Volu m e I - Purdue University Calumet

fellowship among the citizens. To demonstrate this, Carver uses these slower and more cautious
movements to define Jaques. This combination of a small, timid voice and slower actions on stage brings
together the finalized image of Jaques for the audience, and also lends support to the characteristics of
Jaques’ demeanor through symbolic means.
The props used to finalize McAnuff’s image of Jaques are relatively small in size, but are thick with
symbolism, most of which referencing the overall theme of surrealism. In particular, the two pieces which
express the most hidden meaning are Jaques’ umbrella and the green apple which Jaques is often seen
carrying. As previously mentioned, the umbrella is symbolically used to represent Jaques’ worldly
experience, and perhaps his wisdom that he has gained. But the umbrella may stand for something deeper
than a simplistic representation of Jaques’ “age”. Although it is a rather cliché idea, one could say that it
often “rains” in the world of a depressed person. They may feel that there are often “dark clouds over head”
that tend to follow them. Symbolically speaking, this could be another reason for Jaques’ to carry his
umbrella. He may be using it to avoid the rain that falls in his world of dreary realism. Another symbol that
is commonly wielded by Jaques is the green apple. This fruit, however simple its representation may seem,
becomes a commonplace object appearing countless times throughout the production. There are quite a few
cases of symbolism involving the apple, but in the case of Jaques the apple seems to give a biblical reference.
In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve are tempted by the devil to eat of the fruit of the Tree of
Knowledge. When they do this, they become conscious of their own nudity and are forced to cover up. In a
similar fashion, Jaques has taken a bite of the fruit of the “Tree of Knowledge”. He has become socially
conscious through his travels and search for wisdom. For this reason, he no longer fits in with the others of
Arden. His own symbolic nudity prevents him from enjoying a sense of community. The physical
manifestation of the apple allows this symbolism to become evident in terms of Jaques’ social awkwardness.
This particular symbol is presented in other ways as well, such as in the similarity of the names Arden and
Eden, and through the production’s all-encompassing theme of surrealism. McAnuff’s use of the apple, like
195