Anglo-American Music Theater I Main Menu

Summary: Nautical Melodrama [Pinafore]

15878
Kelly Burcher
MUSI 730 – Gerber – Assignment #1
February 6, 2017Summary
            H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), is one of the most popular nautical melodramas by G&S, and its likability has served as an aid to the survival of this particular genre. The general characteristics of nautical melodrama include naval or militaristic qualities, patriotism, parody of historical events, and social conflicts. Some specific qualities of this genre that make it “nautical” include the setting, the “pirate-like” jargon, costumes, alliterative names, and patriotism. Typical characters could include the “high brow” captain of a ship, the scruffy yet handsome sailor, and the suffering female.
            The main characters in H.M.S. Pinafore include Josephine, the captain’s daughter, the “low brow” sailor, Ralph Rackstraw, and Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admirality that Josephine is expected to marry. Though Josephine’s father is adamant that she marries Sir Joseph Porter, she controversially declares her love for Ralph Rackstraw. The plot twists at the end when Little Buttercup, the foster mother of the Captain and Ralph Rackstraw, reveals that she switched them at birth, turning the Captain into the low-class sailor, and Ralph Rackstraw into the high-class, suitable match for Josephine.
Pertinent components of the plot:
  1. The inequalities of gender – Josephine is expected to marry Sir Joseph Porter
  2. Upward mobility – Within this setting, when a woman gets married, she takes on the social status of her husband. Should Josephine marry Sir Joseph Porter, taking on a higher status, or Ralph Rackstraw, taking on a lower status?
  3. Emotional conflicts – Should Josephine follow her heart and marry Ralph Rackstraw? She should disregard true love for the sake of being higher up in society? Should she disrespectfully defy her father’s wishes in favor of her own?
  4. Nature vs. Nurture – When Little Buttercup reveals her secret, the behaviors of Ralph Rackstraw and Sir Joseph Porter change. Though the habits of accent, dress, mannerisms, etc. one acquires over time should be difficult to break, these characters quickly assume the behavioral expectations of their new status.
 Theatre vocabulary acknowledged:
  1. Attitude - a brief pose that represents qualities of that particular character.
  2. Eloquence – using persuasive, descriptive language, perhaps to “woo” the suffering female. (Example: Ralph Rackstraw normally spoke with his “pirate-like” jargon, but when speaking with Josephine, his language and used of words was much more romantic, poetic, and eloquent.)
  3. Accident by Birth – Sir Joseph Porter has a high rank solely because of his father’s status. The term used today is “Force of Circumstance,” which involves social determination.
Sources
            Williams uses primary and secondary sources to support her explanations of H.M.S. Pinafore. Her primary sources include excerpts of the libretto as examples of several concepts, pictures of original cast members on set, and a drawing by Bab (W.S. Gilbert) of a particular “attitude” pose. Her secondary sources include literature on similar dramas by G&S, supporting composers and librettists, and literature involving gender, heroism, class, and society.
 

This page has paths:

  1. Literature Summaries & Research Abstracts Steven Gerber

This page has tags:

  1. Person: Sullivan, Arthur Steven Gerber
  2. Person: Gilbert, William S. Steven Gerber
  3. Work: HMS Pinafore Steven Gerber
  4. Topic: Social Critique Steven Gerber
  5. Topic: Gender Politics Steven Gerber
  6. Topic: Genre/Form Steven Gerber
  7. Topic: Musical/Theatrical Features Steven Gerber
  8. Topic: Satire/Parody Steven Gerber

Contents of this tag:

  1. Participant: Burcher, Kelly