Monologue

Tarleton Monologue from Misalliance

From Misalliance by Bernard Shaw

male · philosophical · 1:11 min

Does it? by George! No, sir: it spiritualizes. As to your grasshopper, I can carry an elephant. (MRS TARLETON: You do say such things, Bunny! What does he mean by the almond tree?) He means my white hairs: the repulsive mask. That, my boy, is another invention of Natural Selection to disgust young women with me, and give the lads a turn. (MRS TARLETON: John: I wont have it. Thats a forbidden subject.) They talk of the wickedness and vanity of women painting their faces and wearing auburn wigs at fifty. But why shouldnt they? Why should a woman allow Nature to put a false mask of age on her when she knows that shes as young as ever? Why should she look in the glass and see a wrinkled lie when a touch of fine art will shew her a glorious truth? The wrinkles are a dodge to repel young men. Suppose she doesnt want to repel young men! Suppose she likes them!

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