Maternal Control

My mind immediately draws back to “The Sound of Music” whose leading characters were played by children. In many of the scenes the children are singing and or dancing. Naturally, this brings joy into the hearts of its audiences and becomes a best selling musical. Something about the joy and laughter of children is significant. Perhaps it’s the look of curiosity and innocence on a child’s face that causes the average adults cynical heart to melt. Children represent purity, untainted by the folly of this world and its entire supposed splendor.

After taking a look at Nell, she is clearly entertaining the idea of Rafe as her child as they watch him perform. Her looks of pride and adoration for his actions make her seem as though she is his mother. The wife clearly has control over every person in the play, whether she is comical or not, she has taken a motherly role over everyone. She knows what’s best, she commands actors to play an entirely different play. Perhaps, the control a parent has over their children is what Beamont is trying to portray throughout the play. Although, Mistress Merrythought loses her control and the money she stowed away for her youngest son Michael, Nell still has control. In fact she has control over the entire audience and actors of the new play. Perhaps, the real role of children is to be controlled by their parents and authority figures. The ability to control people and have them do anything you wish is something Nell seems to love. Although, she is stepping outside of her gender roles, which can’t be argued strongly due to the fact that the actor is indeed a male, she is enjoying her new found power. Taking on the role of a parent allows you to control multiple people, depending on the number of children. In this case, Nell is in control of quite a few children.

--on behalf from Kimberly Wright