Bond’s The Fool: Scene 1 Summary
Edward Bond’s play, The Fool: Scenes of Bread and Love, is a historical play that is based on the life of the English peasant poet, John Clare. The play is set in the early 19th century. It shows the troubles of the rural workers during the era of financial change, social injustice, and land enclosure. And, in today’s article, you will learn the summary of The Fool Scene 1 so that you can understand the scene’s plot development properly.
Summary of The Fool Scene 1:
In Scene One, the world of the British peasants, their traditional values, their poverty, and their relationship with the wealthy landowners is shown. The opening scene highlights the central conflict between the common working people and the powerful people who control the lives of these poor people.
So, in Scene One, the winter evening of 1815 is shown during which Christmas is being celebrated. A group of British peasants arrive at the house of Lord Milton’s country house to perform a folk drama, the play of mummers. These mummers wear descriptive and colourful costumes and are ready to entertain Lord Milton, his wealthy guests and his family members. The peasants hope that they can please their landlord and receive his favour. For the mummers, the performance is not only a source of entertainment but also a chance to earn something that can assist them in survival. But for the upper-class people, the performance is only a form of amusement or entertainment.
These mummers start their performance by introducing their audience to the conventional English hero, Saint George. Their performance celebrates the victory of Saint George against the forces of darkness and evil. These peasants adapt the traditional story to show the recent historical events, especially the Napoleonic Wars. In the play, Saint George represents himself as the national champion of England. On the other hand, Colonel Bullslasher represents himself as the enemy and the destructive power.
There is a character, Enterer In, who introduces the performance characters to the audience. In the play of the mummers, the characters name themselves as they enter. This creates a lively atmosphere for the audience. During the performance, the peasants act and sing to entertain the audience with full devotion. The performance of these mummers shows the conventional creativity and artistic ability of the rural working people. This performance also highlights the famous theatrical traditions that are and have remained a part of rural life for generations.
During the performance, Saint George fights with Colonel Bullslasher. Saint George, in his history, defeated the dragon and proved himself a heroic figure. But he has to fight another dangerous enemy who appears very tough. So Bullslasher attacks Saint George because he wants to rob him of his money. Saint George becomes wounded, and he falls at the floor during the fight. His death creates an issue for the performers.
Then, the doctor appears on the scene and offers his services for money. Through his behaviour, a new, comic, and significant element is displayed in front of the audience. The doctor presents his medical assistance as a commercial transaction, and he takes his charges according to the patient’s economic condition. His treatment is shown in an exaggerated manner and highlights the growing influence of money in society. So Saint George is revived through the doctor’s medical assistance. In other words, the performance has the traditional pattern of death and resurrection, and the mummers’ play ends with celebration.
So the peasants end their performance with the conventional song, The Hunting of the Wren. The wealthy audience members respond to the entire performance with boos, whistles, and hisses. But there is a difference between these performers and their audience members, and this difference is really important. The peasants are emotionally connected to their conventional performance. On the other hand, the wealthy guests watch this performance only as some form of entertainment. The reason is that Lord Milton and his guests are not the people who are struggling financially like these performers. For example, when Saint George is wounded during the performance, Lord Milton’s attention shifts towards the comfort of his guest rather than the suffering that is presented.
When the performance ends, the atmosphere changes because of Parson’s lecture to the peasants. He uses the Christmas occasion to explain the economic and social changes that are taking place in the country of England. He reminds these peasants that Napoleon is defeated, and the country is entering a new period. According to Parson, England is moving towards the age of iron, machinery, and industrial innovation. So the new factories, roads, cities, and laws are changing the country at a high level. Then, Parson explains that the traditional methods of agriculture and ways of working are not suitable anymore for the changing conditions. The use of modern methods and machinery will replace many labourers. For example, with the modern technology, the forests will be cleared, the open spaces will be converted into cultivated fields, and the land will be used more efficiently. Then, Parson encourages the peasants to behave like patient and understanding people. Also, he argues that they must accept these developments and work for the betterment of their society.
Parson’s lecture is in favour of the interests and ideology of Lord Milton and wealthy landowning class. He wants the peasants to accept the changes as necessary ones without resistance and accept the consequences as well. But the peasants’ lives heavily rely on the land and natural resources that they conventionally use. So the proposed changes can create serious difficulties for them in the near future.
Well, among these peasants, Darkie is heavily dissatisfied with the explanation of Parson. He does not accept the ideal picture of England that is presented through Parson’s lecture. He understands that the supposed national prosperity will not improve the lives of all common working people, but the wealthy people will definitely enjoy their lives comfortably through this prosperity.
Then, Lord Milton addresses the mummers. He explains that the war made all the people in the country prosperous, but the prices have fallen recently. So the wages cannot be high when the prices of goods and services are low. He tells them that this is not something that he wants, but it’s in accordance with the laws of economic science. So, Milton, being annoyed, states that the mummers will get hot pies and punch from the kitchen. Then, Lord Milton goes inside his mansion with others. But Darkie is still dissatisfied with the explanation given by Milton. So he argues that the wages are not in accordance with the prices in the country. He works very hard all day to get a few shillings as his wage. Therefore, it’s unfair to say that England is treating the labour class as the other classes equally. Parson tries to become a mediator between the mummers and Milton, but he finally leaves the spot after trying to motivate these performers religiously. Obviously, his effort fails as his religious lines cannot solve the economic hardships of the lower-class mummers.
Well, John Clare is also part of the mummers’ group. Unlike Darkie, who responds directly to the social injustice, Clare is more interested in his immediate personal needs that are food, romance, and positive future thoughts. He does not show the same degree or level of political awareness as Darkie shows in Scene One of the play. So Darkie expresses his dissatisfaction through his direct opposition to the social injustice. On the other hand, Clare’s lightheadedness and present-moment life approach act as his unconscious response to the world around him. And the scene ends with the little feast that the mummers’ group enjoys and some sneaky talk between Milton’s kitchen staff member (Mary) and Clare (the lover of Darkie’s sister [Patty]).
Conclusion:
And that’s all what I have to share with you regarding the summary of Scene 1 of Bond’s play, The Fool. I hope you liked what I shared with you. So if you really find my content useful, then please share it with your connections. In this way, they can also know about the plot development of Scene 1 of the drama effectively.