-John Maddison Morton
Question answers
1. Box and the Cox is regarded as the best farce of the nineteenth century. Support the statement with illustrations from the play.
This one-act play Box and Cox was written by John Maddison Morton. It is a hilarious play and regarded as the best farce of nineteenth century and it was translated into many European languages. It drives the reader into one continuous roar of laughter. Box and Cox is remarkable for its stark improbabilities
Mrs. Bouncer, the greedy landlady, renting out the same room to two gentlemen not knowing each other, is the most unimaginable improbability. The tenants, Mr. Box and Mr. Cox, do not know this. Mr. Box, a printer, stays in the room only during the day. Mr. Cox, a hatter, occupies the same room only at nights. Mrs. Bouncer somehow manages to ensure that they don’t meet each other in the room. Yet, they suspect that something is wrong. Mrs. Bouncer’s explanations to their complaints add fun to the play. The language Mr. Box and Mr. Cox use is so verbose that it evokes lots of laughter thus the play proves itself be a farce of rare quality.
2. Sketch, in a paragraph, the character of Mrs. Bouncer.
This one-act play Box and Cox was written by John Maddison Morton. It is a hilarious play a regarded as the best farce of nineteenth century and it was translated into many European languages. It drives the reader into one continuous roar of laughter. Box and Cox is remarkable for its stark improbabilities.
The playwright John Maddison moulded Mrs. Bouncer’s character very interestingly. Mrs. Bouncer, was a greedy landlady, gave the room for rent to two tenants. She wanted to capitalize the needs of the people. Moreover, she had an added advantage that the two persons, who wanted to hire her room, had different timings for their work. Mr. Box is a printer working during night-time. On the other hand, Mr. Cox works completely daytime in a hat-making shop. Mrs Bouncer successfully managed both of them. Even though, they both suspected of losing their belongings, she always tried to convince them successfully.
3) “….so that I am getting double rent for my room, and neither of my lodgers is any wiser for it,” says Mrs. Bouncer. Is she right in her estimate of her lodgers? support your answer.
This one-act play Box and Cox was written by John Maddison Morton. It is a hilarious play and regarded as the best farce of nineteenth century and it was translated into many European languages. It drives the reader into one continuous roar of laughter. Box and Cox is remarkable for its stark improbabilities.
The tenants, Mr. Box and Mr. Cox, do not know that they stay in the same room. Mr. Box, a printer, stays in the room only during the day, Mr. Cox, a hatter, occupies the same room during the nights. Mrs. Bouncer somehow manages to ensure that they don’t meet each other in the room. So, Mrs. Bouncer gave her one room to both these persons. She was able to manage them successfully. She felt happy because she was getting double rent wisely by not letting them know each other. When Mr. Box expressed something fishy in the room, she managed somehow. Later on Mr Cos expressed something fishy in the room too. Again she was able to manage successfully by making fun of them.
4) Box and Cox fulfills all the characteristics of a one-act play. Explain.
This one-act play Box and Cox was written by John Maddison Morton. It is a hilarious play and regarded as the best farce of nineteenth century and it was translated into many European languages. It drives the reader into one continuous roar of laughter. Box and Cox is remarkable for its stark improbabilities.
The writer John Maddison fulfilled all the conditions for the one act play I.e, a one act play should have a very few characters, very short span of time, unity of theme and unity of place and there must be a social purpose as well. In this player or one act play we have only three characters ( Me Cox, Mr Box and Mr. Bouncer). There is only one place in this player I. e., one room( wherein Mr Box and Mr. Cox were given for rent) it has abundance of humour and it exposes the certain follies which we suffer as a token of earning money. This symbolises the character of Mrs. Bouncer. Thus, it proves to be a perfect cosmic one act play.