The Mikado: Analysis of Setting
"The Mikado: Analysis of Setting" explores the rich and intricate backdrop of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta "The Mikado," set in the fictional town of Titipu. Titipu serves as a microcosm of Japan, reflecting the complex bureaucracy of the Victorian era in Britain through its myriad officials and convoluted regulations. The visual aesthetics of the setting are influenced by the Western fascination with Japanese culture during the late 19th century, characterized by the importation of decorative Japanese objects and the popularity of Japanese art among the affluent classes.
Key locations within Titipu include Ko-Ko's palace, which humorously critiques the excesses associated with government roles, and Ko-Ko's garden, where pivotal scenes unfold, including the wedding preparations of Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo, who is revealed to be the Mikado's son in disguise. This garden setting plays a crucial role in advancing the plot and culminates in a joyful resolution, echoing themes found in traditional Japanese fairy tales. Overall, the settings in "The Mikado" not only pay homage to Japanese culture but also employ satire to comment on contemporary British society.
The Mikado: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1885
First produced: 1885, Savoy Theatre, London, England
Type of work: Drama (opera libretto)
Type of plot: Satire
Time of work: Middle Ages
Places Discussed
Titipu
Titipu. Medieval court and government of the emperor of Japan. Titipu represents a microcosm of Japan. Its officials and functionaries are myriad and coexist in a Byzantine complexity of rules and regulations; this milieu is meant to satirize the Victorian bureaucracy of Great Britain during the era in which the play was first produced. The settings are stereotyped to resemble the many Japanese decorative objects being imported into Britain at that time. Examples of high Japanese art were also on display in London museums and had created a craze for Japanese things in the moneyed middle and upper classes. The two scenes set in Titipu reflect these Japanese influences, both paying homage to and satirizing them as the temporary passions of the wealthy.
Ko-Ko’s palace
Ko-Ko’s palace. The palace courtyard, appearing in the opening act of the play, is magnificent, as befits the Lord High Executioner of Titipu. It thus satirizes the needless largesse expended on government functionaries in the Victorian era.
Ko-Ko’s garden
Ko-Ko’s garden. The garden scene of act 2 provides the backdrop for the heroine Yum-Yum’s preparation for her wedding to the wandering minstrel Nanki-Poo, who is really the Mikado’s son in disguise. The garden is also the scene of the Mikado’s magnificent entrance, which paves the way for a happy marriage. The wedding occurs after Nanki-Poo is threatened with execution and Ko-Ko is married to the odious Katisha, who wanted to marry Nanki-Poo herself. All ends happily in a setting straight from a book of Japanese fairy tales.
Bibliography
Ayre, Leslie. The Gilbert and Sullivan Companion. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1972. A reference book for Gilbert and Sullivan fans, containing anecdotes, details about each opera, and a listing of famous artists who have played leading roles. Foreword by famed D’Oyly Carte star Martyn Green.
Baily, Leslie. Gilbert and Sullivan: Their Lives and Times. New York: Viking Press, 1973. Lively biography that puts the two collaborators and their operas in the context of Victorian times. Contains many illustrations and photographs.
Fischler, Alan. Modified Rapture: Comedy in W. S. Gilbert’s Savoy Operas. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1991. Brief but informative analysis of Gilbert’s comedic techniques and their appeal to the “bourgeois prejudices” of Victorian audiences.
Sullivan, Arthur. The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan. Illustrated by W. S. Gilbert. New York: W. W. Norton, 1976. All of Gilbert’s libretti as well as more than seventy amusing illustrations that he drew to illustrate his songs. Contains a brief chronology of Gilbert and Sullivan’s career.
Sutton, Max Keith. W. S. Gilbert. Boston: Twayne, 1975. Good single-volume introduction to Gilbert’s life and works. Sees The Mikado as a “ritual” drama, with its emphasis on human sacrifice and absolute law.
Wilson, Robin, and Frederick Lloyd. Gilbert and Sullivan: The Official D’Oyly Carte Picture History. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. One-hundred-year history of the D’Oyly Carte company, with dozens of color illustrations, photographs, drawings, reproductions of paintings, posters, cartoons, and memorabilia.