Wit: A Play Paperback – March 29, 1999

If poisonous minerals, and if that tree,Whose fruit threw death on else immortall us,If lecherous goats, if serpents enviousCannot be damn'd; Alas; why should I bee?...That remember them [i.e., his sins], some claime as debt,I think it mercy, if thou wilst forget.W;t is a clever play, starting with its title. For wit is the weapon the great metaphysical poet John Donne used in his sonnets to approach an unapproachable God and the protagonist of this play, Vivian Bearing, Ph. D., is a Donne scholar whose great book is a study of Donne's twelve Holy Sonnets. (The book is entitled Made Cunningly.) And the use of the semicolon in place of an `I' between the first and last letters of the title echoes a remembered conversation between Vivian, still an undergraduate student, and her soon to be mentor, E. M. Ashford, on the importance of punctuation in Donne's poems.And death shall be no more, comma, Death thou shalt die.Nothing but a breath -a comma- separates life from life everlasting. It is very simple really. With the original punctuation restored,death is no longer something to act out on a stage, with exclamation points. It's a comma, a pause. This way, the uncompromisingway, one learns something from this poem, wouldn't you say? Life, death. Soul, God. Past, present. Not insuperable barriers, notsemicolons, just a comma.(I suppose a comma would have looked wrong in the title typographically, but the use of the comma still carries forward the conceit of only an item of punctuation separating the beginning of something from the end, in this case, Vivian's life.)The play is cunningly put together, essentially a monologue that continues from beginning until near the very end of the play (Vivian's conversation with the audience about her treatment) interspersed with brief scenes of Vivian with her doctor, Vivian with the nurse and with the technicians, Vivian and the research fellow in medical oncology (who once took her course on the sonnets -"you can't get into medical school unless you're well-rounded") and scenes of remembrance Vivian as an undergraduate with her mentor, Vivian teaching). The play ends in a swirl of activity as Vivian's systems fail. So it's In (Vivian monologuing), Out (swirl of activity, interchanges with other characters), In, Out. It happens over and over again, until the final burst of activity, after which it all just . . . ends.One of the most interesting aspects of the play is the way it captures character. Vivian, ill, discovers that the research fellow, just like her in the classroom, cares less for the people he's caring for than the subject he's studying. But, bitterly ill now, Vivian wants him to care for her, needs care. And thus, responds to the decidedly unintellectual advances of her nurse, who at least accepts that it is part of her job to comfort the frightened and ailing.This is my playes last scene, here heavens appointMy pilgrimages last mile; and my raceIdly, yet quickly runne, hath this last pace,My spans last inch, my minutes last point,My body, `and my souleJohn Donne, 1609

I wish I would’ve read this when I was a CPE resident. There is so much in it about suffering and for a year and a half my Theology study was on suffering. This is so much what it is like when you interact with patients in the hospital. It’s a master class in the ministry of presence, or the lack of it. I literally read it for a masters class that I have coming up next semester. Strong recommend.

Cancer affects many of us. Many are involved and even though one dies they are not forgotten. Healthcare professionals keep a little bit with them. Compassion fatigue is real and I think helps one be better for the future.

This book was so incredibly good. I had to read it for my women in lit class and let mr tell you i loved every part of it. beautiful tragic story

I was drawn in by the movie, of course, and actually bought this script because I needed to do some research on it. Since then, I've seen the play (small differences from the movie, but equally mind-blowing), and met Margaret Edson in person. I just think the universe is a better place because of this script, and the principles it teaches.

This book took me by the scruff of the neck and rebuked me for the 'posturing' and 'trying to impress others' type of behaviour, that I and others so often engage in. What do our 'achievements' matter in the face of death? After reading this book, I saw the importance of being 'real', and of being a decent person. I saw too the importance that forgiveness is to those of us who carry weights that have accrued from wrongdoings committed during a lifetime. The 'professionalism' of some of the characters in the play made them seem more akin to robots that to people with a heart and a soul. Being human, with all its frailties and doubts is far preferable to being a machine like character. This book left me with a sense of hope, and longing even, and anxiety too, in the sense that I am moving irrevocably towards the day when I too will take my last gasping breath. But then there is John Donne's word;'One short sleep past, and then we wake eternally; death will be no more, death shall die.'

This book was fascinating and so well written! If you like words and their meanings, you'll find this book entertaining. Even grammatical references have a place of importance in this book about a serious topic: death. It is a short book and can be read in one day, even for a slow reader like me. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but understand why the author chose that ending. I highly recommend this book. It will keep your attention and make you think about some deep things.

A little cliched with the emotionless researcher who loves scienceThe ability to beat cancerThe wrenchingThe kind nurse who loves her jobBut, still memorable how the Dr explains his love for cancerVivian’s passion for literature. Although I am not sure why she was teaching. Similar to the researcher who had to?Treasure your friends and familyHmmm, does this inspire me to read John Donne’s Holy SonnetsNot sure