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Educating Rita Compare and Contrast

Decent Essays

"Educating Rita" is the semi-autobiography of playwright Willy Russell. The play was inspired by Russell's experiences at evening classes. Much of the comedy arises from Rita's fresh, unschooled reaction to the classics of English literature. But she is never patronized by the Russell, who recognizes from his own experience that education is a means of escape from one's own circumstances. "Educating Rita" takes the lives of two people on the opposite ends of the social spectrum and brings them together in the pursuit of education. It is a small intimate play, but it tells a story of big ideas; ideas close to Willy Russell's heart. There is a lot of humor in the writing, but it is also a serious play about class and choice. The play …show more content…

The bill has not been paid so it has been shut down. In that moment, Julia tells Frank that she is going to leave him and she admits to have an affair. Moreover, the audience comes to know Rita's husband Denny better in a movie than in the play. He is not only spoken of, in the film but also has some important appearances. For example there is one scene in which he changes the house to build a room for a baby. By this acting, it is made clear for the viewers, how much Denny wants to become a father. Denny, strongly opposes Rita spending time on education. He wants her to have a baby and become a house-wife and throughout most of the play he is trying to make her quit, what she is doing. Denny is definitely the opposition character. In the play Rita tells Frank that Denny has burnt all her books, and again the action is retold. In the movie we actually get to see the anger and anxiety of Denny, which gives a much more clear background and perhaps a deeper understanding of Rita's conflict with her husband. I guess the play is much more predictable in the sense that a great many things are bound not to happen on stage. In fact, in the play nothing takes place outside Frank's office. All action is inevitably confined within four walls. The movie is several scenes richer. Some of the scenes in the play are retold by the actors and some of them are not there at all. In the play Scene three of act two , begins with Frank

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