Character research

Who am I??

The character I'm playing in Blue Stockings in Proffesor Radleigh. He comes across as an intelligent, snobby and stubborn character who looks down upon women and considers them to be inferior to men. He is narrow minded and believes he is doing what is best, disregarding what others may think about his viewpoint on the situation. He has a high status and is quite powerful, he abuses this slightly as he is vain and patronizing towards women. He comes across as pompous and very serious. However, he has a kinder side to him too. He is charming and highly intellectual as well as having a close relationship with his family. This shows that on the inside he is caring and only wants what is best for society, despite having a pompous and blunt exterior.

Where am I??

The play is set in Cambridge university at Trinity college. It's very large and the buildings are old, grand and huge. It's the largest college in any of the Oxbridge universities. It had enormous history and its alumni include various prime ministers and Isaac Newton. It was founded in 1546 by Henry VIII. Cambridge is an upper class area which means that my character will constantly  be looking smart and civilized to other people. This would have an affect on the way he behaves as well. The atmosphere is very formal, yet relaxed. Their are old books all around Radleigh's office with a large wooden table in the middle of the room. The buildings are old and histroic which constantly mind the characters of the significance and sentimental value of their university.

What time is it??

The play is set in September 1896. This was a time when society was very much controlled by men who were seen as superior to women. The prevailing opinion of men at the time was that women's education was pointless and useless. The majority of men believed that women were incapable of handling an education as they thought that a women's brain was smaller than a mans brain. If a women was to study, it was believed that they were incapable of being able to look after children. The play is set in the Victorian era and my character is middle/upper class. Therefore, he would have good manners and would speak in an RP accent. People feared to challenge what was commonly believed in order to avoid humiliation or confrontation. Therefore, it made it difficult for scientific progress to happen.

What do I want? (Objective)

Ultimately, Radleigh is very traditional and wants to keep the traditions as it is the only thing he knows. He fears change and is worried this may be unsuitable or non beneficial for society. He wants to make sure women can't get the vote. He also low key doesn't want women to receive a higher education either as he believes this is unnecessary and they are incapable of having this privilege. He does this by challenging the girls past their expected ability in order to find weaknesses or faults in their knowledge. He is also not afraid to speak his mind and expresses bold views about the women's right to vote and will belittle anyone who opposes him in order to make them think they are wrong. Another less important objective is to make himself appear as knowledgeable and powerful as possible. He does this by quoting scientists and telling other people facts and statistics in order to make himself appear very intelligent. He will shut down anyone who tries to disprove him or tell him he's wrong. His motivation for this is that he believes they're either trying to undermine him or appear more clever than him.

What is in my way? (Obstacle)

The girls in the play are strong willed and determined. They are wiling to fight for what they believe in. This means they are Raleigh's main obstacle towards achieving his objective. They are highly intelligent and confident, therefore they are willing to prove him wrong when he challenges them. This shows Raleigh's weaknesses as he becomes confused or frustrated, thus taking away from his status. This means that he must patronize them and demean them in order to assert authority over them. 

Beat changes

There are various beat changes throughout the play. One of the most crucial beat changes occurs just after Mr Banks tells him he wants the vote to go in favour of the women. This makes the mood of the scene switch dramatically and makes the relationship between the two characters very sour. Radleigh turns from disliking Mr Banks and thinking he is inferior to despising him and looking down on him. Mr Banks acknowledges this and knows he has blown it and what he said had not gone down well. There is a sour taste and a strong sense of tension between the two in the scene just before Radleigh gives a monologue about why Mr Banks is wrong. This is relevant to the overall plot as it demonstrated the superior attitude of men in Victorian society. 

Another important beat change is when Radleigh asks Tess a question in the exam and she freezes. This is the moment where Radleigh realises that she hasn't revised this subject and hasn't worked as hard as she should have done. This means that he starts to abuse his power and keeps asking her about this in detail in order to belittle her and make her seem stupid. This is useful for him as it emphasizes his point of how women are incapable of receiving a higher education. This is where we see his smugness and cruelty kick in as he subtly mocks her and makes her feel stupid in order to prove a point. This is relevant to the plot as it shocks the audience who were expecting her to succeed. This shows the hardship and difficulty for women getting rights and showed hos society and the odds were against them.