How to Write a Set Text Essay in a Few Simple Steps.

“Choose a character in your prescribed text that you would consider to be manipulative and/ or controlling. Give reasons for your choice. As an actor, how would you perform this role? INTRO STEP 1: LIKE S1 ANSWER THE QUESTION Abigail in The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a character who is controlling. STEP 2: EXPLAIN WHAT “MANIPULATIVE and/or CONTROLLING” MEANS Controlling means asserting power over others for personal gain. STEP 3: BREAK THAT DOWN INTO 4 DIFFERENT PEOPLE SHE CONTROLS. Throughout the play we see Abigail control/assert her power over Mary Warren, John Proctor, Parris and Danforth. STEP 4: TIE IT ALL BACK TO THE ACTING/DIRECTING PART OF THE QUESTION All of these relationships would be interesting to explore as an actor.

EXAMPLE INTRO Abigail in The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a character who is controlling. Controlling means asserting power over others for personal gain. Throughout the play Abigail asserts her power over Mary Warren, John Proctor, Parris and Danforth. All of these relationships are interesting to explore as an actor.

Paragraph One – you need 2 different examples of/moments when we see Abigail’s controlling behaviour with just Mary Warren. In Act I, we see Abigail threatening Mary Warren in order to keep her quiet. How you would act a la standard grade. We can identify Abigail as controlling through her relationship with Mary Warren, as she asserts power over Mary throughout the play. where quote “I will come to you in the black of the night and serve you a pointy reckoning’ Explain how Abigail is intimidating towards Mary Warren to ensure she does not tell the truth about Abigail’s involvement in witchcraft, to which Mary submits. Thus showing Abigail is controlling. As an actor I would ….. To show…. where quote Explain how How you would act a la standard grade. As an actor I would ….. To show…. One mark Opening sentence explains the paragraph topic.

EXPLAINING HOW IS KEY.... You must always round off your paragraph by first, referring back to your original definition and then, concluding by referring to the question ‘At this moment it is clear Abigail is asserting her power over Mary Warren thus demonstrating that she is a controlling character.’

SQA MARKING GUIDELINES SAY YOU WOULD GET A MARK IF YOU... ‘communicate the aspects of how an actor can convey a controlling character’ You could talk about How the actor would use voice or movement to be controlling How the actor would interact with other characters to be controlling How the actor would interact with the audience to be controlling How the actor would use the space to be controlling How the actor would use their costume to be controlling How the actor would use props to be controlling How the actor would use make-up to be controlling.

VOICE Articulation Fluency Intonation Register Clarity Pause Pitch Accent Pace Timing Tone Volume Emphasis MOVEMENT Stance Balance Body Language Gesture Facial Expression Mime Posture Pace Timing Slow Motion Blocking Masking CHARACTERISATION - the process of developing a character fully Character Role Play -exploring attitudes and beliefs Thought Tracking - when prompted the character says their thoughts out loud Voice in the Head Writing in Role Hot Seating Thought Tunnel -character walks past other characters. Those other characters speak their thoughts outloud usually about the character walking past. CONVENTIONS alternative ways of presenting all or parts of a presentation Slow motion Tableau (C) / Frozen Picture (F) Freeze Frame –action frozen in time Soliloquy Flashback/flash forward Narration Voice Over( recorded speech played during a drama)/ Voice in Head (recall words said by others about a character or situation) Mime Monologue soliloquy OTHER ACTING TECHNIQUES Aside- to audience only Stage whisper Masks stereotype

Lighting Follow Spot Profile Spot Fresnel Flood Light (gauze) Barn Doors Gobo Gel Pyrotechnics Focusing (the lights) Black out Slow fade Cross fade Snap-to Sound Sound cue Cross fade Recorded voice over Set Back cloth Cyclorama Gauze Flies Door Flats Window Flats Flats Scenery Trapdoor Rostra Treads Truck Wings Backstage Staging Venue Thrust Theatre in the round End on Proscenium Arch Avenue Auditorium Revolving Stage Ground plan Key Rake Enter/exit Audience Sight lines Stage Directions Stalls, balcony, dress circle Costume Period Costume Write in super detail for full marks Props objects used by actors Personal Prop Set prop Make Up liners Wax/nose putty Crepe hair Fake blood Latex Spirit gum Makeup pallets Stipple sponge Scarring Skull cap Tooth varnish

I WOULD (tell the actors to) (put a) (use a) VOCAB WORD (that is voice, movement, sound, lights, set, props, costume, makeup) WHERE (on the stage) or WHEN (in the script) TO SHOW …..

Paragraph 2, 3 and 4 – repeat the same process for the three other characters you mentioned in the intro. Remember, two examples /moments for each character. We see Abigail assert power over John Proctor in Act 1. How you would act a la standard grade. Abigail’s controlling behaviour is also demonstrated via her relationship with John Proctor. where quote Explain how As an actor I would ….. To show…. where quote Explain how How you would act a la standard grade. As an actor I would ….. To show…. One mark Opening sentence explains the paragraph topic.

CONCLUSION STEP ONE: RELIST YOUR DEFINITION Controlling means asserting power over others for personal gain STEP TWO: RELIST YOUR PARAGRAPH TOPICS Through out the play we see Abigail asserting her power over the characters of Mary Warren, John Proctor, Parris and Danforth RELIST YOUR FIRST STATEMENT Therefore, as I have shown through the text and my choices for my portrayal of this character, Abigail is a controlling character

Controlling means asserting power over others for personal gain. Through out the play we see Abigail asserting her power over the characters of Mary Warren, John Proctor, Parris and Danforth. Therefore, as I have shown through the text and my choices for my portrayal of this character, Abigail is a controlling character.