1. Chapter 3

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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)

13. 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)

14. 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)

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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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)

19. 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