AUTHOR: Tom Stoppard
TITLE OF THE PLAY: The real inspector Hound
EDITORIAL: Faber & Faber
YEAR OF PUBLICATION:
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
MOON: He is a critic who observes the development of a play near his partner, Birdboot. His relationship with this character appears not to be a closed friendship. During all the play, both of them are analysing each performer. He seems to be more responsible than Birdboot.
BIRDBOOT: He is the other critic who contemplates the play near Moon. I think he is the most important character because of his involvement in the play. He seems more outgoing than Moon. During the play, when Lady Muldoon (Cynthia) appears on stage and he sees her, he loves at first sight. He feels eclipsed by her beauty and he desires her. In spite of the fact that he is more outgoing than Moon, he seems more immature and vulnerable.
MRS. DRUDGE: She seems to be a servant of Lady Muldoon. She is who receives Simon and says to him how the disappearance of Lord Albert Muldoon takes place. She seems to respect her lady, Cynthia, and appraises her.
SIMON: He is a man who arrives at Cynthia’s home to see her. He seems to be in love with Cynthia, but he also seems to play with a mutual friend of Lady Muldoon: Felicity. His relationship with Magnus is very uncomfortable and hostile.
FELICITY: She is a friend of Cynthia. This woman seems to be related with Birdboot. Moon says to him that she is the woman he saw him with. Birdboot does not deny that. When Felicity sees Simon, she thinks that he has arrived to see her, but Simon says to her that he loves another. The other woman is Cynthia. Felicity threatens Simon and feels given away.
CYNTHIA: She is Lord Albert Muldoon’s wife. She is a beautiful woman and Simon and Magnus adore her. But she does not want to have any loving relation because she still loves her husband, although he has disappeared.
MAGNUS: He is a man who loves Cynthia. He appears to be a fighter man who is able to defend her from Simon and all that is bad for her. It is thought that he killed Simon.
INSPECTOR HOUND: He is a police dog who arrives at Cynthia’s home. He wants to know who the madman is and catch him. He thinks Cynthia has called him, but she hasn’t. He tries to find out why Simon has disappeared and then, who has killed him.
DEVELOPMENT:
At the beginning, we can see two theatre’s critics, Moon and Birdboot, who are talking about a superior critic: Higgs. When the play begins, they start to follow the argument. The play deals with a detective story. Characters appear on stage. The relations among them are different. Simon and Magnus love Cynthia, Felicity is jealous, she and Cynthia are friends and Mrs. Drudge is the servant of Cynthia. They listen to the radio, which says that “a man has been seen in desolate marshes around Muldoon Manor”. When they are together at home, Simon disappears. In that moment, the inspector Hound arrives and starts to investigate. He thinks that Simon is the madman, but when Simon comes back, he is killed by somebody. Before that, a call answered by Moon has introduced Birdboot inside the play and he performs the character of Simon. Moon will also perform the character of inspector Hound. Finally, Birdboot and Moon die. After that, Magnus says that he is the real inspector Hound and Albert.
SPACE: The play is performed in a theatre. It is a play within a play. This is one of the most characteristic features. There are two spaces: one from which critics contemplate the play, another one from which characters are performing the play.
TIME: Time does not stop. The play is represented continuously, but we can see jumps inside the play. For example, when Birdboot represents Simon, the play is delayed and comes back to be performed by Birdboot.
LITERARY RESOURCES: The text is prose. Vocabulary is not simple. We can find some proverbs, as the following one: “…he who laughs last laughs longest”.
PERSONAL OPINION: I think this play is very good. Its topic has impressed me. It has got originality and surprises that make the audience be surprised and intrigued all the time. Tom Stoppard had an excellent idea.