ENGLISH: TEXT RESPONSE
Character Analysis: Cosi
A. LEWIS
1.
General information about Lewis:
A 21-year-old university graduate who takes the job as the director of Cosi Fan Tutte for
money
By the end of the play, he dramatically changes, and the experience of meeting and working
with the mental patients has taught him a lot about himself and his view of the world. Actually
not only the patients but also Lewis is beneficial from the production. In other words, by the
end of the play, he has a developed a repertoire (all the music or plays, etc. that you can do or perform or that
you know) of strategies for dealing with the individuals, particularly the ‘extraordinary’ ones like
those mental patients. Like what Justin says, Lewis could not learn such valuable lessons at
university.
2.
The inner journey/ changes inside Lewis throughout the production of Cosi Fan Tutte,
interacting with the mental patients:
In the beginning, Lewis appears as an incompetent director since he is an inexperienced
graduate who lacks theatrical skills and feels unconfident in his directing ability. Furthermore,
Lewis just accepts the job for money and does not understand what exactly he is
expected/supposed to do. Therefore, when first coming to the theatre with Lucy and Nick, he
obviously shows uncertainty in his very first line: ‘don’t know’ (page 1). The ‘darkness’ of the
theatre in the beginning may perhaps show that Lewis has no direction in his task.
Directing a play with the amateur cast of mental patients is an extremely challenging task for
most directors, especially for the newcomers like Lewis. He is unsure/ inexperienced in dealing
with mental patients as well as their idiosyncrasies. In the beginning, Lewis feels insecure in
the asylum and protective of the mental patients. In the first meeting with the patients, he
nervously asks Justin, ‘What if someone forgets to take their medicine and – ‘, which implies
that the patients suffer from some kinds of mental diseases and always need medical
treatments.
(Idiosyncrasies: any personal peculiarity, mannerism)
Lewis’ appearance does not show others he is a director, that’s why in the first meeting, Justin,
the social worker, mistakes him with a patient in the asylum. His directing/working style
demonstrates indecisiveness and lack of confidence. Although he is the director, Lewis tries to
please everyone by just listening to others’ ideas but hardly being consistent with his own
opinions. This may indirectly slow down the production since Lewis cannot provide the cast
proper directions, which makes Roy feel so unhappy with his working style, frankly talking to
him, ‘Direction means to direct. You direct an actor somewhere.’
(Also as a young director, Nick appears more decisive confident than Lewis in this situation. He
gives clear instructions to the patients, which makes the cast, particularly Roy, instantly like his
direction)
Lewis seems easily influenced by people surrounding. In the beginning, although Lewis is less
cynical and bigoted than Nick & Lucy, he still respects their views. His political beliefs appear
to simply be based on those of Lucy and Nick. He also thinks that ‘love’ is an indulgence
available only to those who enjoy the privilege of a stable social existence.
+ ‘Love is not so important nowadays’ (Lewis, p 10)
Initially, Lewis also thinks that the theme of love and fidelity of the opera Cosi Fan Tutte is not
so relevant to the context at that time
When first entering the asylum, Lewis seems not to understand the people there, like Lucy and
Nick.
Gradually, Lewis becomes firmer in his decisions. He makes his own choices and now can
obviously express his opinions/attitudes.
Eg: When Nick visits the asylum, upsetting Henry with his political views and even humiliating
the patients, Lewis decisively chooses to support Henry and the cast instead of his insensitive
friend.
When Henry is about to leave, Lewis physically stands up to prevent him, showing strength
and leadership
When Lucy asks Lewis to choose between the moratorium meeting and the opera rehearsal, in
other words, between her and the mental patients, he chooses to stay back with what really
interests him, like Cosi Fan Tutte, the mentally ill people, love and fidelity, rather than the war
protest, Lucy and politics
During the time directing the opera and working with the mentally ill people, he gradually
realizes ‘love’ is a vital aspect of life, which is opposite to Lucy and Nick. Thus, after he fails in
the relationship with Lucy and also can never pursue his attraction to Julie, Lewis still says
‘without love the world wouldn’t mean much’.
+ ‘Working with these people has changed you. We used to talk about things. Important
things.’ (Lucy, p70), while for Lewis, Cosi Fan Tutte is ‘about important things – like love and
fidelity.
His personal interest in the opera and the cast gradually rises. He really does not want the
opera to be cancelled.
+ His dedication to the opera is clear, even when things get difficult. Lewis decides to support
the lie of Cherry to Justin to cover the fact that Doug deliberately started the fire in the toilettes,
so that he won’t be put in the closed ward and the production can continue. Later, he even
takes on Doug’s role when Doug is put in the closed ward.
Lewis presents strong commitment to the play and stands on his decision to not attend the
moratorium meeting, ‘I’m not going to let them down’ (page 70)
Lewis also gains confidence in his dire ting skills.
Lewis is able to manage the production and comes through the challenging task of directing
mental patients, which breaks all the suspicions from Roy.
Lewis’ love affair with Lucy and primary friendship with Nick deteriorate since he gradually
realizes they are too different from him and even betray him. He decides to stands up for
himself and shows obvious attitudes towards both of them.
When Lucy asks Lewis to decide between her and the opera, Lewis confidently chooses the
opera and the patients, ‘I’m not going to let them down’ (p70); and confirms what are the
‘important things’ to him, ‘Without love the world wouldn’t mean much’, (p70) . He even
confronts her about her sexual affair with Nick. At the play’s conclusion, Lewis breaks up with
Lucy.
Lewis confronts Nick about the affair, and about Nick’s attitude towards the patients. When
Nick mocks the mental patients with the ‘funny farm’ song, Lewis punches him to the floor
(p77).
Lewis tentatively (If someone is tentative, they are cautious and not very confident because
they are uncertain or afraid) proposes an extension of the relationship with Julie although she
rejects him.
Lewis takes charge of his surroundings and at the very end of the play decisively turns out the
lights.
Finally, Lewis leaves the asylum and has learnt how to deal with people, a vital thing that he
could not study at university, as Justin says
‘Straight out of university and... well, this is probably the best education: doing theatre, working
with such people. You couldn’t learn this at university. You know why, because it’s about
people!’ (Justin says to Lewis, p24)
Lewis is used by Nowra to talk directly to the audience at the conclusion of the play to give
some closure to the other characters’ affairs. This is like a directorial role to emphasise that he
is the one in control through this imparting of knowledge. Lewis is no longer the nervous young
man who came to the burnt out theatre.
3.
Good points of Lewis:
He is far more sensitive compared to Lucy and Nick, who only cares about their political views
and conservatively holds prejudices towards the patients. Lewis endeavour to please the
people in the asylum, listen to their opinions and help them fulfill their dreams.
Eg: He patiently addresses Ruth’s irrational concerns about the real and unreal coffee on the
stage.
Lewis cheers Roy up by showing an interest in Cosi Fan Tutte, although the production seems
impossible
He decides to support the lie of Cherry to Justin about who started the fire in the toilets, in
order to protect the production from being cancelled.
When Roy is about to quit right before the official performance, Lewis, has a private talk with
him, listening to him, showing sympathy and persuading him to come back.
B. ROY
1.
Roy really loves theatre and is the driving force behind the institution’s production of Cosi Fan
Tutte. In the beginning, he presents himself as a lead role in the cast and actively asks other
patients to get involved. He shows his high expectations regarding the production and
sometimes the ownership of the opera. In general, Roy is a impatient, stubborn, but passionate
contributor.
‘He loves the theatre apparently. A great enthusiast when he gets going. He has his down
periods like a lot of people, but he’s your support, your natural energizer.’ (Justin to Lewis,
about Roy, p3)
Roy loves performing on stage and receiving applause from the audience, ‘I feed off audience
reaction!’ (p75)
2.
Roy suffers from mood swings, i.e. his moods fluctuate between manic (excitable, erratic,
impulsive) and depressed. He can be very excited starting the production and becomes the
driving force, the greatest supporter of the opera, but can suddenly decide to quit right before
the official performance. However, just after a private talk with Lewis, he is persuaded to return
to the production. (p75)
3.
For Roy, music plays an important role in his life. Music makes the world more beautiful (‘the
music of the spheres) , and the opera represents ‘the harmony of the spheres’.
‘Without this opera having been composed, there would be just a clanging, banging, a bedlam
all around us.’ (Roy, p13)
The beauty of the opera ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ represents Roy’s imagined childhood filled with high
culture, elegance, music, joy and a lovely mother (p63). It is a way for him to escape the
mundane and depressing real world, where he was actually an orphan, and create something
more bearable and beautiful in his mind.
4.
Roy’s love viewpoint:
‘love is what you feel when you don’t have enough emotion left to hate … hate is a much more
pure emotion … you have enemies for life, but never lovers.’ (Roy, p61)
‘Love’ is one kind of emotion that is difficult to define.
Roy also refers to infidelity.
C. LUCY AND NICK
1.
For Nick and Lucy, they believe that love is just an indulgence, especially in the context of the
War at that time. Love is just a tool for people to indulge themselves, and it is not as important
as other social and political issues like the War protest which they are pursuing. Therefore,
they believe in free love, and do not require themselves and their partners to get committed, in
other words, to be loyal to each other. They do not like some kinds of commitment like
marriage as it ties them with only one person permanently. If their emotions fluctuate, they will
change to another partner, or have an open relationship with several people.
(a) ‘She’s into politics. She hates talk about love. She thinks its icky.’ (Lewis talks about Lucy,
p33)
‘after bread, a shelter, equality, health, procreation, money comes maybe love. Do you
think the starving masses give a fuck about love’ (Lucy, p70)
‘How to understand how capitalism exploits the working class is important. How to stop the war
in Vietnam is important…’ (Lucy, p70)
‘Love is an emotional indulgence for the privileged few’ (Lucy, p70)
‘only mad people in this day and age would do a work about love and infidelity’ (Nick, p41)
Finally, ‘Lucy and Nick... didn’t last long as both were not into fidelity’ (p89, Lewis’s monologue)
 The theme of love is not suitable in the 1970s, when the War in Vietnam was happening
 Both Lucy and Nick appear to care more about realistic and tangible things (the current
issues, especially something relating to their social and political views), when ‘love’ seems an
abstract and non-tangible concept. They prioritize their political ideals that involve improving
the life quality for socially disadvantaged or politically oppressed people. Social welfare and
basic human rights are what they support, not love or fidelity.
(b)
+ ‘I have sex with him and sleep with you’ (Lucy, p71)
+ ‘it’s only sex’ (Nick, p77)
 They think that love is simply the sexual relationship between two people to satisfy their
physical needs. Thus, there is no need to be faithful or loyal to just one person.
+ ‘Lucy’s not possessive about you, I’m not possessive about her.’
 Nick’s opinion about ‘free love’
+ ‘you want to remain true to your lovers. It’s an old fashioned concept…’ (Nick, p43)
+ Lucy thinks that men just want women to be true and faithful, but they are not themselves
(p70)
 For Lucy and Nick, fidelity does not exist in relationships
In his first day handling the challenging task, ‘Lewis feels betrayed’ when Lucy and Nick refuse
to accompany him but leave together.
 They are non-supportive of Lewis with the theatrical work
 The very first signal of infidelity and breakup.
2.
Although Lewis and Lucy are a couple, the chemistry between them in the play is now obvious.
Lucy does not show much faith in the relationship, and perhaps Lewis is not so committed
either.
When Doug asks if Lewis plans to marry Lucy, he says ‘who knows?’ => showing no clear
intention of marriage
Lewis is attracted to another woman, Julie, and even kisses her in the opera rehearsal
3.
For Lucy and Nick, theatre serves their political views and productions are evaluated by them
in terms of political rather than artistic significance. For Nick, ‘politics is the real theatre’ (Where
politicians become animated in the Parliament) (=> reflects the priority of Nick); while for Lucy,
‘How to make a piece of theatre meaningful and intelligent, like Brecht does, is important.’
4.
Nick is condescending (treating someone as if you are better or more important than them).
Although he is Lewis’ friend, he mocks him.
5.
Both Nick and Lucy do not change throughout the play. They are consistent in their view of the
world
6.
Insensitivity towards the mental patients:
In the rehearsal, Nick upsets Henry with his political views and then even humiliates other
mental patients
‘Not only are they nuts, but they are right wing nuts’ (p 47) (Nick)
Nick just thinks of himself and does not respect the mentally ill patients
‘I can’t believe you are going to do a show here’ (Lucy – p1) ( referring to the ‘burnt out
theatre’)
Both Lucy and Nick are not sympathetic to mentally ill people
D. JULIE
1.
She is a drug dependant and was sent to the asylum by her parents owing to her substance
abuse. Among all patients, Julie seems the most self-aware.
2.
She is drawn to the production because it helps to alleviate the boredom she experiences in
the ward. “Cosi gave me something to think about, something to do.”
3.
The opera makes Julie’s time in the asylum more bearable. She is interested in theatre and
also has a beautiful voice. (‘I like doing theatre, even though it’s my first time’, p36).
Furthermore, she is attracted to Lewis, and her feelings are returned by him. The peak of their
relationship is the ‘passionate’ kiss in the theatre during the blackout.
4.
She later dies of a drug overdose after going back with her girlfriend
5.
Julie’s points of view regarding love:
‘That’s what love is, being foolish.’ (p61)
When falling in love, people may be unable to realize whether their partners are sincere to
them or not. Their evaluations are strongly influenced by the emotions not minds, therefore,
could be fooled by whom they love.
‘Love is hallucinating without drugs’ (p61)
‘Love’ is another kind of drug, causing hallucination and helping people escape from the life
reality.
Julie, to some extent, shows her openness in love. She can be attracted to both men and
women (has a relationship with Lewis, but then reveals in the end that she has a girlfriend
outside the asylum).
E. RUTH
1.
She is preoccupied with reality and illusion. In the beginning, she finds it difficult to handle both
concepts at the same time (‘I can handle something being an illusion or real but not at the
same time’ (p26)). Therefore, she does not know how to ‘act’ on the stage. Ruth cares much
about very small and irrational details, such as whether the ‘coffee’ used in the opera is real or
not; or exactly how many steps to move on the stage.
In other words, Ruth requires a separation between ‘illusion’ and ‘reality’ in order to know what
exactly she should do, ‘I can live with illusion as long as I know it’s illusion.’ (p26)
However, throughout the production, there are some positive changes. Ruth gradually
understands ‘acting’ means pretending to be real on stage, ‘an illusion of reality’. When Cherry
plays the role of a doctor conducting shock treatment to Roy, Ruth says to her: ‘You’re Cherry,
pretending to be Despina, pretending to be a doctor.’
The turning point for Ruth is when she defends herself against criticism from Cherry, making a
distinction between herself and her character. Then she also reluctantly admits that she begins
to ‘pretend’ on stage.
Ruth is meticulous, paying attention to very small details.
2.
Towards the end of the play, Ruth becomes self-confident and begins to stand up for herself.
When Zac asks to have sex with her, she ‘slaps’ him.
3.
She usually needs clear directions when doing something, that’s why she asks Lewis how
many steps she should move on stage
4.
Becomes a time and motion expert later in life after her release
F. CHERRY
1.
Cherry has bad memories during the childhood when her dad uses her for duck hunting.
2.
She is emotionally volatile, and usually threatens to use violence, particularly against Doug,
who causes troubles for the production, and Julie as her love competitor.
3.
She has a strong affection for Lewis, trying to feed him and get close to him, and even
promising to be ‘true’ and ‘faithful’ to him.
Cherry gets so infuriated when seeing Julie and Lewis kissing each other, ‘Kiss him again
and I’ll break your fuckin’ arm.’ (to Julie, p68)
4.
Cherry’s love viewpoint:
Cherry, about Cosi Fan Tutte: it ‘is another thing about the battle of the sexes’ (p.11), and
‘most women fight hard to keep men out of their pants’
Men just want to satisfy their sexual needs by relationships with women. Most women
understand that fact and endeavor not to be fooled by men
G. DOUG
He is the most dangerous character in the cast and causes obstacles to the production. Eg: He sets
fire in the toilettes, which makes the opera nearly/almost cancelled unless Cherry lies to Justin that
she accidentally does that.
However, like other mental patients, to some extent, he is still concerned about the production. After
escaping from the closed ward and coming back to the theatre, he tends to check what has been
happening with the opera in his absence and Doug also comes to the performance in the end
He has an unresolved problem in the past with his mums, and in order to hurt her, he burns her cats
Doug is obsessed with ‘fire’ (pyromania) He tries to burn everything, first the toilettes and then the
theatre. He loves the beauty of fire.
“This theatre would have burnt like a real beauty. [A beat.] My motto is to try and try again.” (p85)
He likes to act tough and use very rude language, often offending people.
Of all the patients, it is Doug who changes least in the play. In many ways, he is still the same man
he was at the beginning – rude, aggressive and a pyromaniac. He is able to manipulate the other
characters and he constantly provokes them for a reaction which is generally hostile.
H. HENRY (AN EX-LAWYER)
In the beginning, Henry seems to suffer some form of social phobia. He is shy and hardly says
anything.
‘Bit shy, the old Henry. Part of this project is to bring out old people like Henry.’ (Justin, p4)
When Nick comes to the production, he provokes the anger inside Henry. His respect for the dad
who fought in the Korean War makes him protest to the Communists, and when Nick mentions he
is a Communist supporter, Henry feels extremely angry and calls him a ‘traitor’ with a lack of respect
for Australian soldiers.
Initially, Henry does not get involved in the opera. He just wants to leave the theatre but is forced to
stay by Roy. He shows no cooperation with the cast and director. Henry appears a shy and quiet
person.
“Everyone blames women but I forgive them, if they change their love a thousand times a day, some
call it sin, others a drug but I think it’s the necessity of women’s hearts” (p80)
Henry has a forgiving nature regarding women. It seems that he used to experience something
unhappy in his past marriage, but he does not want to blame it on women, because not all of them
are unfaithful, like his mother and many other women who remained faithful to their soldier-partners.
The turning point is when Lewis agrees to replace the Albanian communists in the opera by the
Australian soldiers. Henry then feels far more comfortable since he thinks his dad is respected, and
starts practicing Cosi Fan Tutte. Gradually, he shows a greater interest in the opera. Henry even
questions Zac when he sees his name is written so small on the poster. He feels comfortable
rehearsing the opera, and even sings along to the recorded music when Lewis says nobody needs
to: “I ffffelt like it.” (p57). Finally, Henry has a good performance, successfully bringing him out of his
‘shell’.
Henry also becomes more open-minded, even volunteering sharing the personal information about
his marriage (p64-5)
I. ZAC
He is barely present in the production
He shows creativity by making the poster for the opera
Zac prefers Wagner to Mozart
He is usually heavily drugged, and rarely participates in discussions, with the exception of the scene
in which he presents his set design and his poster
“I can’t stand real things. If I could put up with reality I wouldn’t be in here.”(p62)
“Without a piano Zac is only a threepence.” (Roy, p11)
He is transformed by his love of music which eventually replace his dependency on drugs; and
forms the group aptly called ‘The Psychotic Wagners’ who have a small hit.
K. JUSTIN (THE SOCIAL WORKER)
Although he is a social worker who is responsible for the mental patients in the asylum, he appears
not to understand them.
Eg: He does not know the characteristics of each patient, therefore Justin is deceived by Cherry
when she blames herself for accidentally causing the fires in the toilettes to save the production
Justin has little idea of his real role and responsibility
He leaves Lewis on his own to work things out
Shows no real skills as a social worker and is perhaps used by Nowra to show the poor level of
assistance given to patients who have been institutionalised