The Odd Couple

Act 3 shows the height of Oscar and Felix’s conflict. This is also where Simon’s satirization of marriage is most apparent. Oscar and Felix’s living arrangement falls apart as a result of their inability to compromise and lack of communication, two major problems in many marriages that Simon highlights. When Oscar initially kicks Felix out, he shouts “It’s all over, Felix. The whole marriage. We’re getting an annulment!” (80). While the audience doesn’t see either man’s actual divorce during the play, it’s easy to imagine something like this being shouted in a comparable scene. Oscar’s and Felix’s divorces end up repeating themselves. Each man tells the other why he can no longer live with him. Oscar tells Felix he can no longer stand his “cooking, cleaning, and crying” (77) while Felix accuses Oscar of being “unreliable [...] undependable [...] And irresponsible” (78). These are nearly identical to the critiques their ex-wives had of them, with Frances being overwhelmed by Felix’s neuroses and Blanche’s refusal to live with Oscar’s lack of support. However, unlike their divorces, this moment has a potential to be a turning point for them because Oscar and Felix still cherish the friendship they had prior to their disastrous coupling. Oscar insists that Felix needs to leave “For the sake of [our] friendship” (82). This could be interpreted as another cynical jab by Simon at the institution of marriage, as Oscar was more willing to fight for his friend than his family. However, a more positive viewpoint is that Felix finally gives Oscar a reason to change his ways. This connects to one of Simon’s primary views of marriage, which is that compromise is necessary for any successful relationship.

Simon uses physical comedy in Act 3 to show the extent to which the pair is frustrating each other. There are multiple instances where one is physically invading the other’s space. The blocking in Act 3’s early moments is filled with detailed instructions for physical comedy. For example, Simon tells the actors to do the following:

FELIX appears from the bedroom with a vacuum cleaner. He is doing a thorough job on the rug. [...] [OSCAR] glares at FELIX, still vacuuming, and shakes his head contemptuously [...] Then suddenly the power stops on the vacuum as OSCAR has obviously pulled the plug in the bedroom. [...] He stops and realizes what’s happened as OSCAR comes back into the room. OSCAR takes a cigar out of his pocket and as he crosses in front of FELIX to the couch, he unwraps it and drops the wrappings carelessly on the floor. He then steps up on the couch and walks back and forth mashing down the pillows. (73)

This beat is heightened until its natural peak when Oscar sprays aerosol near Felix’s dinner, calling it spaghetti, and then throws it at a wall when Felix clarifies that it is linguini. The physical comedy makes their frustration palpable because the audience can see it expressed by the performers on the stage. Each is visibly aggravating the other, signifying that conflict is imminent.

A point of discussion for readers and watchers of the play is that its ending is ambiguous. Felix acknowledges that being forced out of two different households puts things into perspective for him, telling Oscar, “Getting kicked out twice is enough for any man…” (88). Similarly, Oscar shows him that he’s now requiring the use of ashtrays at his poker games. However, the audience doesn’t get much meaningful resolution beyond that. This is puzzling since their recent “divorce” was inspired by a desire to salvage their friendship. Some might believe that a natural conclusion would be to show this effort worked—especially in light of the fact that Simon was willing to show that the characters changed at all. This interpretation is supported by Felix’s comment, which implies that his recent experience, though unusual, would be a wakeup call for almost anybody. Everyone will have their own idea on the ending’s significance. Oscar and Felix are in a marriage-like situation, and much of the play suggests that truly fulfilling marriages are a rarity, so it seems unlikely he would give them their happy ending. Rather, the play’s open ending suggests that the two have more work to be done. Just as any partners must work hard to maintain mutual respect, compromise, and communication, Oscar and Felix need to collaborate to restore their friendship. However, their newfound perspective suggests they can do it.