The Glass of Water

            I have to admit that this prompt is by far the most challenging I have yet to come across, and that after thoroughly reading The Glass of Water, I still haven’t found any significant places where there was an out-of-place line or scene. The story seemed incredibly well put together, and the plot was a whirlwind of secret after secret after secret. In place of one particular scene or conversation, there is a mini-plotline that I feel was not carried out or explained very well: Bolingbroke’s affiliation with the Tory party.

            Although it is clearly apparent that this play was written primarily to entertain audiences and did not set out to make any major political or social statements, Bolingbroke’s mentionings of the Tory party are brief and unexplained, and do not contribute to the central story in any noticeable way. The first account of the Tory party begins with Bolingbroke exclaiming that “The Tory party was the food I had been craving,” and goes on to briefly describe the power struggles between his party and the Whigs. The next Tory mentioning involves Bolingbroke divulging his plan to sneak the Queen his Tory paper, “which [he] slips under the cover…” Other than those instances in the beginning of the first act, the only other time Bolingbroke comments on the party is during the opening of Act Three, when he converses with Abigail.  Bolingbroke informs Abigail that he “was busy with the ministry…,” which confuses Abigail until he informs her that he was meeting with “The Tory ministry. While this plotline explains Bolingbroke’s political and social status in regards to Parliament and the Queen, it is not convincing enough to be considered a solid dramaturgical choice.