Genre: Futurist/Surrealist
First Written: 1896
First Performed: 1896
Ubu Roi (Ubu the King or King Ubu) is a play by Alfred Jarry. It was first performed in Paris at the Théâtre de l’Œuvre, causing a riotous response in the audience as it opened and closed on December 10, 1896.[1][2] It is considered a wild, bizarre and comic play, significant for the way it overturns cultural rules, norms, and conventions. For those who were in the audience on that night to witness the response, including William Butler Yeats, it seemed an event of revolutionary importance. It is now seen by some to have opened the door for what became known as modernism in the twentieth century.[3] It is a precursor to the Theatre of the Absurdand Surrealism. It is the first of three stylised burlesques in which Jarry satirises power, greed, and their evil practices—in particular the propensity of the complacent bourgeoisie to abuse the authority engendered by success.
The title is sometimes translated as King Turd; however, the word "Ubu" is actually merely a nonsense word that evolved from the French pronunciation of the name “Herbert”,[4] which was the name of one of Jarry’s teachers who was the satirical target and inspirer of the first versions of the play.[5]
Jarry made some suggestions regarding how his play should be performed. He wanted King Ubu to wear a cardboard horse's head in certain scenes, "as in the old English theatre", for he intended to “write a guignol". He thought a "suitably costumed person would enter, as in puppet shows, to put up signs indicating the locations of the various scenes." He also wanted costumes with as little specific local colour reference or historical accuracy as possible.[6]
Ubu Roi was followed by Ubu Cocu (Ubu Cuckolded) and Ubu Enchaîné (Ubu in Chains), neither of which was performed during Jarry's 34-year life.[7] One of his later works, a novel/essay on "'pataphysics", is offered as an explanation behind the ideas that underpin ‘’Ubu Roi’’. 'Pataphysics is, as Jarry explains, “the science of the realm beyond metaphysics”. It studies the laws that “govern exceptions and will explain the universe supplementary to this one.” It is the “science of imaginary solutions.
The story may at first glance seem merely frivolous—the obscene nonsense of schoolboys. It is a parody of Shakespeare's Macbeth with bits of Hamlet and King Lear tossed in. But with Jarry’s rich imagination at work, the material began to express something deeper, an inner consciousness in a way that is similar to the Symbolists, a group Jarry had befriended. In fact, many critics consider Jarry a Symbolist author.[9][10]
As the play begins, Ubu leads a revolution, and kills the King of Poland and most of the royal family. The Queen of Poland then dies. The ghost of the dead king calls for revenge, prompting Ubu to begin killing the population and taking their money. Ubu’s henchman gets thrown in prison, he then escapes to Russia, where he gets the Tsar to declare war on Ubu. As Ubu heads out to confront the invading Russians, his wife tries to steal money that Ubu has stashed in the palace. She is driven away by Bougrelas, the crown prince, who is leading a revolt of the people against Ubu. She runs away to her husband, Ubu, who has, in the meantime, defeated the Russians, and who has also been attacked by a bear. Ubu’s wife pretends to be the angel Gabriel, in order to try to scare Ubu into forgiving her for her attempt to steal from him. They fight, and she is rescued by the entrance of Bougrelas, who is after Ubu. Ubu knocks down the attackers with the body of the dead bear, after which he and his wife flee to France, which ends the play.
The action contains motifs found in the plays of Shakespeare: a king's murder and a scheming wife from Macbeth, the ghost from Hamlet, Fortinbras' revolt from Hamlet, the reneging of Buckingham’s reward from Richard III, and the pursuing bear from The Winter’s Tale. It also includes other cultural references, for example to Sophocles' Oedipus the King (Oedipe Roi in French) in the play's title. Ubu Roi is seen to have been preceded in the spirit of outrageousness, and comic grotesquery by the great French Renaissance author François Rabelais'sGargantua and Pantagruel novels.[11][12]
The language of the play is a unique mix of slang from the playground, code-words, puns, and near-gutter vocabulary, set to strange speech patterns.
How does Pa react to the storm at sea? (from Act 5, Scene 4)
WIth terror.
With resignation.
With bravery.
With hope.
2.
How does Ma suggest Pa win over Buggerless? (from Act 3, Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6)
With bribes.
With generousity.
With a strong hand.
With lies.
3.
What do Ma and Manure want Pa to do with the money? (from Act 2, Scenes 6 and 7)
Pay those that helped him richly.
Distribute it to the people to celebrate his success.
Hide it so that if he is overthrown they do not lose it.
Divide it among themselves evenly.
4.
What word does Pa make bad puns about? (from Act 5, Scene 4)
Food.
Knot.
Boat.
Ship.
5.
Which of the following is not something Pa dreams about? (from Act 4, Scenes 5, 6, and 7)
Fighting Bugglerless.
Killing Manure.
Learning that Ma stole all his gold.
Being chased by a bear.
6.
What does Pa say to the person who comes into the cave? (from Act 5, Scenes 1, 2, and 3)
He tells them that he will surrender.
He tells them that he wants to give up his wife for his own safety.
He tells them to wait until he is finished punishing his wife.
He tells them that everything he did was her fault.
7.
What does Pa allow all of the peasants who did not win the race to do? (from Act 2, Scenes 6 and 7)
Take one piece of gold from the chest.
Get more land for their efforts.
Have a job in the castle.
Have a chance to show their loyalty to him.
8.
Who do Pa and Ma Ubu greet in the palace throne room? (from Act 3, Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6)
Nobels.
Family members.
Guards.
Peasants.
9.
Who appears unexpectedly at Buggerless' rally? (from Act 4, Scenes 1, 2, 3, and 4)
Pa.
A messenger.
Ma.
Manure.
10.
What are Pa's orders aboard the ship? (from Act 5, Scene 4)
Logical.
Ignorant.
Nonsense.
The same as the captains.
11.
What does Buggerless tell his followers? (from Act 4, Scenes 1, 2, 3, and 4)
It is time to reclaim the country.
He has to travel to Russia.
He needs more money.
He must hunt down Pa.
12.
Who protests Pa's decision on the tax profits? (from Act 3, Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6)
Judges.
Peasants.
Tax collectors.
Financiers.
13.
What does Ma say will happen to him if he doesn't live up to his promises? (from Act 3, Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6)
He will be killed.
She will leave him.
Manure will steal the throne.
He will face the anger of the people.
14.
What does Ma tell Pa to make sure to do? (from Act 3, Scenes 7 and 8)
Finding Buggerless and killing him.
Kill the Czar properly.
Find Manure.
Take care of the books.
15.
What are the peasants talking about when they hear Pa approaching? (from Act 3, Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6)
How much they hate him.
Who will pay their taxes.
How to reinstate Buggerless.
Who will kill Pa.
16.
What does Buggerless do right after he witnesses the attack?(from Act 2, Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)
He calls out the window to the soldiers.
He runs out to help.
He prays with his mother.
He takes his mother away.
17.
What happens when Buggerless prepares to defend himself from Pa? (from Act 2, Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)
Pa runs away.
Pa kills Buggerless.
Rosamund protects her son.
Manure steps between the men.
18.
What is the character Pa defined by? (from Act 2, Scenes 6 and 7)
His willingness to be a follower.
His desire for money.
His loyalty to others.
His love of the people.
19.
Why does Pa order lunch to be served? (from Act 4, Scenes 1, 2, 3, and 4)
He says that he must eat before a battle.
He says that the Russians never fight at midday.
He says that he is too scared to fight right now.
He says that a full stomach will protect them.
20.
Who does Buggerless fight with as Rosamund gets away? (from Act 2, Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)
Heads.
Tails.
Pa.
Manure.
21.
What do Pa and Ma speak poetically about? (from Act 5, Scene 4)
Being king.
Love of the country.
How they miss Poland.
Riding on the sea.
22.
What does Ma tell Pa that his only action is? (from Act 3, Scenes 7 and 8)
To go into hiding.
To build a fortress.
To send an assassin for Mannure.
To declare war on Russia.
23.
What do Ma and Manure try to convince Pa to do? (from Act 2, Scenes 6 and 7)
Have a feast.
Promote Manure to duke.
Move all of the riches from the castle.
Kill the rest of the people loyal to the king.
24.
How does Wenceslas plan on attending the parade? (from Act 2, Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)
Without his wife or sons to better protect them.
Without armor or a sword.
Without any soldiers or protection.
With his other two sons to protect him.
25.
Which of the following is not one of the joys talked about of being king? (from Act 4, Scenes 5, 6, and 7)
Killing people.
Having lots of food.
Fighting Russians.
Collecting taxes.
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