What is thought?
Ò Crucial component in play analysis – intellectual focus of the play.
Ò The playwright’s observations about life that motivate writing the play
Ò The playwright’s philosophical, moral or ethical assessment of the world
Ò Subject matter – action & the significance of that action
Ò The consequences of characters’ goals, successes and failures.
Ò Also called as `spine’ – a central core that unites and controls all parts of the unit into a cohesive whole.
Techniques for understanding thought
Ò Internal Evidence
É Subject & Theme
É The Dramatic Triad
É The Major Dramatic Question
É The Play’s Title
Ò External Evidence
É The Playwright’s “Five-Foot Shelf”
É The Playwright’s Personal Observations
É Studies of the Writer
É The Playwright’s Times
É The Playwright’s Theatre
É Influences on the Playwright
É Views of other Theatre People
É Scholarly & Contemporary Critical Works
Internal Evidence
Ò Subject and Theme
É Subject- core of the play, answer to the question – what is the play about?
É Express the answer in a single word or two – justice, revenge, truth, destiny, right versus wrong, etc.
É Theme – the play’s point of view about the subject – express the theme with a phrase or sentence.
Ò The Dramatic Triad
Ò The Point of attack –the play’s first shift in existing equilibrium – What happens in the play?
Ò The Protagonist’s goal – begins with the point of attack and continues until the climax – What does the protagonist want? What is the point of attack? What are the climax?
Ò Thought – it is shown by the play’s action and the protagonist’s goal
Ò The Major Dramatic Question (MDQ)
É It is thrust into the audience’s minds by the point of attack when the protagonist faces a dilemma and must set goals to solve it.
Ò The Play Title
É Title often expresses a great deal of the subject – gain insight into the play’s thought.
External evidence
Ò The Playwright’s `Five-foot Shelf’
É Refers to the belief that every writer consciously or unconsciously seeks to create a personal view of the world.
É Study the playwright’s other works to understand his overall concept of humanity and the world
Ò The Playwright’s Personal Observations on his play
Ò Studies of the Writer
Ò The Playwright’s Times
Ò Influences of the Playwright
Ò Views of Other Theatre People
Ò Scholarly & Contemporary Critical Works.
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