Was Martin really in love with THE GOAT?

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:26pm

Or did he just think he was?

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:27pm

and just WHO is Sylvia anyway?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:40pm

In the absurdist innerworld of the play and that character, Martin was absolutely 100% in love with the goat. For Albee's plays to "work" as he intends them to, the audience must suspend disbelief and look upon all information presented as being real, and not as conceits or symbols. To look upon Martin's love as only being metaphorical or intellectual, completely dampens the impact that Albee is hoping for the play (and his message) to achieve with the audience.

[My Strongest Suit]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:46pm

excuse my ignorance. what play are you guys talking about?!

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:46pm

So the goat was really in love with him, too?

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:51pm

The play's name is The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:58pm

Um... yeah, the goat loved him back (I confess I hadn't thought about this before though). Obviously though, we only get Martin's side of the story since the goat doesn't get one decent monologue in the whole play -- just a kind of thankless cameo at the end.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:59pm

But what an entrance!

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:04am

I hope he loved the goat, cause if not, his wife sure wasted a lot of china...

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:08am

**SPOILER**


So what do you think was Stevie's main motivation for killing Sylvia? To get even with Martin or because she couldn't stand that he romantically loved something else (someone else?) along with her? Or were they both completely equal motives?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:19am

I think it was nothing more complicated than simple jealousy. I'm sure many a wife over the years has wanted to kill "the other woman" as soon as she learns her husband is cheating on her, but most don't, not wishing to go to prison. Here, Stevie knows she can kill Sylvia and get away scot-free (other than perhaps having to pay off the farmer). I'm sure there was also a deep sense of shame and disgust, but more than anything, I think she's motivated by the anger she feels from her jealousy.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:29am

Margo, you should write the play form the goat's perspective. THE MAN, OR WHO IS MARTIN?

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:52am

I'd love to see this done on Broadway with Jonathan Pryc.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:56am

I think Stevie kills Sylvia in part because she feels it's morally wrong what he is doing, and in part of total jealousy.

Personally, I LOVE this play, and it is by far my favorite of Edward Albee's works. And I love how he bases SOOOO much off of traditional Greek tragedy. From the use of mainly masculine names, to the fact that (aside from the last scene), it's all done with three people. To the use of the messenger to bring bad news with Ross, and the violence is done offstage, and the aftermath is brought in afterwards.

[nathanlaneismyhero]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 1:48am

I totally respect Edward Albee,I think he is an amazing writer, but I hated this play. I don't know of it was the production that I saw, or what, but I truly despised it. Sorry if that offends anyone.

[PaintWordPictures]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 2:17am

I was always confused about the fact that the A.R. Gurney play
"Sylvia" is about basically the same premise, only with a dog, and its more comedic. Any connection between these two plays? Same source material or something I just completely missed?

[Weez]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 3:44am

I guess the reason why Stevie killed Sylvia could vary from actress to actress; personally, when reading the play, I read it as Stevie not being able to cope with the sheer insanity of a man being in love with a goat and putting a stop to the whole thing in the way that seemed most appropriate at the time.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 8:57am

I loved this play, too, and really found it interesting that script served both sets of actors on Broadway, Mercedes Ruhl and Bill Pullman/Sally Field and Bill Irwin. Saw both companies. Curiously, I thought Sally might've been better paired with Pullman however, and Irwin with Ruhl. The two women couldn't be more different, yet both made the wife's role distinctive and hysterically funny. When Fields exploded, it was the mouse roaring, whereas Ruhl found more "Martha" in the part, the braying, wounded dame. My only problem with the script was the somewhat sluggish beats with the best friend and the video equipment, not terribly well-played on Broadway.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:13am

"My only problem with the script was the somewhat sluggish beats with the best friend and the video equipment, not terribly well-played on Broadway."

I agree with that. I also had problems with the son. It seemed like an overkill character. To me, it was like his angst was confusing the plot.

[LostLeander]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:21am

And his son's name is Billy...

Billy... goat?

Subtlely connects the incestual element of the father/son relationship... and he gives similar reasoning to Ross for why he fell in love with Sylvia:

She was just looking at him, and he felt some sort of sympathy for the goat.

Another brilliantly taboo play.

[Danielm]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 1:48pm

I don't think Gurney's Sylvia and Albee's Sylvia share the same subject at all. The man in Gurney's play's love for the dog is completely platonic.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/21/07 at 3:54pm

Well, then, another question...

*SPOILER*

Was Ross correct in wirtng the letter?