Analysis : Discuss the manner by which two playwrights connect the outer environment and the inner state of mind of character

Prompt: Discuss the manner by which two OIB playwrights connect the outer environment and the inner state of mind of characters.

Plays chosen: Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage and The Tempest by William Shakespeare

The Tempest by William Shakespeare was written at the beginning of the 17th century. The play tells the story of a magician Prospero, Duke of Milan, exiled on a deserted island with his daughter, Miranda. He seeks for revenge towards his brother who stole his title and dukedom. Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage focuses on the story of Esther Mills and her relationships. Esther is an African American seamstress who corresponds with George Armstrong through letters. It’s the start of a romance that will affect her relations with others and with herself. Both authors connect the outer environment and the inner state of mind of characters in their play through proxemics and motif of clothing.

In both Intimate Apparel and The Tempest, the authors use the distances and placements of characters in their plays to reveal their relationship and feelings. Proxemics is the space between characters in a play. It can be described as a form of non-verbal communication.

In Intimate Apparel, the first few scenes all take place in a different room but constantly portray Esther and one other character. Every scene is a window into Esther’s daily life in which we discover her level of intimacy with each character. This difference in familiarity with every person affects her interactions but despite this, many actions and symbols are recurrent in those first scenes. Whether it be as a client, friend, or what is similar to a mother-daughter relationship, Esther winds up touching the other person and creating a moment of tension and intimacy. This recurring touch helps us get a sense of the characters’ inner state of mind. The hug between Ms.Dickson and Esther projects how close they are, how intimate their relationship is. On the other hand, the discreet stroke Esther gives to Ms.Van Buren and the shrug that the sensation of being touched provokes expresses the distance between the two, they are not used to feeling each other’s contact. Furthermore, it illustrates that Ms.Van Buren is not used to being caressed, therefore revealing that the relationship with her husband is getting worse as he doesn’t touch her anymore. It can also express Ms.Van Buren’s inner state of mind by showing how nervous she is around her seamstress, which will be explained later in the play when she admits her love for Esther. The other sentimental relationship in the play is between Mr.Marks and Esther. In this first scene, as Esther affectionately grasps Mr. Mark's hand, he abruptly pulls it away. Here again, the space between the characters tells a lot. It illustrates the reserved nature of Mr.Marks and on the other hand, the affection Esther has for him. Esther’s relationship with Mayme, who could be described as her best friend, is also amplified through their sensible touch. Mayme caresses Esther’s face as a way to comfort her friend. This contact between the two represents their intimacy, touching someone’s face can only be done if the other person is comfortable with it. Here, the audience sees that Mayme acknowledges Esther’s hurt and therefore understands that the two have known each other for a long time. They are able to communicate without the use of dialogue. Through each person’s touch with Esther, the author is able to express the character’s inner state of mind.

This is also seen in The Tempest when the disposition between Miranda, Prospero, and Ariel allows the audience to understand the inner state of mind of the characters. At the beginning of the play, once Prospero finished recounting the story of their arrival to Miranda, Ariel arrives on stage to inform Prospero of the accomplishment of its task. Miranda is asleep on the floor while Prospero and Ariel discuss the plan. This position puts forward her innocence, as she doesn’t know of her father’s wrongdoing. The fact that she is sleeping can also be linked to a feeling of peace, expressing her neutral and calm state of mind. Prospero has more power than Miranda as he is above her in this setting. By trying to control Ariel, the audience sees

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