Willy Russells Educating Rita Essay -- English Literature

From your study of Willy Russells Educating Rita, describe whichcharacter in the play changes the mostExplain How the characters change The characters role in the play How the dramatist uses dramatic devices How the use of language shows these changes How these changes reflect the social, historical and cultural background.The play Educating Rita was written by Willy Russell in 1985, forall the Ritas and all the Franks in the audience. The play is base on Willy Russells life so it could be interpreted as anautobiographical play. Like Rita, Russell did not study at school sohe did not have any O levels, so he wanted an education to get awayfrom Hairdressing like Rita wanted an education to see what she couldbecome. At this point in the play Frank can tell Rita anything and shewill listen and believe all of it. As time goes on she looses thishunger for cognition because of summer school and her flatmate Trishthat dramatically changes Rita. At the end of the play the twocharacters at tend to have changed roles, Rita comes back from summerschool and knows more then she perpetually thought she could and discoversthat the proper students are not as good and intelligent as shethought. Franks relationship with Julia is breaking down and thebanishment to Australia seems more and more imminent. The two seem toswap roles because Frank used to tell Rita things and she would tryand understand it, but the return from summer school shows that shehas memorised Blake poetry and has significantly changed.Rita is driven by the enquire for education, having realised that lifehas more to offer then her ordinary existence in the hairdressingsalon. Rita says to Frank that b... ...that there is only one thing forher to do to thank him so he sits down and the audience gets theimpression of something sexual about to happen but Rita gets a pair ofscissors and begins to cut Franks hair. In this scene the dramaticdevice used is one for humour.Educating Rita is mainly about a character trying to find the rightwords to express herself, and as she becomes more educated Rita learnsto adapt her language to different audiences. Ritas increasingmastery of the language helps her to grow more confident. In thecharacter of Rita, Willy Russell was reaching out to an audience whosedaily language was not of the theatre or the university but to all theFranks and Ritas in the audience. Rita attempts to change herlanguage to the proper use of words, because of what Trish said youcant discuss splendid literature with an ugly voice.