The Scarlet Pimpernel
By Katie Tungate
Goeth’s three questions help theater and moviegoers see a deeper meaning in their entertainment. Most importantly the questions internalize and personalize what you view. On October 28th, 2010 I saw the Scarlet Pimpernel performed at the Hale Center Theater in Orem. This was a familiar play to me. By thinking about these questions while I watched the Scarlet Pimpernel I was able to view the play in a different light.
What was the artist trying to achieve?
The main subject matter of The Scarlet Pimpernel is to show that the noble cause of the French revolution had become distorted and was out of hand. I think the play shows that the reason for the out of control nature of the revolution was directly linked to those who ran it. The play personifies the notion that the aristocrat or educated man was born to lead and the common or uneducated man was born to follow. This theme is subtlety throughout the play. Marguerite goes through a transition before the play begins. At the beginning of the French revolution she is a full supporter of the cause. It is alluded to that her views begin to change through her courtship with Percy.
How well did he or she achieve it? I think that the theme I saw in the play was done well as a subtle underling theme. The costuming, lighting, and sets reflect the difference between aristocratically run England and democratically run France. England is bright, lavishly decorated, beautifully costumed and the characters seem very cheery. In France there is a haze in the air it is darker the costumes are plain and tattered and the characters are macabre. There is also a contrast in the love songs from Percy and Chauvelin. In Chauvelin’s song, “Where’s the Girl” you get the feeling that their love was more base and animal. Percy’s song “You are my Home”, shows a romance and exudes a feeling of true deep love. In scene six Percy is discussing the French revolution with his friends. They decide to do something to save the innocent from Madame Guillotine. In this scene Percy mentions that he and his friends are all educated smart men and would easily be able to out wit the French. Percy and his men go on to save many lives and make fools of Chauvelin.
Was it worth doing? I think that what I saw in the plot shows the bias of the original author, Baroness Orczy, who was herself an aristocrat who had to leave her home because of the threat of a peasant uprising. She spent most of her life in England. The English are also renowned for their hatred of the French. The play slyly shows that the educated aristocrat should be leading the country and not the poor uneducated masses. Which is why I don’t think the play was worth doing.
On one hand it does show the value of an education. Which none would say is unimportant. What the play does show is the complicated nature of war. Chauvelin is caught between the love of his country and his love for Marguerite. He chooses to betray her trust for what he sees as for the good of the people of France. The play is also very fun and entertaining. These are the reasons the play is worth seeing.
I think I am a little biased myself in my viewing of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Prior to seeing the play I was reading some of Karl Marx’s work for a sociology class. This is the reason I think that I picked out the theme and plot the way that I did. I am pretty sure that Karl Marx would see Chauvelin as a tragic hero of the people and not the antagonist. Using these questions really got me thinking about the Scarlet Pimpernel on a different level. (I may have read a little too much into this play)
I thought it was an interesting take on the Scarlet Pimpernel. Do you agree with me? It is also a fun play and I do recommend seeing it if you liked the old movie.
