Emma Jane Austen Play Part 1

 Emma Jane Austen Play Part 1 

Introduction

Jane Austen lived in England from 1775 until 1817. Her novels describe upper class English country life, filled with love, big dinners, dances, and manners, and people falling for the wrong guy. The writing is very witty, and the characters are realistic in that they are flawed. The movie "Clueless" was based on this book! For real! And yes, Gwyneth Paltrow looks good on screen as Emma, even in those shapeless dresses. Austen’s other famous books include Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

 

MAIN CHARACTERS

Emma Woodhouse: 21 years old, Emma is a smart hottie. She’s got class, brains, and kindness, but she does always think she knows what is best. She takes care of her dad in their giant house, Hartfield.

Henry Woodhouse: Emma’s Dad. He loves Emma and thinks she is the best. He’s always worried about everyone’s health.

George Knightley: A good friend to Emma and her dad, Knightley is an attractive guy in his 30’s who sees Emma for who she really is, good points and faults.

Harriet Smith: Some random 17-year-old Emma takes under her wing and tries to get Elton to marry.

Anne Taylor: Emma’s nanny and closest friend who, at the start of the book, has married Mr. Weston.

Mr. Weston: The Woodhouse’s neighbor who married Miss Taylor.

Philip Elton: The 26-year-old local rector (church guy) who is ready to get hitched.

Frank Churchill: Mr. Weston’s son who is supposed to be some fancy dude.

Hetty Bates: Old lady who talks all the time.

Jane Fairfax: Miss Bates’ niece who is well-mannered and fancy.

Robert Martin: A farmer who wants to marry Harriet Smith.

Augusta Hawkins: A conceited chick Mr. Elton meets and asks to marry.

John Knightley: George’s brother who married Emma’s sister.

Isabella Knightley: Emma’s sister, she married George’s brother. They live in London with their five kids.

Mrs. Goddard: The head of the boarding school where Harriet goes.

Mr. and Mrs. Cole: People with new money who are trying to get up in the town’s society.

Mr. Perry: The town pharmacist.

 

Summary in Short

Emma and her dad live in a big house called Hartfield in a place called Highbury. Emma takes care of her dad because her mom died when Emma was little. Miss Taylor, Emma’s governess and friend, has just been married, so now she is Mrs. Weston. Emma’s bummed that she left, but is psyched because she thinks she was the one who fixed the marriage up. George Knightley, a close friend to Emma and her dad, thinks she’s full of it.

Emma becomes friends with Harriet Smith, a random orphan girl who goes to school nearby. Since Harriet is pretty and doesn’t have a lot going on in her life, Emma decides to improve her. She tells Harriet not to marry the farmer she liked, Robert Martin, and encourages her to go after Mr. Elton, a very eligible guy in town. Emma thinks Mr. Elton is into Harriet and Harriet is all happy. When Harriet gets a letter from Mr. Martin asking her to marry him, Emma tells her to neg him, because he’s just a farmer, and she thinks Harriet could do better.

Emma doesn’t think she’ll ever get married herself, but thinks she is a good match-maker. John and Isabella Knightley come to visit for Christmas. Everyone goes to the Weston’s house for Christmas eve dinner.

They talk about Frank Churchill and how he never been to Highbury. Frank’s supposed to be some hot, rich dude. It turns out that he’s supposed to come is a couple of weeks. Emma thinks that if she were ever going to get married, it would be to a guy like Frank, who is all high up in society and cool. There’s a ton of snow so everyone has to go home.

Emma and Mr. Elton are in the same carriage and she’s all weirded out to find that he is all in love with her when she thought he liked Harriet. She tells him she’s not interested but feels bad since she basically convinced Harriet to forget Robert Martin and go for this guy. After the snow stops, Isabella and John go back to London, Mr. Elton goes to Bath (a town near London, and Emma has to tell Harriet that it isn’t going to happen with Mr. Elton. Emma finds out that Frank’s visit is postponed.

Jane Fairfax comes to visit. Emma doesn’t like her, especially since Jane met the infamous Frank Churchill. Mr. Elton gets engaged to Augusta Hawkins. Frank Churchill arrives – the Westons want to fix him up with Emma, but he goes off to see Jane. Emma ends up liking him though, and Frank agrees with Emma’s negative views on Jane.

The Coles have a party. Emma is sure that Frank is into her. She might be into him, too, but she’s not sure. Emma wonders if George Knightley is in love with Jane, but he says he wouldn’t ask her to marry him. Emma gives a dinner for Mr. and Mrs. Elton. Frank sends word he’ll be coming back soon.

When Frank comes back, Emma realizes she never really liked him. At some ball, Harriet has no one to dance with, and Mr. Elton blows her off again, so George Knightley steps in. He also dances with Emma. The next day, Frank plays the hero when some gypsies bother Harriet. Emma thinks Harriet likes Frank. George tells Emma that Frank and Jane are getting it on, but she doesn’t believe him.

In June, George has a party at his estate, Donwell Abbey. Emma sees Harriet and George walking together. Frank doesn’t show up. Jane leaves early. Frank finally arrives. The next day, Emma and Frank flirt. Jane is bummed. Emma is rude to Miss Bates. She goes to apologize the next day, and finds out that Jane is leaving soon to go off and be a governess. Frank leaves and his mom dies.

Later, the Westons get a letter from Frank saying how he and Jane have been engaged twice. Mr. Churchill says okay. Harriet turns out not to like Frank, but George Knightley. Emma finds this out and realizes that George is the one man for her. She tells George and he realizes he has feelings for her, too. They get engaged but can’t get married because Emma still has to take care of her dad.

Harriet goes to visit the London Knightleys, Jane and Emma become friends, and George decides that he’ll move in with Emma and her dad since Mr. Woodhouse wouldn’t leave his estate. Harriet decides to marry Robert Martin. Emma and George get married and are very happy.

 

CHAPTER BY CHAPTER

VOLUME ONE

CHAPTER 1

Emma lives with her dad at Hartfeild, a big house in Highbury.

Miss Taylor is now Mrs. Weston, since she got married.

Emma is bummed that Miss Taylor left the house, but is happy that she fixed her up with Mr. Weston.

Emma’s sister, Isabella, lives with her husband, John Knightley, in London. They have five kids.

George Knightley is a good family friend.

Emma says she wants to fix Mr. Elton up with someone but George thinks she should just mellow out.

CHAPTER 2

Mr. Weston was married to Miss Churchill, but she died. They had a kid, Frank, who went to live with the Churchills and took their name. Mr. Weston and Miss Taylor live At Randalls, a big house, near Highbury.

Frank has never been to Highbury but people talk about how cool he’s supposed to be.

CHAPTERS 3 – 4

Mr. Woodhouse likes having people visit him. He has a dinner party.

Miss Bates talks a lot, which is annoying, but she’s a nice person.

Harriet Smith lives at Mrs. Goddard’s boarding school.

Emma decides to "improve" Harriet. Harriet is psyched that Emma’s paying attention to her.

Emma and Harriet go on walks together. Emma knows that Harriet is no great brain, but she’s pretty and easily influenced.

Harriet says she spent some time at Abbey-Mill Farm where she met Robert Martin. Emma says that Harriet shouldn’t get together with him.

Emma and Harriet bump into Robert the next day. Even though he’s a decent guy, Emma wants to fix Harriet up with Mr. Elton, so she makes it known to Harriet that Mr. Elton is lame and that Mr. Elton is the way to go.

CHAPTERS 5 – 6

George and Mrs. Weston talk about Emma’s involvement with Harriet and Mr. Elton. George thinks it’s wring, Mrs. Weston thinks it might be good. Mrs. Weston says how beautiful Emma is and George says he loves looking at her.

Mrs. Weston can’t see anything wrong with Emma. George is more honest in his views of Emma.

Emma is psyched about how things are going with Harriet. Mr. Elton thinks Harriet’s manners are better than they were, too, which gives Emma hope that her matchmaking skills are working.

Emma says she will do a drawing of Harriet and Mr. Elton is glad.

Emma does a lot of artistic stuff like painting and playing the piano and stuff, but she never finishes what she starts.

Emma gets annoyed when Mr. Elton hovers over her as she tries to draw Harriet. She gets him to read to then instead.

Mr. Elton thinks the drawing is awesome, even though there clearly are faults.

He says he will take it to London to get it framed.

Emma knows that Mr. Elton has complimented her a lot, but she figures it must be because he is glad about Harriet.

CHAPTERS 7 – 8

Mr. Elton goes to London.

Harriet gets a letter from Robert Martin asking her to marry him.

Emma says the letter is nicely written but manages to get Harriet to wonder what she should do next. When she asks, Emma says that Harriet should turn him down.

Emma distracts Harriet by talking about Mr. Elton.

Harriet stays over at Emma’s so much that she gets a room at Hartfield.

When Harriet goes to see Mrs. Goddard, George Knightley stops by to see Emma.

He says he sees that Harriet has improved and that he thinks she might get a proposal from Robert Martin. George thinks Robert is a fine guy.

Emma tells George that Harriet already negged Robert. George is pissed – he says that Emma is leading Harriet down wrong path.

George figures that Mr. Elton is the guy Emma wants Harriet to be with, and tells her that there’s no way it’s going to work.

Emma thanks him and he leaves.

Harriet comes back and goes on and on about Mr. Elton, who is on his way to get the portrait of her framed.

CHAPTERS 9 – 10

Mr. Elton brings the picture back.

Emma continues to try to make Harriet better and encourages her to be into books.

Harriet likes riddles so she keeps a book of them. Emma gets Mr. Elton to make up a sort-of poem/riddle and he brings it over to Hartfield, saying it’s a friend’s.

Harriet has no clue what the riddle is about, but Emma gets the deeper meaning and says it’s about courtship.

Emma thinks her plan is working so she is happy and writes the poem into Harriet’s book even though Mr. Elton said not to – this annoys him when he finds out.

The next day, Emma goes to visit a poor, sick family.

On the way, Emma says she really doesn’t think she’ll get married.

Harriet is bummed, thinking of Emma as some old maid, like Miss Bates.

Emma says that Miss Bates talks so much and goes on about her niece, Jane Fairfax.

Emma is really nice to the poor family.

On the way back, they bump into Mr. Elton. Emma tries to get Harriet and Mr. Elton alone by messing around with her shoelace and having to stop to deal with it.

Mr. Elton doesn’t say much to Harriet about love or anything, but Emma tells her he’s just being careful.