Iolanthe
Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri, one of Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy Operas, is set at some indeterminate point in English history poking considerable fun at the House of Lords.
The Other Wiki tells us:
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the fairy Iolanthe has been banished from fairyland because she married a mortal; this is forbidden by fairy law. Her son, Strephon, is an Arcadian shepherd who wants to marry Phyllis, a Ward of Chancery. All the members of the House of Peers also want to marry Phyllis. When Phyllis sees Strephon hugging a young woman (not knowing that it is his mother – immortal fairies all appear young), she assumes the worst and sets off a climactic confrontation between the peers and the fairies. The opera satirises many aspects of British government, law and society. The confrontation between the fairies and the peers is a version of one of Gilbert's favourite themes: a tranquil civilisation of women is disrupted by a male-dominated world through the discovery of mortal love. |
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- Blue Blood: All the peers.
- Blessed with Suck: Strephon who is half a fairy. He's a fairy down to the waist, but his legs are mortal, and will eventually grow old and die.
- British Royal Guards: Private Willis is one of these, and he sings a solo while no one's looking.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: The Fairy Queen's response to the Peers' intransigence
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Fairy Queen: Peers shall teem in Christendom/and a Duke's exalted station/Be attainable by Competitive Examination! |
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- The Fair Folk: The fairies, of course.
- Forgot I Could Change the Rules: The Chancellor wants to marry Phyllis, who is his ward.
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Lord Chancellor: Victory! Victory! Success has crowned my efforts, and I may consider myself engaged to Phyllis! At first I wouldn't hear of it -- it was out of the question. But I took heart. I pointed out to myself that I was no stranger to myself; that, in point of fact, I had been personally acquainted with myself for some years. This had its effect. I admitted that I had watched my professional advancement with considerable interest, and I handsomely added that I yielded to no one in admiration for my private and professional virtues. This was a great point gained. I then endeavoured to work upon my feelings. Conceive my joy when I distinctly perceived a tear glistening in my own eye! Eventually, after a severe struggle with myself, I reluctantly - most reluctantly - consented. |
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- A song or so later, Iolanthe's life stands forfeit for breaking her vow not to reveal herself to the Lord Chancellor, and so do the rest of the fairies' -- all save the Queen -- for marrying mortals just as Iolanthe did. It takes the Lord Chancellor's brilliant legal mind to save the day by changing the fairy law to mandate death for any fairy who don't marry a mortal. Hasty marriage for the Queen, and everyone goes home happy.
- Half-Human Hybrid: The half-fairy Strephon, the romantic lead. His top half is an immortal fairy, but below the waist he'll eventually grow old.
- Have a Gay Old Time: "Tripping hither, tripping thither!"
- A Fairy member - how delightful! Not really though - she's talking about Parliament.
- "I Am" Song: This is Gilbert and Sullivan, what did you expect?
- Luke, I Am Your Father: The Lord Chancellor is Strephon's father
- Not What It Looks Like: Strephon's mother looks about 17. His fiance catches the two of them embracing. Oops.
- Patter Song: The Nightmare Song, easily the toughest such song in the whole canon.
- Real Dreams Are Weirder: ditto ditto the above.
- Straw Man Has a Point: Sullivan somehow made Gilbert's straw man arguments in Earl Tolloller's Blue Blood and Lord Mountararat When Britain Really ruled The Waves sound like they made sense.