List 9. Literature in our lives: Visiting Dr.

Braintree (sketch) 3-4 level 20-25 min

GOAL. To enjoy the verbal performance of the actors, understanding the little nuances ot the text.

WARMING UP. [Source :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IDZjCOgZqM ]

TASK 1. To familiarise with the sketch answer the questions below.

Q1. Name two films where the actor is at a doctor’s studio. ................................................................

Q2. Which are the features of a visit to a psychiatrist? Underline the most probable

PLACE: sIt down at the armchair/lie on the sofa ACTION: look at the past/actions for the future

TOPIC of TALK: family / work / love TALK: patient does the talk / doctor speaks
more

Q3. Who is more relaxed? Underline the best answer: a) patient b) doctor c) both d) none

LANGUAGE WORK. The three parts offer you a listening for gist and a skim the passage.

Part1. Onset. Click on Listen9. Doctor to listen to the sketch between Roger and his doctor.

TASK 2. After listening to the first 2 minutes once STOP. Then answer these general questions.

Q1. Who’s late? doctor patient both

Q2. How does Roger feel today? ...................................................

Q3. Does he have confidence in psychiatrists? ..............................................

Q4. What’s Roger problem with women? .............................................. ..............................................

Q5. What’s the news Roger is breaking to the doctor today? ...............................................................

Q6. What seems to be the trouble? ..................................................................................................

TASK 3. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.

Q1. Does Roger prefer to lie on the couch or to sit down? .............................

Q2. Did he expect more from their sessions together? ....................................................

Q3. According to Dr Braintree why do people regard psychiatry wrongly? ........................................

Q4. How does the Doctor explains that love is a wonderful thing? ................................ ................

Q5. What does Roger say of his sense of guilt? ........................................................................

Part 2. Stephanie. Listen to the central part of the piece (1:50> 3:50).

TASK 4. Listen once to this part. Then STOP and answer these general questions.

Q1. Why does Roger feel guilty? .....................................................

Q2. How does he start to expose his problem? .....................................................

Q3. What’s the role of Stephanie in the story? .....................................................................

Q4. What’s the spontaneous reaction of the Doctor to the

news? .........................................................

Q5. Is the outcome of marriage going to be a problem for the doctor? ...........................

TASK 5. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.

Q1. How does the doctor describes sex? .....................................................

Q2. As Roger can’t find a way out, the doctor helps him with
“................................................................”

Q3. Which are the three reasons the doctor gives him to find his actions ‘understandable’?

...................................................................................................................................................................

Part 3. With a bit of luck. Listen now to the last part of the piece (3:45> 5:20).

TASK 6. Listen once to this part. Then STOP and answer these general questions.

Q1. How does Roger feel to Dr. Braintree for what the doctor’s
done? .................................................

Q2. How does Dr. Braintree accept Roger’s hatred reactions? .........................................................

Q3. Why is Dr. Braintree so reasonable? ...............................................................................

Q4. What is Roger’s final reaction against Dr. Braintree? ................................................................

Q5. What’s the last question the doctor asks

Roger? ...........................................................................

TASK 7. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.

Q1. Why does the doctor react logically to avoid a tragic

final? .........................................................

Q2. How does Roger feel when he says “what do you think
doctor?” ? ...............................................

Q3. What is the ‘incovenience’ Dr Braintree’s objects? ............................................................................

Q4. What is the anticlimatic ending of the sketch? ............................................................................

ROUNDING OFF. Working for detail. Listen to the sketch again in its three parts.

TASK 8. Listen carefully again (0:00>1:50) to pick up the words. Fill in the blanks..

Q1. Roger feels great. The words he uses are: “I feel ...................................”

Q2. Roger expected less form his work: “if anyone .............. ................ that talking to
psychiatrists .................. ................... ............. me at all, I ................................... in their faces.”

Q3. Roger describes his emotions: “it’s so wonderful to be in love – I ................ .................... you the
absolute joy I have. … this girl, this .............................. , this ............................. .”
Q4. Roger describes his problem: “My only trouble is that, apart from
this ................................ ............-...........ed love I have, I seem to be saddled with this
tremendous ...................... sense of guilt.”

TASK 9. Study Dr Braintree ‘reasonable’ reactions (2:00>3:50). Write his understandable words.

Q1. When Roger tells the doctor he’s in love with his wife:
# She’s attractive. I married her myself. I don’t see why you should ................ .............. about that.

Q2. When Roger tells him she’s in love with him:

#There’s no reason why a ................. ................ woman such as Stephanie should fall in love with you.

# I’m a very busy man: I have many patients to see. I see ................... .......... of my wife than I should.

# She should ................. ............... ........... ... companionship outside the marriage
Q3. When Roger tells him they want to get married.
# You want to express your feelings within the ................... of a ..................... society through marriage.
TASK 10. Fill in the blanks in the third part (3:45>5:20). with Dr Braintree’s words..
# I should feel grateful to you ... And all I can feel is this ........................... ...................... –
I ........... ............. the thought of you touching her.
# You love to hate (whom?) ............................................ to love (whom?) ...............................................
This is a very old rule, Roger – there’s nothing to .............. .................... .............
# then there’s someone else at seven after that. .... .................... if you ............ ........... .... some time
next week.
Listen 9. Visiting Dr. Braintree KEY -

WARM UP. TASK 1. Q1. Name two films where the actor is at a doctor’s studio. Many!! i.e. Someone flew
over the cooku’s nest (with Jack nicholson) Prince of the tides (Barbara Streisand + Nick Nolte)) & any from
W. Allen (Manhattan).
Q2. PLACE: lie on the sofa (lie = Not tell the truth!!?) ACTION: looks at the past
TOPIC of TALK: family / work / love TALK: patient does the talk

Q3. Who is more relaxed? Underline the best answer: a) patient b) doctor c) both d) none

LANGUAGE WORK. TASK 2. Q1. Who’s late? doctor patient both

Q2. How does Roger feel today? positive, “just great” (not less), “rather in the pink”.
Q3. Does he have confidence in psychiatrists? Now, he does ... but he didn’t time ago.

Q4. What’s Roger problem with women? He felt unsecure, low confidence, inhibited.

Q5. What’s the news Roger is breaking to the doctor today? He’s in love ... with a woman.

Q6. What seems to be the trouble? Stephanie is the doctor’s wife!

TASK 3. Listen again to better understand the situation.

Q1. Does he prefer to lie on the couch or to sit down? to sit down
Q2. Did he expect more from their sessions together? No, rather less.

Q3. According to Dr Braintree why do people regard psychiatry wrongly? instinctively suspicious

Q4. How does the Doctor explains that love is a wonderful thing? I’ve been there myself

Q5. What does Roger say of his sense of guilt? tremendous sense of guilt

Part 2. TASK 4. Listen once to the central part of the piece (1:50> 3:48).
Q1. Why does Roger feel guilty? His love’s the Dr’s wife
Q2. How does he start to expose his problem? By telling the girl’s name: Stephanie

Q3. What’s the role of Stephanie in the story? She’s doctor’s wife, or so he says.

Q4. What’s the spontaneous reaction of the Doctor to the news? quietness, no troubles.

Q5. Is marriage going to be a problem for the doctor? No, it isn’t.

TASK 5. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.
Q1. How does the doctor describes sex? sex is the most wonderful natural, healthy thing in the
world. There’s no reason at all to have any guilt about it
Q2. As Roger can’t find a way out, the doctor helps him with ”Begining at the beginning”

Q3. Which are the three reasons the doctor gives him to find his actions ‘understandable’?

She’s an atractive woman, There’s nothing repulsive in Rroger & the Doctor is very busy with
 patients.
Part 3. TASK 6. Listen once to the last part of the piece (3:50> 4:58). Then STOP and answer these general
questions.
Q1. How does Roger feel to Dr. Braintree for what the doctor’s done? jeolous
Q2. How does Dr. Braintree accept Roger’s hatred reactions? with quietness & pure logic

Q3. Why is Dr. Braintree so reasonable? it’s part of his job!

Q4. What is Roger’s final reaction against Dr. Braintree? He wants to kill him

Q5. What is the ‘incovenience’ Dr Braintree’s objects? He’s busy. Another time suits him better
TASK 7. Listen again to better understand the situation. Answer these more detailed questions.
Q1. Why does the doctor react logically to avoid a tragic final? To continue the treatment
Q2. How does Roger feel when he says “what do you think doctor?” ? calm and not violent

Q3. What’s the last question the doctor asks Roger? Would that be convenient?

Q4. What is the anticlimatic ending of the sketch? Roger’s is so grateful for showing him the way (the
way out and the way of killing him ... next day = ambiguity) Remember the pacient lies on the sofa
(Lie alos means ‘not tell the truth’).
ROUNDING OFF. Working for detail. (see annex with script) TASK 8. Fill in the blanks..
Q1. Roger feels great. The words he uses are: I feel rather in the pink
Q2. Roger expected less form his work: if anyone had told me . that talking to psychiatrists could have
helped me at all, I would have laughed in their faces.
Q3. Roger describes his emotions: it’s so wonderful to be in love – I can’t tell you the absolute joy I have. …
this girl, this creature, this goddess .
Q4. Roger describes his problem: the only trouble is that, apart from this wonderful light-hearted love I
have, I seem to be saddled with this tremendous burning sense of guilt.
TASK 9. Study Dr Braintree ‘reasonable’ reactions (2:00>3:50). Write his understandable words.
Q1. When Roger tells the doctor he’s in love with his wife:
# She’s attractive. I married her myself. I don’t see why you should feel upset about that.

Q2. When Roger tells him she’s in love with him:

#There’s no reason why a highly sexed woman such as Stephanie should fall in love with you.
# I’m a very busy man: I have many patients to see. I see rather less of my wife than I should.
# She should seek some sort of companionship outside the marriage
Q3. When Roger tells him they want to get married.
# You want to express your feelings within the confines of a bourgeois society through marriage.
TASK 10. Fill in the blanks in the third part (3:50>4:55). with Dr Braintree’s words..
# I should feel grateful to you ... And all I can feel is this burning jeolosy – I can’t bear the thought of
you touching her.
# You love to hate (whom?) the one who loves (whom?) the one you hate to love (whom?) the one you hate
This is a very old rule, Roger – there’s nothing to feel ashamed about.
# then there’s someone else at seven after that. I wonder if you could make it some time next week.
ANNEX. Transcript of The Psychiatrist [sketch from The world of Pete (Cook) and Dud (Moore)
-1964.]
appeared on tape at Speak-up Nº 15 San Francisco on page 6.
Braintree: Come in. [Enter Roger.] Hullo, Roger. B: You have guilt as well as love: well, this is
Roger: Hullo, Dr Braintree. unfortunate, Roger. You know, sex is the most
B: Hullo, come in. wonderful natural, healthy thing in the world. There’s
R: I’m sorry I’m late. no reason at all to have any guilt about it. I mean,
B: That’s quite all right – how are you? why should you have guilt about sex?
R: I’m very well, thank you. R: Well, it’s not really as simple as that, you know –
B: Would you like to sit down, or would you prefer it’s rather difficult to explain. Uhm, I don’t really
to lie. know where to start. It’s rather difficult to explain.
R: Uhm, I’ll sit, thank you. Uhm, I don’t really know where to start.
B: Right, well, sit down. Tell me, how are you in B: Well, begin at the beginning. That’s always the
yourself? best place. What’s the girl’s name.
R: I’m feeling just great. R: [Pause] Stephanie.
B: Oh, this is terrific. B: Stephanie. That’s a lovely name, isn’t it – well,
R: Yes, and it’s more than I expected from our my wife’s name in fact, isn’t it?
sessions. You know, if anyone had told me that R: Yes, it’s Stephanie.
talking to psychiatrists could have help me at all, I B: Yes, it’s Stephanie.
would have laughed in their faces. R: Yes, it’s Stephanie.
B: Yes. B: No, it’s Stephanie.
R: But I can honestly say that our little chats together R: Yes, it’s Stephanie: it’s your wife.
have really been of tremendous help to me. B: Oh, you’re in love with my wife, Stephanie. Well,
B: I’m so glad, Roger: of course a lot of people are this is a perfectly understandable thing, Roger. She’s
instinctively suspicious of psychiatry, but it can help a very attractive woman – I married her myself. I
at times. don’t see why you should feel upset about that.
R: Well, I really think it can, because you know, I’ve R: But she’s in love with me.
got so much self-confidence now. I’m much less self- B: Well, this again perfectly understandable, Roger. I
conscious in the company of the opposite sex, which mean, you’re a perfectly attractive human being, as
I wasn’t, as you know. I’ve told you over the last few weeks. There’s
B: Yes, yes, yes, yes. You’re less inhibited, are you? nothing repulsive about you, is there? There’s no
R: [Suggestively] Oh yes, I should say so. reason why a highly sexed woman such as Stephanie
B: Good, this is terrific. should fall in love with you. And I must explain to
R: And the wonderful thing about it all is … well, you, Roger, that I’m a very busy man: I have many,
I’m in love. many patients to see – I see rather less of my wife
B: Well, this is wonderful news, Roger – you’re in perhaps than I should, and I think it’s perfectly
love. – With a woman? understandable she should seek some sort of
R: Yes. companionship outside the marriage – I don’t think
B: So much the better – that’s terrific. that’s unreasonably at all.
R: You know, it’s so wonderful to be in love – I can’t R: But she’s not seeking anything outside marriage –
tell you the absolute joy I have. … this girl, this nor am I. We want to get married.
creature [emotional], this goddess … B: Well, this is understandable. After all, you’re two
R: I mean, she’s young people in love and you want to express your
B: Yes … feelings within the confines of a bourgeois society
R: She’s so, you know, it’s so right. Everything is so through marriage. I think it’s very appropriate.
wonderful, you know. R: The awful thing is, you see – I should feel grateful
B: Yes, yes – you really click together. to you for what you’ve done. And all I can feel is this
R: Yes. Oh, it’s so marvellous, but – the only trouble burning jealousy – I can’t bear the thought of you
is that, apart from this wonderful light-hearted love I touching her.
have, I seem to be saddled with this tremendous B: Well, of course, I understand this. One is
burning sense of guilt. tremendously possessive about someone one loves …
it would be unhealthy not to have this jealousy B: Ah – Roger – this is a little inconvenient, because
reaction, Roger. I have another patient a six-thirty and then there’s
R: But don’t you see – I hate you. someone else at seven after that. I wonder if you
B: Of course you hate me, Roger. could make it some time next week. [Standing over
R: I hate you for being so near her. him.] Could you make it early in the week, say?
B: Yes, of course you hate me, Roger. You love to R: [Pause – relax] When do you think?
hate the one who loves the one you hate to love the B: How are you fixed on Wednesday morning? Say
one you hate. This is a very old rule, Roger – there’s nine-thirty – would that be convenient?
nothing to feel ashamed about. It’s absolutely R: Yes, that’s perfect.
reasonable. B: Right, well, if you could pop along at nine-thirty
R: Don’t you understand – I want to kill you. and kill me then.
B: Of course you want t kill me. Because by killing R: Once again, Doctor Braintree, I’m amazed, you
me , Roger, you eradicate the one you hate. This is a know, really. I’m so grateful to you for showing me
perfectly natural reaction, Roger. the way.
R: You’re so reasonable, aren’t you. B: That’s what I’m here for, Roger.
B: Yes, I am.
R: Thank you very much. Thank you.
R: [Getting cross] You understand it all so much …
you are so logical. [Gets up to strike him.] B: And with a bit of luck, this should be the last
B: Yes, I am – it’s my job. time you have to visit me.
R: I’m going to have to kill you now! [http://www.wepsite.de/more_sketches.htm]