What is the summary of the drama:The Dear Departed?

 Cn u tel me in  different way

 mr.friend seeker u coppied it from somewhere right.......?????????

 Stanley in his one act play tries to bring out the qualities of the two daughters called Mrs. Slater & Mrs. Jordan towards their father. The author tries to show how the sisters are interested in the property of their father rather than to show true care and affection towards their father. The play begins with Mrs. Slater who is dressed in black demands her husband Henry and her daughter to be in black dresses as a symbol of mourning. The hero of the play Abel who is sick and bedridden is taken as a dead person and she starts dividing the properties of her father.

The three things Mrs. Slater takes from his father’s property, first she took his Slippers and asks her husband Henry Slater to wear it. Second is Clock, it was in the upstair in his room, and then it has been shifted to her ground floor and third one is Bureau. After all arrangement and shifting, her sister Mrs. Jordan and her husband Ben Jordan enter there for Mr. Abel’s mourning. Mrs. Slater asks them to have something like coffee or tea before seeing their father’s dead body and they start to discuss about the property of his father. Mrs. Jordan asks to her sister about Bureau and Clock to be there. Mrs. Slater tells her, it has been gifted by her father, before his death.

They plan to see the will, so Victoria Slater goes to get the Bureau key in the upstair her Grandfather’s room and she tells, he is alive and coming. Abel asks them about their black dress and shifted things. Mrs. Jordan explains to him all what happened. Then Able understands about their interest to get his property and he says, going to marry a woman who take care him up to end. He says, three things going to do on next day. First he has to change his property to his new wife and should pay the premium in Insurance office and last he has to go St. Philip’s Church to marry Mrs. John Shorrock who is a widow and living in Ring-O- Bells place. Finally Abel says thanks to Mrs. Slater for shifted the Bureau down because that will be easy to carry to Ring-O-Bells and the dear departed from there.

 you could have answered this in a simple language without copying from some website

 dear departed signifies the deteriorating morality among the youngsters today as their growing negligience towards old aged people is eroding the fabric of ethinic values from the society. the play is showing the materialistic attitude of the british middle class people and their negligience to their own relatives.

 Hey guys plzz post the summary properly.we cant catch up the summary....sooo srry for saying this

fuckers

thanxxx v much , helped  me a lot

opzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

two sister were very greedy

Stanley Houghton uses various literary devices to criticise basic human characteristics, in The Dear Departed. He uses a mixture of irony, dramatic irony, sarcasm, simultaneous speech, humour and a twist in the plot to criticise human traits. The characters in the story are very two-dimensional and there is no development. This allows us to easily see through their character and understand their actions.

In this short play, Houghton manages to portray irony in many different ways. Firstly, the title is already ironic. The departed, Abel Merryweather, is not one bit dear and precious to them. The only thing the sisters are interested in is the money or valuables he owns. The ironic statements make the readers think. While the more they think the more they realise the irony criticises our basic human characteristics.

Another instance of irony is between the sisters. When they thought Abel was dead, they were complaining of what a burden he was to them. The moment Abel mentions his new will, in which he will leave everything to the person he is living with when he dies, they both fight for him to live with them. This will is a trophy that both this sisters want and will do anything to get. The irony of this shows us the shallowness of humans, the need for us to have anything that benefits us, no matter what the cost.

Houghton criticises human traits by using dramatic irony, a situation in a play or other fiction in which a character unwittingly makes a remark that the audience is intended to see as ironic, or in contradiction to the full truth. In the play, Mrs Slater comment on the low, money-grubbing spirit of her sister. To us as the audience, we clearly see that she herself is exactly what she calls her sister. This exposes the hypocritical nature of humans, where we jump up at any situation to criticise others while failing to see similar faults in ourselves.

Houghton also uses sarcasm to criticise and bring out the faults of human characteristics. At the end of the play, Abel says he is going to get married. He says it is meant to come as a pleasant surprise. This is clearly sarcasm in action as he knows exactly what his children want, yet he is putting guilt on them. For the sisters, Abel moving away with his money is indeed a surprise, a shocking one. This insults their greed and selfishness.

In several parts of the play, people talk simultaneously. This is to increase the tension in the play. When the characters do this, it is usually to cover up some of their mistakes. This gets our attention and we see the struggle they are up against to make up a viable lie. Though this is humorous, we see truth in it. We, humans, are constantly covering up for ourselves; we lie to hide our previous lies. The sisters have a need to portray a good image to everyone else. They do not want to be second best hence the cover and hide until they give people the impression of what they want to be seen. Houghton is critical of our need for society to perceive us good human beings, an image we want to uphold, and not what we truly are.

Houghton includes a twist in the plot to surprise the audience. This brings out the characteristics of humans that he is so critical of. In light of a sudden change, we can clearly see the ways in which the characters try to make the situation bend in such a way it benefits them. When the sisters realise Abel has changed his will, they try to lie and get him to live with them. This twist in the plot is how the sisters get the lesson they deserve. They are unable to get what they want.

Victoria is an important character in the play. She is the contrast to what the older generation are; she is innocent, smart and observant. This is seen when she questions her father about pinching the bureau. She sees what the older people block out. Her role as a foil is very important in the way in which Houghton criticises human traits. Victoria is a foil; her contrast to the others brings out the bad characteristics in the others. She has genuine affection and love for her grandfather. She spoils everything the others have tried to do by saying Im so glad youre not dead to Abel. This depicts a clear contrast between love and heartlessness.

There are many themes in this play. One of them is family. This family is the prime example of what a family should not be like. There is no sense of filial duty from the sisters. There is no love, only cold heartedness and bitter resentment. Another theme is greed. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins, being greedy deserves a bad ending. Houghton is critical of humans and their lack of concern to anything or anyone other than themselves.

With the use of cleverly crafted sarcasm, irony, themes and twists, Houghton effectively criticises human characteristics. He is able to convey a message of love and family values. He is able to tell us that we have to love to be happy. No one is able to live in a live of coldness, selfishness

hope it helps

cheers (:

The play ‘The Dear Departed’ presents an interesting situation that has tragically become common place in the world of today. The scene of the play is set in the sitting- room of a small house in a lower middle-class district of a provincial town. The setting of the play reveals that the tea-table has been laid. Mrs Slater, a plump and active lady is in mourning and she is getting ready to receive some guests. She beckons to her daughter Victoria, who is ten year old, and instructs her to change into something sober. It is revealed that Victoria’s grandfather has passed away and the Slater family is getting ready to receive Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben. Victoria expresses surprise at this news because her aunt and uncle had not paid them a visit for years. Mrs Slater reveals that they were coming over to talk about grandfather’s affairs, on hearing of his death. In the meanwhile Mr Slater enters. He is a heavy man who stoops he is also in mourning dress.

there is loud knocking at the door and the Slaters take plenty of time to look normal. Mrs Jordan and Ben pretend to be emotional at the death of Mr Abel Merryweather. Both the ladies compare their mourning dresses, criticising the other’s outfit. Mrs Jordan is surprised to discover that no doctor had been summoned to check on her father. Mrs Slater insists in a stubborn manner that she had been keen on Mr Pringle and if he was out of station, they couldn’t be offensive and call someone else. Mrs Slater reveals that her father had been happy in the morning and he had apparently gone to pay the premium of his insurance policy. He was generally going to “Ring-O-Bells’ frequently and the night before he had come drunk and had gone to bed without having dinner. Mrs Jordan and Ben prefer to have tea before going and looking up father. All four of them start discussing about the obituary and the kind of announcement in the newspapers to be inserted. Mrs Jordan wants a long poem but Mrs Slater protests by saying that it will cost a lot. Meanwhile Mrs Jordan reveals that her father had willed his gold watch to her son Jimmy. Mrs Slater feels very offended and refuses to believe it. Victoria says that grandfather had not gone in the morning to pay his premium but had instead gone over to ‘The Ring of Bells,’ the public house, managed by John Shorrock’s widow. Everyone starts blaming the old man for not paying his premium. Victoria is instructed to go over to grandpa’s room to get the receipt of the premium. Mrs Jordan is surprised to note a new bureau and she wishes to know the details, because she doubts Mrs Slater’s version. Victoria enters, looking dazed. She gives the shocking news that 

Grandpa was stirring and moving. After some time Mr Abel Merryweather enters and is surprised to see his other daughter and son-in-law, Mr and Mrs Jordan. He reveals that he was well and just had a slight headache he notices Henry wearing his new slippers and takes them. Abels wishes to know, why all were in mourning dresses. Mrs Jordan makes up some story to pacify him. Abel Merryweather enjoys tea and has a generous slice of the apple-pie. He grumbles and scolds Mrs Slater for taking away his bureau. Mrs Jordan gets agitated and accuses her sister of robbing her father. The husbands also join their wives in hurling accusations at each other Abel discovers about his death. He addresses his daughters directly and declares that he was going to change his will and all the money will go to the one, in whose house he dies. Both the daughters fight with each other to keep their father. Abel is amused and watches all the fun. At last he makes his announcement which shocks everyone. On Monday, he would go to the lawyer and alter his will, then he would go to the insurance office and pay his premium. After that he would go to the church and get married to Mrs Shorrock. Everyone is shocked. Abel reveals that he had at last found someone who was happy to keep him. He exits with an invitation of his marriage. He also thanks Mrs Slater for shifting the Bureau down-stairs for now it will be easy to cart it away to “Ring-O-Bells.’