Cosi

Cosi essay The semi-autobiographical play cosi effectively portrays how the composer Louis nowra uses an array of symbols and themes that characters encounter throughout the play. Such as Lewis’s transformation on his own perspective versus societies perspectives on the mentally ill throughout the play write or fidelity and infidelity symbolized through the play in a play of cosi fan tutte and compared with the Arabian phoenix. It is through these themes and symbols that Louis nowra illustrates the various challenges an individual faces in life to the audience. What would an example of a topic sentence for transformation be ''' Nowra uses the subject of creating a theatrical performance with an association of mental patients as the first challenge Lewis has to over come as he claims to his girlfriend Lucy that” I am only doing this for the money”. Nowra uses this quote as a way of symbolize Lewis’s isolation from the mental patients. As Lewis’ transformation leads him to gradually learn to accept the mental patients his perspective helps the audience to transform their opinion on the mentally ill as well. This is done through the flickering of the fuse box, which becomes a symbol of Lewis’s thoughts and feelings about the mentally ill are changing. In conjunction with this Lewis rhetorically asks himself “ why cant I ever say no' just leave. They are mad. Its madness” this quote shows Lewis comparing the mentally ill who society claims to be “mad” to who himself noted as a ‘normal’ person in society, thinking “mad” thoughts. Cleverly depicting to the audience that challenges individuals face in life can cause them to feel madness and that the stereotypes mad by society are not always correct as anyone can show signs of madness. Therefore the audience comes to empathies with the mental patient for the conditions they face even though they are human beings. ‘Cosi fan tutte’ meaning women are like that is a play about love and fidelity that Lewis and the mental patients are performing in cosi. By performing cosi fan tutte nowra effectively uses a binary opposite theme of fidelity and infidelity so the characters can express and explore their views and values on life’s challenges of love to the audience. It is evident of Lewis’s view on love through “ love is not important nowadays”. Although his attitudes on love change throughout the play as Lucy’s idea about “free love” conforms Lewis into believing that fidelity to your partner is “important”. When Lewis discovers Lucy’s betrayal, she waves aside his shock, defending that ‘it is not as if we’re married.’ The revelation does indeed prove that Così Fan Tutte is correct in stating that, ‘woman’s constancy is like the Arabian Phoenix. Everyone swears it exists, but no one has seen it.” Although the women in both Così Fan Tutte and Così are shown to be unfaithful, so are the men. While the men in Così Fan Tutte do not actively participate in adultery, they do fabricate their departure to the war and also disguise themselves as ‘Albanians.’ Their deception is also a betrayal to their wives. Meanwhile, Don Alfonso manipulates everyone. As seen in Così, Lewis is unfaithful to Lucy as he kisses Julie during rehearsals. Julie later reveals that she has a girlfriend who she would prefer to be with, confirming that both men and women are unfaithful in relationships. How can I refer this back to the audience'' What would their response be to this'' Nowra proposes the idea that ‘madness’ is not always a simple psychological or psychiatric diagnosis, but is sometimes a matter of perspective and judgment. It embodies a wholistic view of human behaviour rather than an attitude of diagnostics and labeling. Nowra uses the imagery of light and dark to show that the chaos associated with the confusion of sanity and insanity can be both frightening and liberating and control can sometimes be repressive. Light traditionally represents hope and clarity, in the opening scene ‘it is pitch black inside the theater. A heavy door opens… a chink of daylight enters” suggest that Lewis is a symbolism of hope and sanity within the group. Opposed to this the chaos and confusion that erupts when the lights go out. However it is evident that this madness can be liberating at times as Julie and Lewis discover when they kiss ‘passionately’ in the darkness although they both have partners already. Nowra also creates characters that cross the boundaries between the contrasting ideas of sanity and insanity to highlight inconstancies in the mental health system. For example Lewis is shown to be ‘crossing the line’ as he stands by the patients and sides with cherry, although Doug started the fire “im sorry… it wont happen again” or when he replaces Doug in the play. Other characters such as Ruth blur the line between sanity and insanity this is shown after leaving the asylum when Ruth becomes a ‘time and motion expert’ where her obsessive compulsiveness is an asset. Therefore this confusion between sanity and insanity changes the perspective of the audience in allowing them to relate to the characters in time in their lives where they have felt confusion between their own sanity and insanity. In conclusion Lewis nowra is able to depict through various themes, characters and symbols the different perspectives on the mentally ill. Further more nowra is able to generate a powerful response by changing the audiences perspective and views of challenges in life.