The Circle by w. Somerset Maugham: some meanings of the title
The Circle by w. Somerset Maugham: some meanings of the title

Summary/Abstract: The article is devoted to the analysis of concept “circle” in W.S. Maugham’s play The Circle. On the one hand, is a category of structure and composition, and on the other hand, it is a philosophic, psychological and social concept. The first circle in the comedy can be defined as a “love circle”: the younger generation simply repeats the actions of the elders, thereby symbolizing the full circle of events. The “new” situation repeats the “old” one in the modern manner (Elizabeth and Teddy’s elopement repeats Lady Kitty and Lord Porteous’s behavior). This repetition and cyclicity are reflected in the structure of the play. They subjugate all three of the so-called “dramatic unities” of the text: it has one location (the drawing-room of Aston-Adey, Champion Cheney’s country house), its time span is limited to about eight hours, and it has a single action. Maugham’s play is not devoid of “dramatic invention”. Instead, “dramatic invention” is right in the heart of the play: in the shown situation, in the relationship between its characters, and in the idea of cyclicity reflected in the title of the play – The Circle.

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