Comprising of divergent perspectives and notions, Louis Nowra’s play Cosi is centred around a university student, Lewis who subsequently finds a job directing a play with mental patients as the cast, within a mental asylum. Although Lewis is categorised as “sane” within the play, he is still unsure of himself and his place in society. Roy chooses an opera ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ by Mozart surrounding love and fidelity which are morals that Lewis is endeavouring to comprehend. As the play was written in the 1970’s during the Vietnam war, Nowra exhibits extremes of sanity and insanity incorporating a powerful representation. Nowra explores themes of fidelity, mental health and transformation utilising stylistic features to reinforce ideas to Cosi.
The…show more content… The “burnt out theatre” setting is included in the first scene to represent the initial gloom the setting embraces and juxtaposes it to the “clink of light” as Lewis enters the room. Nowra uses the difference in setting to highlight that Lewis may potentially have a positive consequential impact on the wellbeing of the patients. There is allusion included within the play as there is a constant discussion about the importance of love and war. Initially, Lewis proclaims that “love is not so important nowadays,” but later discovers that “without the love, the world wouldn’t mean much”. Nowra utilises this to show the readers how the perspective of the characters changes through their interactions with other characters. The rehearsals of Cosi Fan Tutte positively influenced the patients as it enabled Henry, who was initially shy and submissive, to gain confidence prompting his transformation from an individual with a stutter to a person who confidently sings loudly on stage. Nowra uses characterisation to exhibit the characters actions and the way they communicate to allow the readers to perceive how the characters develop throughout the text clearly. The flash-forward at the end of the play showcases the prosperous and unsuccessful outcomes of the characters within the play, Nowra utilises the flash-forward to show the readers the future which was…show more content… Through the opera, Cosi Fan Tutte, Nowra expresses his views on love and its importance in each characters lives which enable them to explore how their perspective of love changes. As a result, It conveys that there is no objectively correct perception of love. The comparison of the sane and insane individuals within the text demonstrates the similarities between the opposing characters. Nowra successfully explores the importance of love and loyalty, the treatment of mental patients and the differing journeys of the characters through the practical use of stylistic
