Study Notes on Cordelia’s Monologue in MURDER BY MOONLIGHT

MURDER BY MOONLIGHT: Act Four, Scene Eight Study Notes

Setting

  • The scene takes place in the Parlour during late night.

  • The stage begins in darkness, gradually illuminated by a spotlight that highlights the action.

Characters

  • Cordelia Manchester   - Portrayed wearing a negligée or gown.   - Enters with champagne, embodying the character of an actress.

Key Themes

  • Desire for Power and Identity   - Cordelia fantasizes about being a princess with an army at her command.   - Questions the usefulness of power without capability: "A princess! Oh! To be a princess! With a thousand armies at my command!"

  • Self-Destructive Tendencies   - Cordelia grapples with the idea of death and hints at suicidal ideations.   - Topics of poison, addiction to drugs, and contemplation of various methods of suicide are explored.   

Cordelia's Monologue Breakdown

Initial Thoughts on Power

  • Cordelia comments on the futility of having armies without the right command: "An army is only as good as it’s commander."

  • The contrast between power and personal strength is stressed.

Substance Abuse Reflection

  • Cordelia reflects on having taken a dangerous substance, indicating struggles with addiction.   - "They took it, alright, didn’t they? But I took it back."

  • She considers adding the white powder to her champagne as a means to escape her reality.

  • References old man's death and her contemplation of ending her own life, alluding to feelings of despair and tragedy.

Guilt and Accountability

  • Cordelia acknowledges the likelihood of wrongful assumptions regarding her death: "a second murder".

  • She grapples with the ethical implications of her actions and their impact on innocent lives.

  • Expresses determination not to allow another to take credit for her actions or suffer for her choices: "No – no – that can’t be! Let another person take credit for my achievements?"

Internal Conflict

  • Codelia contemplates her life choices and experiences surrounding love and loss, focusing on feelings of envy towards the deceased.

  • Mourns the innocence of the young victims in literary tragedies, admiring characters who suffer and die, revealing a morbid fascination with death.

  • Envy becomes a key emotion linking her to the dead.

Quest for Release

  • Considering multiple potential methods for ending her life (e.g., poisoning, suicide by other means).

  • Expresses a desire to evade pain in her death: "If I had the requisite courage, I’d do the deed myself…I don’t want pain – I don’t want to die surrounded by blood that I’ve spilled."

  • Courage vs. Cowardice   - Cordelia ponders the notion that both living and dying require courage, feeling trapped in her cowardice.   

Self-Deception

  • Cordelia examines the concept of self-destruction through the metaphor of wanting to be strangled or die tragically, craving both pain and resolution.

Reflection on Relationships

  • Discusses her relationship with Vicky, revealing a deeper understanding of emotional connections and the pain of lost love: "He was never trying to hurt me any more than the next person!"

  • Critiques the blandness of their separation, desiring explosive emotional responses instead of muted exits: "Not a word of anger, or fear, or rage!"  

Desperation and Longing

  • Cordelia expresses a longing for a dramatic demise akin to Shakespearean tragedies, highlighting her wish to portray an oppressed figure who experiences catharsis: "How often I’ve vied for the role of the Oppressed Female!"

  • Contemplates self-harm but ultimately rejects harming herself as she desires an escape from her pain without the physical suffering that comes with it.

The Moment of Decision

  • Struggles with her internal narrative of life and death, with moments of clarity where she realizes her cowardice prevents her from acting out her suicidal thoughts: "I’m too afraid to do it."

  • Each method of suicide she considers is undercut by her fears of pain and failure.

Climactic Resolution

  • The scene builds to a point where Cordelia finally decides to add white powder to her drink, symbolizing her desperate need to escape but also an acknowledgment of the potential consequences of her actions on others: "But, if I were to take this, I’d run the risk of sending somebody…to the gallows."

  • She acknowledges the moral implications of her actions and the chaotic reality of life choices and possible deaths.

Conclusion

  • As the scene closes, Cordelia reflects on her impending decision to live or die, wrestling with guilt, fear, and the lingering invitation of finality.

  • The last line highlights her acceptance of her cowardice in the face of death: "…I shall wait. I shall keep on living – for it takes a good deal of courage to kill myself – and I am a coward."

Visual and Theatrical Elements

  • Throughout Cordelia's monologue, her physicality mirrors her psychological state, pacing, raising glasses, and mimicking suicide methods contribute to the dramatic tension of the scene.

  • The stage dimming and fading spotlight symbolize her ennui and fluctuating mental state.

Summary of Significance

  • Cordelia's character grapples deeply with themes of power, agency, and existential despair, reflecting a tragicomic appreciation of life and death.

  • Her self-reflection offers commentary on societal expectations of women, the allure of self-destruction, and the search for validation and meaning in a chaotic world.