Fawlty Towers - 1

Fawlty Towers – Analysis A funny joke in this story is the picture – he never puts the picture up. Basil tries at least five times to put the picture up. At the end of the episode, Basil smashes the picture. Sibyl nags Basil, at least twelve times. Many times about the picture. Politeness comes up with excessive ‘Good Mornings' – a very British thing. Manuel is very funny: there's the joke about the butter, with the case; about the Spanish language (or more than one occasion) a joke about the wine-list, which he cannot see; and slapstick comedy about the grapefruit, which he throws into the guests. And there is a joke about the cases, which he tries to carry – with Basil, so that nobody can really carry them; and also when he doesn't answer the phone. Basil makes many mistakes: the picture, maybe; the menu (he does not type the menu correctly); he doesn't provide an alarm call; he complains about his staff in front of his guests and about his guests in front of his staff – as well as so that they can hear. He spends too much money, for example advertising the hotel in an expensive magazine; he moves some guests, causing an injury to Lord Melbury; and he upsets the guests at least on five or six occasions. At the end he doesn't serve the drinks. They have to ask for the drinks four times. What does he do for Melbury? He offers him dinner; he cashes him a cheque (although later he steals the money back from Melbury); and he gives him a glass of sherry. But he doesn't give him the coins. And Melbury is what we call a con man: which is trying to be something which he isn't. Just as Peter is not the President of Greece; just as Sally is not the President of TenCent. Two important things in the plot are the ‘valuables' (the bricks) and the cheque – which is not cashed (or in fact Basil's cheque is cashed, the money given to Melbury, and Melbury gives Basil a presumably false cheque right near the end which Basil casts aside. ‘Cashing a cheque' in the old days is writing somebody else's name on the cheque, and the first person is responsible for the money: in this case Basil would have lost the 200 GBP, he knows he would have lost 200 GBP, so he takes the 200 GBP back from Melbury at the end, by taking his wallet. The bricks are a symbol of how bad things can get (as well as providing a wonderful slapstick moment) and he teases the Morrises, ‘do you have any bricks to deposit?' which is a double joke: it's making a fool of Melbury; but it's really also making a fool of the Morrises, as well. They run away quickly from the hotel, drive away – they don't want to stay there. So all in all it's a very funny, and exciting, and fast-paced comedy drama; perhaps Manuel is the funniest; but Basil is also pretty funny; and Sibyl, although she's not very nice, makes up the story; along with Basil really. If you've understood all this, you've understood the play; and you've understood English humour.