Classic literature has become a vital source of inspiration for filmmakers today. Whether it be a dramatized version of an original text, such as Justin Kurzel's 'Macbeth', or a loosely based comedy, such as Andy Flickman's 'She's the Man', there is no denying literature's contribution to visual media today. But unlike most of these adaptations, there is one piece of television that unintentionally bears strong resemblances to a play written almost 70 years previous. The television in question is, of course, Phoebe Waller-Bridge's raunchy and deeply poignant 'Fleabag', and it's inspiration-in-question is the equally devastating 'A Streetcar Named Desire.' While Waller-Bridge has never quoted Tennessee Williams' tragedy as a source of inspiration, the two become hauntingly similar when compared in relation to each other.
For those who have never put themselves through the emotional turmoil of 'Fleabag', or have not been forced to study 'A Streetcar Named Desire' as part of their English course, I'll provide a quick summary of both. 'Fleabag' is a comedy drama television series based on Waller-Bridge's play of the same name. Both have roughly the same premise, with some details being cut out of the television adaptation due to creative decisions. The show follows a grieving and deeply flawed individual (Fleabag) on a downward spiral as she struggles to maintain the relationships in her life, while simultaneously trying to keep her business afloat. 'Streetcar', in comparison, focuses on the widowed Blanche Dubois as she moves in with her sister, Stella, as well as her brutish brother-in-law: Stella's husband Stanley. On first look, the stories don't seem to be anything alike. But when we dig deeper, we start to see clear links between the characters and the overarching narratives.
FLEABAG VS BLANCHE
The driving force in both stories, Fleabag and Blanche, both serve as representations of the typical 'tragic heroine'. The tragic heroine is defined as 'a heroine who suffers from a tragic flaw that eventually causes her downfall.' In their first similarity, Fleabag and Blanche's tragic flaw is their desire to be loved. In 'Fleabag', we see how the eponymous character desperately seeks out this idea through an array of lovers (such as 'Arsehole Guy' or 'Tooth Man'). Likewise, Blanche appears to seek out the same thing in multiple men - first with her husband, then with a student, and finally with Mitch, before he is also ripped away from her. These two women are completely enraptured by their desire - a desire which leads them both into their undoing. Fleabag's undoing comes in the death of her best friend Boo, a death which was a direct result of Fleabag's lustful proclivity. Blanche's undoing comes at the end of the play, in which Stanley rapes her, stripping her of her dignity and seemingly punishing her for her compulsion to be wanted. These two events, whilst being vastly separate, permanently mark the two protagonists as tragic heroines and establish a link between Blanche and Fleabag as characters. The two are not only bonded by their flaws, but also by their grief. Both women - whilst dealing with their fractured families - are similarly reeling from a recent loss. Fleabag's loss is clearly Boo, who unintentionally kills herself after discovering her boyfriend's infidelity - an infidelity he carried out with Fleabag. In comparison, Blanche is grieving the loss of her husband, Alan, who also committed suicide after Blanche discovered his affair with a man. Both women share some responsibility in the deaths that they're so deeply affected by, and it's this grief that contributes to their turbulent behavior and inescapable ache for distraction.
CLAIRE VS STELLA
In the same way Fleabag mirrors Blanche, Claire and Stella can be seen as two sides of the same coin. The sisters of our respective heroines, Claire and Stella act as the prime motivator in both narratives. In 'Fleabag', Claire is the uptight older sister, living the life that Fleabag so desperately craves. The only small problem in Claire's near perfect world is her alcoholic husband, Martin, whom Fleabag clearly resents. This hatred serves as a powerful motivator in 'Fleabag', as it provides a goal for our protagonist as she attempts to pry her stubborn sister from her entrapping marriage. The second tragedy of Fleabag's story, alongside her best friend's death, comes at the end of the first season, when Claire chooses to believe Martin over her own sister. When Fleabag begs her sister to believe that Martin tried to kiss her, Claire just shakes her head, asking 'How can I believe you? After what you did to Boo?'. The same betrayal is seen in 'Streetcar', when Stella chooses to believe Stanley over Blanche. In Williams' tragic play, Stella is the younger sister of Blanche, acting as a foil to her erratic and fastidious older sibling. While Blanche desperately attempts to cling to her old lifestyle, her sister embraces a new one, marrying a man that Blanche see as below them. Blanche's mission to pull Stella away from her violent husband becomes a key plot point in 'Streetcar', eventually culminating in Blanche's rape - an event which Stella refuses to believe as true, forcing her to send her sister into a mental institution. The sororal relationships in both stories are arguably the most important, as both Claire and Stella are used as contrasts to their brazen, hyper-sexual sisters. Without them, the tragic conventions of both 'Fleabag' and 'Streetcar' could not work, and through them we can establish a second link between the two plots.
MARTIN VS STANLEY
The final and most obvious link comes in the characters of Martin and Stanley. These two men, as aforementioned, portray the role of the domineering and antagonistic husband, used to create a wedge between the sisters in both 'Fleabag' and 'Streetcar'. In 'Fleabag', Martin attempts to kiss Fleabag at Claire's birthday party - an event that ineluctably causes their conflict at the end of Season One. In 'Streetcar', Stanley becomes determined to bring down his haughty sister-in-law and secure control over Stella, after hearing what Blanche really thinks of him. Both men are shaped by their hostile natures, serving as the highly detestable adversaries in the narratives, and acting as the main obstacle in Fleabag and Blanche's goal of saving their sisters. In 'Fleabag', Claire is able to escape her belligerent husband, but in 'Streetcar', Stella is not so lucky. There are clear reasons for this difference in ending - one being the different times in which the two texts were written, and possibly the writers' intent in both. However, despite their separate endings, Martin and Stanley are closely defined by the role they play in their stories, and thus make up the final link.
THE REASONING
While 'Fleabag' defies a typically tragic ending, with Fleabag and Claire repairing their damaged relationship and moving on with their lives, there is no denying it's similarities to 'Streetcar'. There are many possible reasons for this, one possibility being the creative term labelled as 'common thought', where two people express similar ideas within their work completely unintentionally. As previously mentioned, 'Fleabag' started out as a play before it was adapted to screen, and due to similarities in structure and conventions of tragedy, the resemblance between the two could just be a result of the similar genre and plot line. A strong factor of 'Fleabag''s success as a television series was its unique approach to narrative and its ability to make its audience sympathize with a deeply flawed and sardonic character. In this way, it's again reflective of 'Streetcar', a play which was highly controversial at the time of its conception, but is now regarded as one of the most brilliant displays of melodrama and tragedy in literature. Both pieces have had recognizable success in their reception, and it's no surprise that the two appear to reflect each other so well: both were the creations of incredibly talented writers and directors.
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