welsh actress, the best-known tragedienne of the 18th century. She was most famous for her portrayal of the Shakespearean character, Lady Macbeth.

This allusion serves to compare the main character with a cult figure, thus to convey her feelings experienced by celebrities. 

Sir Thomas Lawrence (artistic) - a leading English portrait painter and president of the Royal Academy.

The allusion serves to show that the main characters belong to the high society and their surroundings correspond to it. 

III. Using direct and indirect evidence from the text give character sketches of Julia Lambert and Michael Gosselyn

Julia Lambert is the main character of the novel. She is 46 years old. She is the most famous theater actress in England. Her life is very successful: she has a successful husband Michael, the owner and director of the theater "Siddons," where she plays, an educated adult son, Roger, and the glory with admirers. Her feelings manifests mainly on the stage. Her husband Michael is closed and reserved, but he doesn't love her.

Her character is revealed indirectly by means of her acts and thought. We can see that she is a little selfish because she likes that she is admired by young people. 

Michael Gosselyn is another character of the novel. He is a husband of Julia Lambert. He is described directly. Being a young man, with a great mass of curling chestnut hair, with a wonderful skin and large deep blue eyes, a straight nose and small ears, he had been the best-looking actor on the English stage. Since his five years at the war he had adopted a military bearing, so that if you had not known who he was you might have taken him for an officer of high rank. But even now he is considered to be a very handsome man. Such description shows us that Michail is a confident man.

IV. Summary.

Julia Lambert, a famous actress comes to her husband, an owner of the theater, and makes the acquaintance of a young man. This man is a young accountant hired by her husband to restore order in the account of the theatre. Her husband Michael says that the young man is her admirer and dreams to make the acquaitance of her for a long time. She decides to invite him for a lunch, thus give him a big chance to diversity his boring life. Then she invites him to the theater on the play where she plays. Although he saw the play with her participation three times, and was glad to see it again behind the scenes. Julia is flatter by his attention and in order to make him happy she gives him her photo. She recollected her past. When she came to Langton’s troupe, Michael had already worked there, and grew popular with the company. Julia’s aunt, a former actress, gave her first acting lessons, due to which she entered the Royal Academy of dramatic art. Being on tour she met Jimmie Langton.