The Dear Departed - I_English_Unit-2_Wit and Humour _Part - 1 | 10th class | English | Klasspm.com

‘The Dear Departed" is a famous one act play of William Stanely Haughton. Humour and satire competes in every dialogue of the play. Abel Merry Weather is an old man. His daughters are Mrs. Amelia Slater and Mrs. Elizabeth Jordan. They love only father’s assets but not father. Once they found their father was dead. They start dividing the assets and liabilities. They think of insurance amounts. Their husbands- Henry Slater and Ben Jordan also participate in their work. After some time grand daughter, Victoria announces that the grand father got up. When the curtain rises Mrs. Slater is seen laying the table. She is a vigorous, plump, red-faced, vulgar woman prepared to do any amount of straight talking to get her own way. She is in black. She goes to the window, opens it and calls into the street) Mrs. Slater : (sharply) Victoria, Victoria! D'ye hear? Come in, will you? Mrs. Slater: I'm amazed at you, Victoria. I really am. Be off now, and change your dress before your Aunt Elizabeth and your Uncle Ben come. It would never do for them to find you in colours with grandfather lying dead, upstairs. Victoria: What are they coming for? They haven't been here for ages. Mrs. Slater: They're coming to talk over poor grandpa's affairs. Your father sent them a telegram as soon as we found he was dead. (A noise is heard) (Henry Slater, a stooping, heavy man with a drooping moustache, enters. He is wearing a black tailcoat, grey trousers, a black tie and a bowler hat.) Henry: I'm wondering if they'll come at all. When you and Elizabeth quarrelled she said she'd never set foot in your house again. Mrs. Slater: She'll come fast enough after her share of what our father's left. You know how hard she can be when she likes. Where she gets it from I can't tell.