Themes In A Streetcar Named Desire And A Man For All Seasons

A piece of literature can stand the test of time by posing a question, creating an intimate investigation into human nature and lingering on that question, causing it to linger in society. Drama, as a subset of literature, represents an exclusive and unique storytelling medium; through this medium, plays are able to portray these significant questions in a more intimate and personal manner. The plays A Man For all Seasons by Robert Bolt; Wit, by Margaret Edison; and A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, all have specific situations that cause the audience to ponder, to think about these themes for months after they witness them. These three plays all make us question the relevance of power, fate, courage, change, and compassion—
This is significant because those themes all play an important part in the human experience— both in our societal conflicts and personal conflicts. Wit, for example, provides commentary on both the “professional bubble” (the lack of compassion and humanity of some scholars) and on what we may miss out on when we hide within ourselves. In fact, all of these three plays have commentary on the self and society. A Man for All Seasons speaks to the bigger issue of power in the hands of undeserving leaders, including the abuse of that power. The play also speaks to our power to change things— if we just had the courage to all stand-up and do so. A Man for All Seasons asks us about our small role in the larger scheme of society and the power we carry in our courage and our conscience. These themes carry heavy anti-authoritarian undertones, themes that have just as much relevance today as they did during the Cold War Era when the play was written. As the Common Man said, "the Sixteenth Century is the Century of the common man. Like all other centuries. And that's my proposition" (Bolt 4). A Streetcar Named Desire also asks us questions about power: the power we find in our defenses, the power in compassion, and the power to change our situation if we just had a little bit of courage. Blanche and Sir Thomas Moore are similar in the aspect that they both lack the courage to stop hiding, and this escapism leads them to tragic endings filled with lost opportunities. Vivian Bearing also hides behind her wit, losing her humanity in the process, but, unlike the others, she finally gains the courage to face death directly, and arguably, doesn’t face tragedy to the extent that Blanche and Moore do, even though her situation could be seen as the “most tragic.” Vivian’s decision to become “no code” is ultimately the decision