Power is the undercurrent that runs through both Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi," a 17th-century revenge tragedy, and " A Streetcar Named Desire" by Williams, a modern 20th century domestic tragedy. Both works offer stark depictions of the tendency of power to corrupt, a corruption that often leaves women low in the social hierarchy, with little or no authority. Men's thirst for control makes female characters helpless in the face of their authority for fear of being punished in case of retaliation. However, women are also portrayed as powerless over their own desires and psychological state, an interesting theme which, interestingly, is more apparently prevalent in Streetcar than in Malfi. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayBoth Williams and Webster use symbolism and plastic theater to evoke a convincing sense of female helplessness. Julia naively "kisses" the Cardinal's "poisoned" Bible, then quickly dies. The cardinal's servants left before this particular action took place, leaving the cardinal and minor character Julia isolated at center stage. This proxemics ensures that the couple takes center stage, but more importantly, highlights Julia's lack of power, as her opportunity to receive help from others is now completely non-existent. Historians have noted the popular Jacobin stereotype of Italians as vindictive and bloodthirsty, and the juxtaposition of the cardinal's insurmountable figure on his diminished concubine illustrates this, while also being an important demonstration of male prowess, hence female weakness. The audience might feel the pathos of Julia's tragic disappearance and physical helplessness, but the surprise does not, because violent death is a theme that prevails throughout the genre of revenge tragedy - and in this case it portrays the Machiavellian rancor of the cardinal. The lurid satire of the scene can only be fully appreciated by a Jacobean audience, who interprets the "Poisoned Bible" as an attack on Catholic revivalism. Protestant Britain responded to the failed explosion of the Catholic Parliament (1605) with resentment and genuine fear, so this crude mockery would have been more than welcomed. The support also reveals that even faith (a virtue generally perceived as pure) is powerless in Malfi's corrupt society, where high-ranking males ultimately dictate what is good or bad, leaving little political power for women, who are left to endure anything. the dogma had been decided. While the main cause of Julia's powerlessness is the discontent of her male superiors, Stella's powerlessness and lack of authority can be attributed to her vapid spirit and fear of the past, which roots her in New Orleans. However, the fact that there is no male dominance over Stella would be false: while Julia is never allowed to rise beyond her lover status, Stanley "pulls" Stella from the "pillars" of her Southern Belle status to the his own social class. , demonstrating an inescapable power that forces her to adapt to her lifestyle. Williams also uses symbolism and plastic theater to highlight Stanley's brutality and ultimately create a sense of female helplessness: the radio object is "snatched" by Stanley before he "throws" the instrument. out the window 'with a shouted expletive'. The words “torn,” “throw,” and “screamed” create a semantic field of brutal imagery, which exaggerates the sense of Stanley's aggressive vigor and the machoism he is so eager to promote.This can be seen as an example of the “plastic theatre” that Williams worked to develop in the 1940s. Williams felt that the visual and auditory aspects of "A Streetcar Named Desire" should not be ignored for excessive dialogue, as both were equally important in communicating the characters' psychological states to the audience, as well as developing the play's themes. One might imagine Stanley (who, interestingly, is also powerless to do the male stereotype he is meant to embody) shouting the "oath" with menacing gusto, suggesting Stella's helplessness, as any apparent act of authority on his part might be met with such an outburst of dangerous emotions. In this way, the prop serves not only as a prolepsis for Stanley beating Stella, but also for Blanche's tragic end: rape. The ironic destruction of the "radio" (an object often associated with music) by the philistine Stanley symbolizes Blanche's helplessness towards the working-class lifestyle as she is unable to orchestrate her "finest thought" of former English teacher in the family. This contrast in character could be seen as a microcosm of the postwar class conflict between the emerging working class and the Old South, a civilization shaped by wealth and slave labor. The use of plastic theater also suggests that Stanley's powerful physique will never be overwhelmed by his physically weaker sisters, which quickly becomes a crucial theme. Through Ferdinand's characterization, Webster also foregrounds a sense of uneasiness about the female characters. The image within the peremptory “catch fire when I set fire” immediately brands Ferdinand, like Stanley, as displaying a dangerous desire for control, a tendency that leaves the Duchess powerless due to her lower social status. However, although his incestuous passions ultimately weaken the Duchess of any authority, as Stanley completely belittles Blanche, Ferdinand himself is helpless in the face of her passions, which serve as the vehicle for her crushing end. Both playwrights use dialogue to draw attention to the theme of powerlessness. : the exclamation 'Yes, I was flirting with your husband Stella!' occurs immediately after a comment congratulating Stella's pregnancy. The exclamation point suggests a register of ecstasy, connoting Blanche's thrill when she is still treated as desirable, connecting to the theme of passion indicated in the title and reminding Blanche of her sexual power. This may perhaps reflect post-war American society in which it was common for women, so prized in their youthful beauty, to be discarded as mere objects after a certain age, when their attractiveness began to decline. It was not only their appearance, but also their sexual purity that would be treated as non-existent after this age. Blanche's eagerness to flaunt her sexual authority is evident: a pitiful attempt to reassure herself as much as Stella that the male ego is still something she can manipulate. The non sequitur deviation from the previous theme of Stella's pregnancy suggests otherwise; a newborn would prolong Stanley's lifestyle throughout his upbringing, leaving Blanche no chance to save Stella from her husband's violent clutches. Alternatively, Blanche's reference to her romantic dialogue with Stanley and her unconventional commitment to Stella's pregnancy could connote a sense of her own selfishness and power over Stella, a hint at her perceived ease with which she could disrupt the lifestyle by Kowalski. A darker side of Blanche is revealed when we remember her past exploits.