Published by: Sayuja Koirala
Published date: 12 Sep 2024
"A Sunny Morning - A Comedy of Madrid" is a wonderful comic piece written by Serafin and Joaquin Alveraz Quintero, often known as the 'Golden Boys of Madrid Theatre'. The drama begins in a park, when Dona Laura comes with the help of her maid, Petra, and sits on a bench to feed breadcrumbs to the birds. Meanwhile, Don Gonzalo enters the park with his servant, Juanito, but hesitates to sit on the opposite side of the bench, which is already occupied by Dona Laura. He even curses the priests for using his bench, where he usually sits every bright morning. He sees everything in his life badly and continues to whine, but Laura communicates her problems when others annoy her. Both of them were initially hesitant towards each other, but as the talk progressed, they attempted to understand each other.
Sharing a bit of snuff softens their tone and makes them more friendly. Soon their conversation turns to reading books. This opens the door for the next phase of their story. Dona Laura reads a poem from a book provided by Don Gonzalo, which surprises them, as they were lovers some decades ago and are now talking about themselves. They do not, however, want to reveal their genuine identities because they have not seen each other since their early teens. So they create fake stories in which Laura describes herself as a companion of 'The Silver Maiden' Laura Llorente, and Don Gonzalo identifies himself as Don Gonzalo's cousin.
Laura Llorente lived in Maricela, Valencia. In her community, she was dubbed 'The Silver Maiden'. Every morning, Gonzalo would pass by Laura's house window on horseback and toss a bunch of flowers onto her balcony. In the afternoon, he would return down the same path and catch a bouquet, which she would drop down. When Laura's parents planned to marry her to a merchant, a duel ensued, in which Gonzalo seriously wounded the merchant. Don Gonzalo fled, fearful of the consequences. Laura waited for days and months, and after not hearing from him for quite some time, she left her house one day and went to the beach. While she was lost in Don Gonzalo's thoughts, the waves carried her away.
Don Gonzalo also attempted to spin his version of a story concerning his alleged relative. Gonzalo was likewise deeply in love with Laura. After severely hurting the merchant and fearing the consequences, he sought sanctuary in Seville and Madrid. He wrote numerous letters to her, but her parents confiscated them. As there was no response, he joined the army and traveled to Africa, where he perished in one of the trenches while waving the Spanish flag and mumbling the name of his lover, Laura.
Laura did marry and settle down after two years of separation. Similarly, Gonzalo was upset by his lost love, but three months later he married a ballet dancer and relocated to Paris. Though they were separated, their hearts still crave romantic love. When they met in the park after nearly 50 years, both of them remembered their strong romantic relationship. Although they learned about each other in reality, they did not want to tell it because they had lost their lovely youth. Thus, the play "A Sunny Morning" keeps the audience entertained.
1. Discuss how the play is built around humor and irony.
ans: The drama is filled with ironies. Two elderly lovers conceal their identities and communicate as strangers. However, they are aware that they are long-time lovers. Laura refers to herself as the Silver Maiden's dearest friend, whereas Gonzalo claims to be her cousin. They are lovers within, but strangers outside. Similarly, irony generates humor. Laura's smart words often leave Gonzalo stunned. They try to deceive each other by manufacturing phony stories, but deep down they know they are lying. They are aware that they tell too many lies. However, it appears that they do not know each other. When Gonzalo claims to have visited America when he was six, Laura speculates that he may have traveled with Columbus. Similarly, Laura inquires whether Gonzalo uses his shoe brush as a handkerchief when cleaning his shoes. Gonzalo creates a heroic ending for himself, while Laura depicts the emotional death of the Silver Maiden.
2. How is the title ‘A Sunny Morning’ justifiable? Discuss.
ans: This performance takes place in a park in Madrid, Spain, on a lovely morning. In this situation, the full play has been performed. A bright morning offered the perfect environment for the reunion of two former lovers in their golden years. They dispute, know each other, keep their identities hidden, adore, tell invented stories about their deaths, prefer to meet the following beautiful morning, and so on. From beginning to end, the performance continues to make us laugh hysterically while remaining in the setting of a sunny morning. As a result, the title 'A Sunny Morning' is extremely suitable, as it depicts the reuniting of former lovers in a park with wonderful levity.
3. What makes Dona Laura think that Don Gonzalo is an ill-natured man? Why do neither Dona Laura nor Don Gonzalo reveal their true identities?
ans: Gonzalo views everything unfavorably. He is unwilling to sit on Laura's bench and insists on having his own. He becomes enraged and curses the priests when he notices that his usual bench has already been filled. He asks his servant, Juanito, to drive them away. Gonzalo scares the pigeons that Laura is feeding. Laura considers Gonzalo to be a bad person for all of these reasons.
They are both embarrassed over their failed love affair. They have lost their youth and pursued various paths in life. That's why discussing their previous relationship openly is pointless. Exposing their identities just makes them unhappy. That is why, to avoid hurt sentiments, they do not reveal their identities.
"A Sunny Morning - A Comedy of Madrid" is a wonderful comic piece written by Serafin and Joaquin Alveraz Quintero, often known as the 'Golden Boys of Madrid Theatre'. The drama begins in a park, when Dona Laura comes with the help of her maid, Petra, and sits on a bench to feed breadcrumbs to the birds. Meanwhile, Don Gonzalo enters the park with his servant, Juanito, but hesitates to sit on the opposite side of the bench, which is already occupied by Dona Laura. He even curses the priests for using his bench, where he usually sits every bright morning. He sees everything in his life badly and continues to whine, but Laura communicates her problems when others annoy her. Both of them were initially hesitant towards each other, but as the talk progressed, they attempted to understand each other.
Sharing a bit of snuff softens their tone and makes them more friendly. Soon their conversation turns to reading books. This opens the door for the next phase of their story. Dona Laura reads a poem from a book provided by Don Gonzalo, which surprises them, as they were lovers some decades ago and are now talking about themselves. They do not, however, want to reveal their genuine identities because they have not seen each other since their early teens. So they create fake stories in which Laura describes herself as a companion of 'The Silver Maiden' Laura Llorente, and Don Gonzalo identifies himself as Don Gonzalo's cousin.
Laura Llorente lived in Maricela, Valencia. In her community, she was dubbed 'The Silver Maiden'. Every morning, Gonzalo would pass by Laura's house window on horseback and toss a bunch of flowers onto her balcony. In the afternoon, he would return down the same path and catch a bouquet, which she would drop down. When Laura's parents planned to marry her to a merchant, a duel ensued, in which Gonzalo seriously wounded the merchant. Don Gonzalo fled, fearful of the consequences. Laura waited for days and months, and after not hearing from him for quite some time, she left her house one day and went to the beach. While she was lost in Don Gonzalo's thoughts, the waves carried her away.
Don Gonzalo also attempted to spin his version of a story concerning his alleged relative. Gonzalo was likewise deeply in love with Laura. After severely hurting the merchant and fearing the consequences, he sought sanctuary in Seville and Madrid. He wrote numerous letters to her, but her parents confiscated them. As there was no response, he joined the army and traveled to Africa, where he perished in one of the trenches while waving the Spanish flag and mumbling the name of his lover, Laura.
Laura did marry and settle down after two years of separation. Similarly, Gonzalo was upset by his lost love, but three months later he married a ballet dancer and relocated to Paris. Though they were separated, their hearts still crave romantic love. When they met in the park after nearly 50 years, both of them remembered their strong romantic relationship. Although they learned about each other in reality, they did not want to tell it because they had lost their lovely youth. Thus, the play "A Sunny Morning" keeps the audience entertained.
1. Discuss how the play is built around humor and irony.
ans: The drama is filled with ironies. Two elderly lovers conceal their identities and communicate as strangers. However, they are aware that they are long-time lovers. Laura refers to herself as the Silver Maiden's dearest friend, whereas Gonzalo claims to be her cousin. They are lovers within, but strangers outside. Similarly, irony generates humor. Laura's smart words often leave Gonzalo stunned. They try to deceive each other by manufacturing phony stories, but deep down they know they are lying. They are aware that they tell too many lies. However, it appears that they do not know each other. When Gonzalo claims to have visited America when he was six, Laura speculates that he may have traveled with Columbus. Similarly, Laura inquires whether Gonzalo uses his shoe brush as a handkerchief when cleaning his shoes. Gonzalo creates a heroic ending for himself, while Laura depicts the emotional death of the Silver Maiden.
2. How is the title ‘A Sunny Morning’ justifiable? Discuss.
ans: This performance takes place in a park in Madrid, Spain, on a lovely morning. In this situation, the full play has been performed. A bright morning offered the perfect environment for the reunion of two former lovers in their golden years. They dispute, know each other, keep their identities hidden, adore, tell invented stories about their deaths, prefer to meet the following beautiful morning, and so on. From beginning to end, the performance continues to make us laugh hysterically while remaining in the setting of a sunny morning. As a result, the title 'A Sunny Morning' is extremely suitable, as it depicts the reuniting of former lovers in a park with wonderful levity.
3. What makes Dona Laura think that Don Gonzalo is an ill-natured man? Why do neither Dona Laura nor Don Gonzalo reveal their true identities?
ans: Gonzalo views everything unfavorably. He is unwilling to sit on Laura's bench and insists on having his own. He becomes enraged and curses the priests when he notices that his usual bench has already been filled. He asks his servant, Juanito, to drive them away. Gonzalo scares the pigeons that Laura is feeding. Laura considers Gonzalo to be a bad person for all of these reasons.
They are both embarrassed over their failed love affair. They have lost their youth and pursued various paths in life. That's why discussing their previous relationship openly is pointless. Exposing their identities just makes them unhappy. That is why, to avoid hurt sentiments, they do not reveal their identities.