Emphasis of Kabe

Subject: Emphasis of Kabe

Perhaps the most interesting character in the play, particularly in respects to the director’s script cut, is seen with the guard Kabe. While he not only resembled the corrupt and selfish antagonist the audience would expect to see, the actor seemed not only as if his job as a guard was easy, but also as if acting this role itself came natural – offering the audience a distinct impression of carelessness and nonchalant cruelty. Furthermore, the singing heard by Kabe both at the end of the play and often times at the end of particularly intense scenes, allow the audience to develop a strong disliking towards the character – as the four primary characters are forced to live confined within two rooms, the corrupt guard manages to walk freely and sing lightheartedly, with access to whatever the outside world provides him. The level differentiation also exacerbates the nature of the guard’s character – as the first time the audience sees Kabe, the audience sees a relaxed and singing character on a different vertical plane, demanding the attention of the four primary characters, and consequently the audience as well.