The Illusion essays

The Illusion essays I watched a play The Illusion by Pierre Corneille on 27 of September. Pierre Corneille wrote that play on 17th century so at first thought it is kind of hard for me to understand the whole play. It was played at Russell H. Miller theatre. Actually Tony Kushner adapted the play. It was a strange comedy about and magic. It was played pretty well and I was pleased about it and the rest of audience liked it too. The play opens as a desperate father comes to a magician Alcandre for help in finding his son. The magician lives in a cave with his servant. Years before, the father's rigid expectations forced the boy from home, now the old man regrets his rashness. The magician decides to help him and shows three scenes about his sons life. In the first vision the son is a penniless young and altruistic swain smitten by love of a lady he worships from afar and thats all what happened in first scene. In the second, the son is a manservant of his nobleman rival who is secretly courting the lady because of her wealth, while bedding the maid. He is imprisoned for killing the nobleman rival in a duel. The maid arranges his escape and his union with her lady at the cost of the lady's entire fortune. The lady's faith in her lover allows her to give all to receive all. The son escapes with the now penniless lady. In the third vision, the son is a philanderer married to the lady. The prince assassinate s him because of his affair with the princess. The lady witnesses the stabbing, is overcome, and dies. When Pridamant sees his son mortally wounded he becomes so disconsolate that he falls ill. The magician then reveals that the visions are theatrical illusions and his son is an actor. After hearing this Pridament dont like his sons profession and doesnt show any interest for his son anymore and he lives the cave. First moments watching the play were kind of confusing for me ...