Lecture Notes: Topdog/Underdog Summary

Introduction

• Play Title: Topdog/Underdog
• Setting: Begins in a squalid apartment
• Characters Introduced:
  • Booth: Practices Three-Card Monte
  • Lincoln: Former hustler, currently works as Abraham Lincoln impersonator

Opening Scene

• Booth's Practice: Practices Three-Card Monte, rehearses street hustler banter
• Lincoln's Entrance: Dressed as Abraham Lincoln after work
• Conflict: Booth upset with Lincoln's costume, fears it will scare women away
• Booth's Girlfriend: Date planned with Grace, boasts about a stolen engagement ring

Scene Two

• Booth's Theft: Enters with stolen suits
• Lincoln's Job Concerns: Worries about possible firing due to cutbacks
• Brotherly Bonding: Rejoice over pay and suits, booth suggests Lincoln exaggerate performance

Scene Three

• Booth's Bragging: Claims reunion with Grace, boasts sexual encounter
• Lincoln's Doubt: Questions Booth's claims, mocks him for porn collection
• Three-Card Monte Practice: Booth helps Lincoln rehearse assassination act

Scene Four

• Saturday Morning Practice: Lincoln practices Three-Card Monte, impresses with skill
• Booth's Observation: Secretly watches Lincoln's practice

Post-Intermission

• Apartment Transformation: Romantic dinner setup, Booth waits for Grace
• Lincoln's Return: Lost his job, replaced by a wax dummy
• Childhood Memories: Brothers reminisce, discuss absent parents

Scene Five

• Drinking and Planning: Booth wants to hustle with Lincoln
• Three-Card Monte Wisdom: Lincoln teaches Booth the intricacies of hustling
• Booth's Anger: Grows angry over Grace's absence, leaves apartment

Final Scene

• Lincoln's Triumph: Returns with $500 earned from hustling
• Booth's Proposal: Claims Grace proposed, demands Lincoln leave
• Escalating Tensions: Booth reveals affair with Lincoln's wife, Cookie
• Confrontation: Brothers argue, Lincoln wins Booth's inheritance in a bet
• Climax: Booth confesses to killing Grace, shoots Lincoln in anger
• Aftermath: Booth mourns, screams in agony over Lincoln's body

Themes

• Brotherhood and Rivalry: Central to the plot, evolves into deadly conflict
• Hustling and Deception: Core elements of both brothers' lives
• Identity and Performance: Explored through Lincoln's impersonation job and Booth's aspirations
• Tragedy and Consequence: Culminates in fratricide, exploring deeper societal themes