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 Lady Bracknell in the Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde 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 SUBELEMENTS (usually character traits) TO GIVE YOU THE PARAGRAPH TOPICS. Through out the play Lady Bracknell asserts her power through contriving, bullying, passive aggression and status. STEP 4: TIE IT ALL BACK TO THE ACTING/DIRECTING PART OF THE QUESTION All areas which are interesting to explore as an actor

EXAMPLE Lady Bracknell in the Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde is a character who is controlling. Controlling means asserting power over others for personal gain. Through out the play Lady Bracknell asserts her power through contriving, bullying, passive aggression and abuse of status. All areas which are interesting to explore as an actor.

Paragraph one Contriving In Act I we see Lady Bracknell questioning Jack regarding his family. Contriving In Act I we see Lady Bracknell questioning Jack regarding his family. How you would act a la standard grade. Firstly, Lady Bracknell is contriving and this helps her to assert her power over other characters in the play. where quote “I feel bound to tell you that you are not down on my list of eligible young men, although I have the same list as the dear Duchess of Bolton has. We work together, in fact. However, I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be what a really affectionate mother requires” Explain how Lady Bracknell is carefully assessing whom her daughter may marry and conniving a plan for her to marry the best possible candidate. Thus asserting her power over both characters. 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.

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.

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

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

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 two, three and four Bullying one Bullying one How you would act a la standard grade. Secondly, Lady Bracknell uses bullying to assert her power over other characters in the play. where quote bla bla bla Explain how This bullying asserts her power over ______ because it …… 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 Lady Bracknell asserting her power through contriving, bullying, passive aggression and status. RELIST YOUR FIRST STATEMENT Therefore, as I have shown through the text and my choices for my portrayal of this character, Lady Bracknell is a powerful character

Controlling means asserting power over others for personal gain. Through out the play we see Lady Bracknell asserting her power through contriving, bullying, passive aggression and status. Therefore, as I have shown through the text and my choices for my portrayal of this character, Lady Bracknell is a powerful character