Chapter 3

Seeing vs. Reading Reading a play is an incomplete experience of the play Seeing music notes, versus hearing the music Seeing the play produce a different effect The text (when reading) leaves blanks for the reader to be filled in Takes time to visualize what is happening during the reading process Takes more effort to understand the play and visualize the appearance

Prelim work Title-it gives important information about the play and provides a clue to the meaning in the play Cast of characters-helps us to understand the personalities, relationships and other physical qualities of a character Opening stage directions-explains the opening moments In media res- in the middle of the action Helps to orient us to the action

While reading, start to develop questions and seek those answers from the text or from other sources. (Time period, physical stage for entrances and exits, etc) Visualize what a stage might look like and contain- read the play through that frame of mind Now that you have prepared your mind for reading the play, keep that visualization in mind

Ending- think about what has happened Where goals achieved by the characters? Where the outcomes serious or playful? Who ended the play better or worse than began it? Make a judgment about the play as a whole

Play Analysis and Aristotle Remember Aristotle was the first person to introduce us to analysis of theatre Six major parts of a play: Plot Character Idea Language Music Spectacle (least important)

Two Important Points 1. The order of the parts is important (the way they are listed) 2. These are parts of a system, integrally related with one another. Each part impacts another part

Plot Exposition Point of Attack-the place that story begins Early Late Action-the central chain of events in the play Bound to the character Successful action in plays have a beginning, middle and end to have wholeness

Action (con) Action begins with a character’s discovery Discovery might lead to reversal (or change in direction of action) The play ends when there is no more action Value of a logical play Helps the audience see the big picture when the character can’t Different from real life-play has the beginning, middle and end and our lives don’t have that small of a scope in the time frame.

Complications-entangling of the action Obstacles get in the way and complicate the action Conflict- the most common type of complication The complication threatens the course of action Caused complications vs. accidental complications Rising action-increase of complications Crisis vs. Climax- crisis means “decisive moment” (Gk)- crisis= major reversal Climax the most exciting moment- refers to audience’s response to the plot.

Falling Action, Resolution or Denouement “The untying”, or unraveling of the complication Crisis passes, complication is resolved Kinds of plots Causal Plot (linear, climatic-we are most familiar with this one) Seen as one event leads to another Single line Multiple line Episodic plot (contextual or thematic) Not a play of causality, but rather by a related idea or concept that might be explored Many contemporary play are arranged this way.

Character Modeled after humans, but is not human Protagonist Lifelike by not real life Protagonist Confidant-character with whom the protagonist confides Antagonist Raisonneur-author’s character-speaks for the author giving the moral or philosophical view Foil-character opposite (brave vs. cowardly)

Clues to Discovering the Character Stage directions as suggestions Other characters’ dialogue Character’s own dialogue Character’s actions Relationships with other characters The plot (most important)-go through trials/events and learn something (we hope)

Idea Two categories Meanings contained with in the play Extrinsic meaning- that which occurs in society and the time in which the play take place Every play has some type of meaning, even if it is silly Idea comes from the plot, organization, character Revealed in language (such as the speech of the raisonneur or speech to a confidant)

Language Speeches of the characters share important meanings about the play Repeated images or metaphors carry meaning (revealed through language)

Music Helps establish mood through rhythm It’s related to language in how it reveals more about the plot, characters, or ideas In nonmusicals, poetry helps provide this sense of musicality.

Spectacle Visual component to the action Provide enough so that the audience can engage with their imagination Color of costume, symbols displayed on stage Always works on the sense of sight Imagination of the reader and in the actual performance should hopefully suggest the same meaning

Response Analysis of the play should be organized, informed and defensible (you can find information that supports your ideas) Respond based on Aristotle’s six ideas Respond based on genre (the kind or type)

Genre Review Tragedy-human decision is central to tragic action-sad ending Comedy- issues are usually social or mundane (everyday), human decision is limited, happy ending Tragicomedy-combination of above; serious play and happy ending or vice versa Melodrama-serious issue with extremes; issue is less profound than it is made out to be; good is rewarded and evil is punished Farce-comic work to get people to laugh; mechanical