Overview
Show
Character
Gender
Male
Playing Age
Young Adult, Adult
Style
Comedic
Act/Scene
Act Three
Time & Place
A street in Paris during the mid-seventeenth century, amidst a tense confrontation between rivals.
Length
Short
Time Period
Classical
Show Type
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Context
Alcippe is aggressively confronting his close
to read the context for this monologue from The Liar and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Text
- You seem intent on messing me about.
- Well then, since you insist, I’ll spell it out:
- I’ve loved this girl for years, and she loves me --
- At least, she did -- but now, apparently,
- You’ve ousted me with music, banquets and
- Fireworks, although you clearly understand
- The situation -- since that’s obviously
- Why you returned without informing me.
- But now you’ve chosen to come out of hiding:
- Secrecy bores you -- you prefer deriding
- Your beaten rival with a full report
- On your romantic exploits. I’d have thought
- I had good reason to be shocked and wounded
- By such behaviour!
Corneille, Pierre. Two Plays: The Liar, The Illusion. trans. Ranjit Bolt. Absolute Classics, Bath, England. 1989. p. 34
Performance Tips
- Lean into the character's heightened, almost
Emotional Beat Breakdown
1. Spelling It Out
- What shifts:
Related Learning Modules
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