The climax of Tennessee William's A Streetcar Named Desire occurs in “Scene Ten,” when Stanley finally rapes Blanche, his sister-in-law. Many viewers and readers have debated whether this act was premeditated or done impulsively, as for some the show is fraught with evidence and for others Stanley seems to make a sudden decision. Many psychologists have researched and studied the causes that drive people to commit rape, and some have determined that premeditated rape results from a combination of destructive human emotions. By analyzing previous psychological research alongside textual evidence from William's A Streetcar Named Wish, it becomes apparent that Stanley's rape of Blanche was premeditated and ultimately influenced by his sexual attraction and anger. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayFor decades, experts have studied rape cases to determine why people rape, and many have found common elements, such as sexual attraction and anger. According to Groth in his 1977 article “Rape: Power, Anger, and Sexuality,” “both offenders' and victims' accounts of what happens during a rape suggest that issues of power, anger, and sexuality are important to understanding the behavior of the rapist” (1239). In essence, Groth argues that issues of power, anger, and sexuality can all be factors that influence people to rape. Furthermore, it postulates that all three operate in every case of rape; however normally one dominates over the others (1239). To further explore this concept, he and his colleagues conducted a study in which they classified the dominant issue in the accounts of 133 offenders and ninety-two victims (1239). After synthesizing this research, they found that crimes could be classified as “power rape,” when sexuality is used primarily to express power, or “rage rape,” when sexuality is used to express anger; however, they found no rapes in which sex was the dominant issue, arguing instead that “sexuality was always in the service of other, nonsexual needs” (1239). With this, Groth states that sexual attraction alone does not influence an individual rape; however, it can be a factor when coupled with another issue such as power or anger. Throughout the play Stanley makes no secret of the fact that he believes Blanche is sexually promiscuous, a contributing factor to his sexual attraction to her. After Blanche asks him to help her button her dress, asks him for a cigarette, and playfully sprays him with perfume, all of which can be interpreted as acts of flirtation, Stanley states, "If I didn't know you were my wife's son" sister , I would get ideas about you!” (41). Here Stanley is implying that he believes Blanche is promiscuous but that she shouldn't say it out loud because she is his sister-in-law. Likewise, when Blanche states that her star sign "Virgo is the virgin," Stanley contemptuously exclaims, "Hah!" (89). Through this exclamation, Stanley laughs at the idea that Blanche would be a virgin, as he believes she has sexual experience. These two instances illustrate that, whether due to Blanche's possible flirtatious acts or difficult past, Stanley believes her to be sexually promiscuous starting from their first conversation. This belief only furthers his sexual attraction and is ultimately part of what influences his premeditated rape. However, sexual attraction is not the only factor that influencesStanley's decision to rape Blanche; this decision also arises from intense anger. Part of this growing anger lies in Blanche's insults, most of which center on Stanley's animal-like nature. The first time Stanley hears Blanche's insults happens by chance. After Stella returns to Stanley after beating her, Blanche scolds her sister for her decision, comparing Stanley to an animal: he acts like an animal, he has the habits of an animal! Eat like one, move like one, talk like one! There is also something – sub-human – something that has not yet reached the stage of humanity! Yes, something ape-like about him, like one of those photos I saw in anthropological studies! Thousands and thousands of years have passed and there he is, Stanley Kowalski, surviving the Stone Age! (83) Although Blanche believes she is only insulting Stanley to her sister, Stanley is spying from the outside during the entire exchange. These insults have an effect on Stanley, even though he pretends not to like them, as they follow him throughout the play. During Blanche’s birthday dinner, Stella states, “Mr. Kowalski is too busy looking like a pig” and “Your face and fingers are disgustingly greasy” which cause Stanley to throw his plate to the floor and shout, “Don't ever talk to me like that! "Pig - Polish - disgusting - vulgar - fat!" – those kind of words have been on your tongue and your sister is around here too!” (131). Here it is not the fact that Stella is insulting Stanley that provokes his fit of anger, but rather the insults themselves. Stella compares Stanley to an animal like Blanche did when Stanley was eavesdropping. Since “that kind of words” originated from Blanche, his anger is not only directed at the insults but also at Blanche. Examples of Stanley's sexual attraction to Blanche and anger can be seen throughout the play, and it is these examples, along with those in “Scene Ten,” that ultimately testify to the premeditated nature of Stanley's rape of Blanche. Similar to his statements in previous scenes of the play, in “Scene Ten” Stanley continues to acknowledge that he believes Blanche is sexually promiscuous. After Stanley plays cat and mouse with Blanche throughout the scene, Blanche finally tries to escape, asking Stanley to move away from the door. To this Stanley responds: “Do you think I'll interfere with you? Ha-ha!” then, he takes a step towards her, bites his tongue and states softly: “Now that I think about it – maybe it wouldn't hurt – to interfere with…” (161). This is the beginning of Stanley's physical attempt to rape Blanche. Although his sexual attraction, due to her perceived promiscuity, has grown throughout the show, this is its climax. Ultimately, when he discovers that Blanche was known for her sexual escapades in Laurel, his suspicions of her promiscuity are confirmed, factoring into his decision to rape her. Furthermore, after picking up the bottle she's using to repel him, he states, "We've been on this date since the beginning!" (156). Here, Stanley demonstrates that, from the moment they met, he believed Blanche was promiscuous and, more specifically, had flirted with him. This shows that his sexual attraction and subsequent desire for Blanche has increased since their first meeting and consequently that he has always considered this moment. According to Groth's research, sexual attraction alone is not a factor in rape; however, when paired with anger, the two together can influence the decision to rape. Stanley's anger towards Blanche can also be seen in “Scene Ten” and, as earlier in the novel, stems from Blanche's animalistic insults. At the beginning of “Scene Ten,” Stanley goes along with Blanche's insistence on the fact.