4. Translation.

С удивлением Джулия обнаружила в себе странное чувство жалости по отношению к Майклу из-за того, что она разлюбила его. Она была доброй женщиной и понимала, что даже небольшое подозрение в том, как мало он значит для нее, может уязвить его гордость. Поэтому Джулия продолжала льстить ему. Она заметила, что Майкл давно уже привык с удовлетворением выслушивать дифирамбы своему точеному носу и прекрасным глазам. Она посмеивалась про себя, видя, как он жадно глотает любые комплименты. Она рассыпалась в похвалах. Однако все чаще Джулия обращала внимание на его тонкие прямые губы. В каждым годом они становились все тоньше, и к тому времени, когда он состарится, его рот превратится лишь в сухую жесткую линию. Бережливость Майкла, которая сначала казалась ей забавной, даже трогательной чертой, теперь внушала ей отвращение. Когда люди попадали в беду, а с актерами это часто случается, они получали от Майкла сочувствие и хорошие слова, но совсем немного денег. Он считал себя чертовски щедрым, когда расставался с гинеей, а пятифунтовый билет был для него пределом мотовства. Вскоре он обнаружил, что Джулия тратит на хозяйство непомерно много денег, и, настояв, что хочет избавить ее от хлопот, начал управляться с ними сам. С тех пор ничто не пропадало зря. Каждый пенни был на учете. Джулия не понимала, почему прислуга все еще остается с ними. А они оставались потому, что Майкл был с ними мил. Своим сердечным, приветливым, дружеским обращением он добивался того, что все они стремились ему угодить, и кухарка разделила его удовлетворение, найдя продавца, у которого они могли купить мясо на пенс с фунта дешевле, чем где-либо еще. Джулия не могла удержаться от смеха, думая, как сильно разнится его страсть к экономии в жизни с мотовством тех персонажей, которых он успешно изображает на сцене. Она раньше часто думала, что Майкл не способен на широкий жест, и теперь, будто ничего не может быть естественней, он готов отойти в сторону, чтобы она могла использовать свой шанс. Джулия была так глубоко растрогана, что не могла вымолвить ни слова. Она горько упрекала себя за те дурные мысли о нем, которые так долго держала в своей голове.

6. Allusions & quotes.

“I could not love thee, dear, so much, loved I not honour more.” — Michael quotes To Lucasta, Going to the Warres, a 1649 poem by Richard Lovelace.

They also mention Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare.

“You wanted this, Georges Dandin.” — Julia cites Moliere’s play Georges Dandin. In the play itself, this expression is the self-punishment lament of a character who blames himself for his fate.

7. Questions.

1. Yes, it was really necessary for Michael because he could get a good part in the plays, earn quite good money and get fame. He wanted to start management and have enough money for that, that's why he said about his future plans.

2. Michael was not able to show any feelings for Julia. He was always restrained and concise, he didn't show great care and attention towards her. For example, when he was in America, he wrote once a week, four pages exactly in a neat, precise hand. His letters were more informative than passionate. "It needed the excitement of getting a part or a first night the gaiety of a party where he had drunk several glasses of champagne to turn his practical mind to thoughts of love."

3. They both acting when the war broke out. Michael enlisted at once and very soon got a commission. Julia wanted to become a nurse but Michael made he understand that she should go on acting. M showed himself possessed of considerable organizing capacity and last three years of the war he passed at GHQ. He ended as a major and Julia was recognized as the best of the younger actresses. So, Michael changed and became more loving to her but she fell out of love with him and exulted than now she could deal with him on equal terms.

4. I think that's true because she fell in love with his handsome appearance and after the war M left his things that had most enchained her to him. He had lost his coltish grace and his movements were set. He was definitely a middle-aged man.

5. Mrs. de Vries was a widow. She was a short stout woman with a fine Jewish nose and fine Jewish eyes, a great deal of energy, a manner at once effusive and timid, and a somewhat virile air. She had a passion for the stage. She admired Julia and loved her. She was going to do anything for her, so when Michael asks her for money for their play, she gives it them. Julia didn’t want to accept her help, because she thought that Mrs. de Vris was already too kind for her, but Michael insisted.

6. Rich people do not take their money from nowhere, so it’s quite understandable why they want to invest it in something that can be useful for them. Either they will become famous because of their gesture, or, as in the second case, they will get some benefits, some kind of gratitude from those whom they love.

7. Julia is not very happy. She is a passionate person; she wants to love and to be loved. To some extent, perhaps, her life has become better since she stopped loving Michael: there is no longer any unrequited love from her side and now they are good friends and, so to speak, business partners, but she still needs somebody.

8. When he is offered a part in America, he prefers it to Julia, because it’s business and it will help them to earn some money. “An actor-manager offered Julia the leading part in his next play, and though there was no part for Michael and she was anxious to refuse it, he would not let her. He said they could not afford to let sentiment stand in the way of business.” At that time, she still loved him, but then she stopped, and their relationship became completely business-like. Michael also didn’t mind to get some money from Mrs. de Vris because of her love to Julia. He wasn’t jealous at all.

William Somerset Maugham was a well-known British novelist and short story writer. His most famous works include Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence, and surely, Theatre. His style is crystal clear and unadorned, there is no meaningless decoration, but still with the help of plain words he manages to create a great world and provide a shrewd understanding of human nature. That ability of his is truly amazing, and it can be observed in the very novel Theatre.

I am going to have a close look at chapters from five to nine, where we can see Michael's and Julia's careers developing story. So, Julia keeps on looking at her photographs, which remind her of that one day Michael gets a part and is going to leave her for two years. Julia goes to her boss Jimmie Langton and tells him about it, and he promises that Michael is going to fail. After rehearsals, Michael is thrown out of the part. Michael returns, and he and Julia get married. Then the war breaks out, and Michael goes to France. Just before the end of the war, Julia falls out of love with Michael. She gets pregnant, and they buy a house. They need money to put their own play on the stage, and Mrs. de Vris gives them it with the help of Julia. The play is a success. Michael stops acting, since now he is interested only in management.

The story is about Michael and Julia, an actor and an actress who falls in love with him. Julia is shown a very passionate woman who wants to love and to be loved, while Michael is just a man of very low level of emotional affection. His career is very important to him, probably, even more important than Julia, although partially it is so exactly because of his wife and their child to be born. What we also know about Michael is that he has rather a handsome appearance, which is one of the reasons why Julia loves him. He has a huge negative side, though, — he is extremely greedy, but enamored Julia prefers not to see it.

In these chapters the author’s main aim is to show us the relationship between Michael and Julia. We are allowed to trace the development of their relationship and its subsequent extinction. We can see, how Julia’s love to her husband fades and how they turn from lovers to business partners. It is necessary to mention, that Michael’s so-called love from the very beginning looks more like a profitable business cooperation. For instance, he goes to America to make some money, leaving Julia behind for two years. Again, to get money for the play they are going to put on the stage, he does not mind sharing his Julia with another person. It is not surprising, that Julia’s love disappears and in some cases changes even into disgust. The author, with the help of description of Michael’s appearance at the beginning of the book and at the end of this part, shows us how Julia’s opinion on him changes. She also begins to notice that his “thrift, which in the early days had seemed an amusing, rather touching trait” is actually greedy, and she does not like it anymore. She is amused realizing that Michael on and off stage are two different men.

So, we can see that Julia does not love Michael any longer and they are successful business partners and, probably, good friends, but she still remains the same passionate woman. Therefore, there is no chance she will be always alone. That what the story is about.

It should be mentioned that there are a lot of allusions in the text, which help our better understanding of the situation. Michael and Julia quote Moliere, Shakespeare and Richard Lovelace, which shows that theatre is an essential part of their lives. After reading this we remain in doubt whether everything is just a game or not.