Study Aids for CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF

1. Study Aids forCAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF By Tennessee Williams

2. Table of Contents: Synopsis • Part One: Drama: A short introduction • Part Two: Tennessee Williams: A biography

3. Table of Contents: Part One • Drama: A short introduction • Classification • Definition • The concept of Aristotles • The Shakespearean drama • 20th century drama • Important dramatists after 1945

4. Classification 3 genres lyric epic drama includes: poem novel play

5. Definition • Drama = work meant to be performed on stage by actors

6. The Concept of Aristotle(384 - 322 BC) Distinction: Unity of: • time • place • action Division of plot into acts

7. The Shakespearean drama • Blurring of the strict conventions of the Greek drama: • comic elements in tragedies • (f.e. drunk porter in Macbeth) • tragic elements in comedies • (f.e. faked death of the heroine • in Much ado about nothing) • some tragedies are set in bourgeoisie • (f.e. Romeo and Juliet)

8. 20th century drama • The drama in the 20th century distinguishes itself by an increasing diversification

9. 20th century drama • realistic „kitchen sink“ drama: • set in working class, contains social criticism (f.e. George Bernard Shaw: Pygmalion)

10. 20th century drama • absurd drama: • surrealistic plot (f.e. Samuel Beckett: Waiting for Godot)

11. 20th century drama • After 1945: increasing individualism of the dramatists.

12. Important Dramatists after 1945 • Edward Albee • (Who‘s afraid of Virginia Woolf)

13. Important Dramatists after 1945 • Arthur Miller • (Death of a Salesman) He was married to ... ... Marilyn Monroe !

14. Important Dramatists after 1945 • Harold Pinter • (Look Back in Anger)

15. Important Dramatists after 1945 • Sam Shepard • (True West) GOOD LOOKING ! He is also a famous actor (f. e. The Pelican Brief with Julia Roberts)

16. Important Dramatists after 1945 • Thornton Wilder • (Our Town)

17. Important Dramatists after 1945 • and of course ... ... Tennessee Williams !

18. Table of Contents: Part Two • Tennessee Williams - A biography • childhood • university years • his success • his decline

19. His childhood • March 16, 1911: Tennessee Williams is born as Thomas Lanier Williams in Columbus, Mississippi 1911 - 1918: grows up in Clarksdale, Mississippi 1918: familiy moves to St Louis

20. University years • 1929: Enters University of Missouri 1931: Leaves university because his father wants him to work in a shoe company 1937: parents admit his sister Rose to a lunatic asylum 1938: Graduates from University of Iowa

21. His success • 1939: Wins his first prizes for American Blue and Battle of Angels. • 1940: outs himself as a homosexual

22. His success 1944 -1955: writes his most famous plays Hot! Hot! HOT! 1944: The Glass Menagerie 1947: A Streetcar Named Desire 1955: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

23. His decline • Lack of success causes phases of depression • death of his longtime companion in 1963 • increasing addiction to alcohol and pills Feb 25, 1983: dies in a hotel room as a result of his addiction