THEMES OF GAMBLING IN FAMOUS PLAYS
A play (theatre) is an elitist form of art that explores human nature. It reflects what life is all about. Plays are important in society for many reasons. They shape opinions and suggest solutions to societal problems.
They also explore controversial topics like gambling and sports betting. Many of the famous plays across the globe revolve around themes of gambling.
That said, let’s explore some of the plays that revolve around gambling themes.
The Odd Couple
A work of Neil Simon, The Odd Couple looks at gambling from a comical perspective. The play begins with a poker scene, which defines the tone for the entire lighthearted show.
The characters come to play the poker game every week. The game brings them together, gradually developing a strong bond between them. From the play, the audience gets to learn a lot about the lead characters.
Furthermore, the poker game results in all the friends concluding that it would be great for Oscar and Felix to live together. They both became single recently. This decision shapes the rest of the story.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
A work of Tom Stoppard, this thrilling play a retelling of one of the 12th century’s most famous stories. It is an expert reinvention of the story of Hamlet. However, it revolves around two of the minor characters of William Shakespeare’s play.
At the start of the play, we see the lead characters betting and flipping coins. Rosencrantz has won 77 times. He bet heads in all of the cases, invoking the thought that randomness rules the world. However, determinism also has a role to play. Determinism is the idea that everything happens based on some plan that can’t change.
A Streetcar Named Desire
One of the greatest works of the American playwright Tennessee Williams, this play features two key poker scenes. One scene occurs at the beginning of the work and the other one at the end. The two scenes offer powerful symbolism.
The female characters, Stella and Blanche, experience dramatic changes throughout the play. Stanley, on the other hand, remains unaffected. We see him still enjoying the same game as the play comes to an end, which is a manifestation of his inability to change.
House of Games
Written by David Mamet, House of Games is originally a 1987 movie. In 2010, however, it was staged at the Almeida Theatre.
The gripping heist story focuses on Margaret and Mike. The main characters meet in a backroom poker game, which one of Margaret’s patients invited her to.
Margaret is a psychiatrist. She does not seem to be happy with her profession, though. Mike is a criminal figure.
Mike fascinates Margaret. He begins to charm her by showing her the tricks of a con artist. Things become perilous as the characters realize that risking won’t always deliver the desired results.
We all love risk, even in sports betting, in games such as sbobet. However, it would be best if you kept in mind that you won’t always get the desired results.
