The Magic Flute- What a crazy adventure!

In the beginning of the play, when Tamino faints from the snake and a bunch of women save him. Tamino reminded me of the fainting goat. One scare, and he goes down.

It’s funny how, in the play, it starts off with women being the hero. Yet, throughout the whole play, they are being constantly put down! “Women does little, gossips much.” and “She is an arrogant women- A must guide your heart. For without that, every woman tends to overstep her natural sphere.”. I understand in the century this play was made in, women were not so much the voice we are today. They were constantly known as an “item” or a possession. In the various minds of men, women were incapable. However, if I were to hear this in our day and time I wouldn’t take it.

Tamino first get the portrait of Pamina, he just falls in love with her. It reminded me of the show we saw, On the Town, when Gabey first sees Miss Turnsitle and falls in love with her.

I just don’t understand! How can someone fall in love with someone from just a picture. I understand people go for the people they are attracted to. However, it cannot be love unless you know the person. It’s more of an interest in a person who’s pretty. Love is complex. Love, in my opinion, cannot be established between two people until they have time to get to know each other. Again, seeing the century, I can understand that people fall in love quick because they were forced to at a young age. However, in this day and time we have time to consider what we want in a person. Some people prefer to be alone with their cats as well. That’s okay too.

When Tamino cannot talk to Pamina, she just suddenly thinks he doesn’t love her anymore. I guess, to her at least, the only logical solution was to kill herself. I read that part and had to do a double take. Suicide? Really? You just met the guy and now you want to kill yourself because he doesn’t “love you”? It’s an opera, but that’s way to dramatic. Even Papageno wanted to kill himself because he couldn’t find Papagena. I haven’t seen many musical performances and I am a very logical person. So, seeing these two characters wanting to kill themselves after their “loves” are gone is ridiculous to me. All I want to say to them is….

The play, overall, was a good read. I cannot wait to see it live. I’m hoping it will be a wonderful experience. Especially since it is my first Opera.

michalsudo says:

October 8, 2014 at 11:00 pm

Great insight by reading the play with a more feminist lens, I’m much less keen on noticing inequality towards women unless I’m specifically looking for it. As for the disdain most people share at the idea of love at first sight, I have to disagree. Judging Tamino based on the fact that he fell in love by just looking at a picture of Pamina, we can almost immediately assume that his infatuation with Pamina was irrational. Much less irrational is the infatuation felt after the first interaction. I think that it takes more than just looking at a picture to fall in love with somebody but I also think that in many cases just one physical interaction is enough too fall in love. As for seeing the opera, this is going to be my second opera, though I don’t remember anything about the first – what I went to see or where. I think I’m just as excited about this experience as you are!

nicholasleung says:

October 9, 2014 at 11:15 pm

I love how you think that the two characters’ quest for love is completely absurd. I mean, they are, but I feel that the craziness of the opera adds to the charm of it all. It’s supposed to be hilariously crazy and archetypal. Between Pamina’s struggle with her mother and the trials that Tamino and Papageno forego, The Magic Flute is supposed to be something that people can laugh at. You’re right though when it comes to the feminism in the libretto, though: it’s strange how women seem to take the heroic role from the beginning of the opera, but are immediately diminished when Tamino and Papageno come into play.