Summary of A Matter of Husbands (One Act Play) by Ferenc Molnar | Class XII English Note (Exercise)

A Matter of Husbands

Characters:

FAMOUS ACTRESS

EARNEST YOUNG WOMAN

Setting:

Time: While the exact time period is not specified in the play, it can be inferred that it is set around the time of its publication in 1923 or during a similar timeframe.

Place: The Famous Actress' drawing room

Themes:

The themes of the play "A Matter of Husband" include jealousy, deception, the power of appearances, and the importance of open communication in relationships.

Summary

‘A Matter of Husbands’ by Ferenc Molnar is a twisted one act play. The play sheds light on the basic function of actors: to make the audience believe in illusion. It depicts the story of an earnest young wife who is married to a lawyer having an affair with a famous and glamorous actress.

The young wife approaches the famous actress and asks her to return her husband. The Famous Actress only stares at her in speechless bewilderment. The Earnest woman describes her husband as a blond man, who is not very tall, puts on glasses, a lawyer of her manager, and his name is Alfred. She insists that the actress should give him back. The actress admits to meeting him a few times while signing a contract but denies receiving flowers from him as the wife claims.

To prove her point, the wife shows a letter written by her husband to the actress, which she found on his desk. The letter expresses affection and suggests that the husband is captivated by the actress's makeup, costumes, stage lights, and the words written by an author. The wife blames the actress for luring her husband with these things.

The Famous Actress claims that she never received a flower, or a letter, or anything else from Alfred. She tries to convince the Earnest Woman saying that Alfred meets other women to make her feel jealous and revive her interest in him. She adds that authors, composers, scene designers, lawyers, orchestra leaders, even the managers need to invent a love affair with an actress like her to regain a wife or her affection. The Famous Actress is able to make the Ernest Woman believe her lie.

Feeling foolish, the wife takes the actress's advice not to be influenced by letters, handkerchiefs, photographs, flowers, or appointments found in the husband's pockets in the future. The wife now admires the actress and kisses her impulsively, wetting her cheek with tears, before rushing out. After the wife leaves, the actress calls out to Alfred, who was hiding in her boudoir.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. What favour does Earnest Young Woman ask from The Famous Actress?

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Answer:
The Earnest Young Woman asks the Famous Actress to give her husband back.

b. What, according to The Earnest Young Woman, are the indications that her husband has fallen in love with Famous Actress?

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Answer:

According to the Earnest Young Woman, the indications that her husband has fallen in love with the Famous Actress are:

- He sends flowers to the actress.

- He wrote a letter expressing affection to her.

- He keeps a lock of the actress's hair in his desk drawer.

c. Is Earnest Young Woman convinced by the argument of Famous Actress? How?

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Answer:
The Famous Actress says that Alfred meets other women to make her feel jealous and revive her interest in him. She adds that authors, composers, scene designers, lawyers, orchestra leaders, even the managers need to invent a love affair with an actress like her to regain a wife and sweetheart’s affection. In this way, the Ernest Woman is convinced.

d. Where is the Earnest Young Woman’s husband hiding himself as they are talking about him?

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Answer:
He is hiding himself in the boudoir.

e. When do you feel that Famous Actress is really good at acting?

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Answer:
I feel the Famous Actress is really good at acting as the Famous Actress weaves a tale about the man attempting to trick his wife to get more affection from her.

f. How do we come to know that Famous Actress and the husband of Earnest Young Woman are in love?

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Answer:
We come to know that the Famous Actress and the husband of the Earnest Woman are in love as the Famous actress calls him after the Ernest Women’s departure

g. Write down the plot of the play in a paragraph.

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Answer:
The Earnest Woman comes to the Famous Woman because she believes that her husband is cheating on her with the Famous Woman. The Famous Woman weaves a tale about how it is a cleverly staged act in which the man is attempting to trick his wife to get more affection from her. When the Famous Woman finally convinces the Ernest Woman that the story is true, we find out that the husband was hiding in the closet the whole time.
 

Reference to the context

a. Sketch the character of Famous Actress.

The Famous Actress is one of the major characters of the play. She is in love with the Earnest Woman’s husband. She weaves a tale about how it is a cleverly staged act in which the man is attempting to trick his wife to get more affection from her. When she finally convinces the Ernest Woman that the story is true, we find out that the husband was hiding in the closet the whole time.

b. Shed light on the difference between an ordinary woman and an actress.

An ordinary woman seems to be devoted to her husband. When she comes to know that her husband is in love with an actress, she goes to the actress to give her husband back. She is simple and having no idea about make-up, dresses and lines of the author. She is easily convinced with the false story woven by the actress. On the contrary, the actress is a shrewd woman. She along with the lawyer cheats the woman. She seems to convince the ordinary woman that it is nothing but an illusion.

a. According to Famous Actress, men associated with theatre use the theatre actresses to make their estranged wives jealous so as to woo them back. Do you agree with her argument? Why? Why not?

No, I don’t agree with the statement. The Famous Actress’s argument is only for handling the troubling situation. She is not telling her truth. Not all men associated with theatre use the actress to make their wife jealous so that that they can gain love from their wives. This is a false assumption. There are several ways to make their wives happy and love them back, instead of pretending having a love affair with other women.

d. How does Famous Actress make a fool of Earnest Young Woman?

The Famous Actress says that Alfred meets other women to make her feel jealous and revive her interest in him. She adds that authors, composers, scene designers, lawyers, orchestra leaders, even the managers need to invent a love affair with an actress like her to regain a wife and sweetheart’s affection. The Famous Actress is convinced. In this way, the Famous Actress makes a fool of the Earnest Woman.

e. The conversation between the two women takes place on the stage of the theatre. What role does the theatre house as a part of setting play in A Matter for Husband?

The entire play is set in the theatre house. The time is late afternoon. One of the characters is the Famous actress whose job is to perform on the stage in the theatre house. As the Famous Actress is thought be available there, the Earnest Woman comes to her and asks to give her husband back. The theatre house is the place which provides the opportunity to all the characters gather and interact with each other.

f. What do you think about the ending of the play?

The play ends with the Famous Actress calling the Earnest Woman’s husband, Alfred after her departure. This shows the basic functions of actors which make the audience believe in illusion.