Who's Life is it Anyway?
Despite the fact that the main character spends the whole of the play confined to bed, what makes this an intriguing and entertaining play?
The play’s overall theme is founded upon the emotive and highly controversial issues surrounding euthanasia and assisted suicide. The matter presents many ethical and moral dilemmas to the characters in the play, to the reader, and in today’s society the subject is still frequently topical. Prior to the 21st Century, assisted suicide was vastly regarded as shocking and morally un-correct, nowadays, people’s views have changed a little, but many believe it is still wrong and euthanasia is still illegal in most countries. The fact that Ken, the main character, is fully conscious throughout and wishes to end his own life is both a powerful and emotive event. The issue evokes many strong emotions and allows the audience the form opinions. Its also shows the dilemmas and emotional conflicts the characters have to deal with, and this can help the audience relate to the characters, thus improving their understanding of the situation. There have been many cases in the media about euthanasia, and many people still feel strongly about it, so it still remains a controversial and popular subject. The title signifies Ken’s struggle to have control over his life, as the doctors, particularly due to his almost complete paralysis, have almost complete control over his life and treatment. The issue of whether Ken should have been allowed to end his own life represents a wider issue which is still relevant today, almost 30 years on. For example, in the case of Reg. Crew who was allowed to terminate his own life in Switzerland, once he had proved he was of sound mind, remains controversial.
The genre of this play is a hospital or medical drama. It could also be classed as a documentary. It is set almost entirely within the hospital, and this represents the isolation Ken feels during his confinement there. The play is similar to some televised hospital dramas such as ‘Casualty’ (BBC), because it incorporates ‘subplots’ which keep the audience interested and vary the subject matter. An example of this in the play would be the relationship between John and Nurse Kay Sadler. Medical language is also used in the play, such a ‘Valium’. Ethics and moral issues feature in both the play and medical dramas on television, and this helps readers relate and familiarise...