A Script Checklist

Author(s): Claude M. Steiner

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SCRIPT CHECKLIST 111

early in life (fourth to seventh year) as a result of a decision, which in turn deter-
mines the position from which all transactionsin the script will be played. Scripts
are of two kinds, constructive or tragic; the former is the result of a healthy
decision ("... an adaptable but inflexible statement of purpose") and the latter of a
pathological decision ("... a verb absolute... that leaves no room for adaptation
because of its absoluteness"').
The following articles elucidate these concepts in general and specifically. Both
were originally published in the TransactionalAnalysis Bulletin. The first presents
a checklist, covering all possible considerations in delineating an individual's
script, while the second presents a specific example of the checklist at work for a
character taken from drama.2
ARTHUR WAGNER

A SCRIPT CHECKLIST

M.STEINER
CLAUDE
In the practice of script analysis it be- supposed to do, or the outlines of the pa-
comes important to collect a certain list of tient's life. It should be possible to state it
items, colloquially called a script checklist in a succinct sentence such as "Drink my-
(based on an idea by S. Karpman and M. self to death," "Almost always succeed-
Groder). ing," "Killing myself," "Going crazy," or
"Never having fun." The life course is best
Because of the various referents given to stated in the first person singular and in
the word script, it is suggested that script
language understandable to an eight-year-
properly refers to this checklist and that old, to emphasize that it represents the pa-
ideally, when talking about a patient's tient's early formulation of what his life
script, the observer is referring to the course would be. The life course is usual-
whole checklist rather than to one or a
few of the items. Thus, on this basis, ly easy to surmise and is almost always
embodied in the patient's presenting prob-
"White's injunction is 'Don't think!'" is lem.
a more accurate statement than "White's
script is 'don't think.'" The checklist is pre- Counterscript:During the periods when the
sented in the order in which the items person seems to be escaping the script's life
seem to be most easily obtained. Collo- course, he engages in activities which seem
to be departuresfrom the script. These ac-
quialismsare included in parentheses.
tivities form the counterscript. This repre-
Life course: This is what the patient is sents acquiescence to a cultural and/or Par-

lEric Berne, Principles of Group Treatment (New York: Grove Press, 1966), p. 269.
'For detailed descriptions and definitions of terms found in the two articles (decisions,
positions, stamps, rackets, injunctions, etc.), see ibid., pp. 209-232,259-290.

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112 CLAUDE M. STEINER

ental demand such as the Alcoholic "being whereby patients with similar scripts will
on the wagon," "drinking socially," etc. structure time. With alcoholics the pastime
(TAB 5:18-133).3 is Alcoholic with the various sub-forms out-
lined by Karpman (TAB 4:16-74) such as
Four sub-items of the life course are the
D.T.'s (have you ever had), cirrhosis (is
decision, the position, a mythical hero, and it the eating), diseasevs. habit, etc.
a somatic component. The decision is the
exact time when the life course and posi- It is while playing the pastime that the
tion (OK, not OK) were embraced. The
gallows transaction is likely to take place.
mythical hero is the character out of real In the case of the alcoholic, White tells
life, history, or fiction that the person's life the audience about last week's bender
course is intended to emulate. The life while the audience (including perhaps the
course is the reaction to a negative in-
therapist) beams with delight. The smile of
junction and this reaction usually has a the Children in the audience parallels and
physiological component. "Think sphinc- reinforces the smile of the witch mother
ter" (TAB 5:20-172) is the basis for dis- or ogre who is pleased when White obeys
covery in this area, but any muscle or set the injunction, and in effect tightens the
of muscles may be involved (tear glands, noose aroundWhite's neck.
neck muscles, heart, etc.).
Parental injunction: This is composed of The payoff (stamps, racket, sweatshirt):
two aspects: the enjoiner-the witch moth- The stamps represent the kind of effect
er or ogre or more generally the father's or accompanying the end of the game: anger,
mother's crazy Child; and the injunction depression, sadness, etc. The act of pursu-
(TAB 5:18-133). ing and collecting the stamps is the racket.
Every person has his own individualized
The injunction is currently thought to be racket and type of stamps. The sweatshirt
always an inhibiting statement: "Don't refers to the fact that people prominently
think!" "Don't move!" "Don't be asser- display their racket on their chests, so to
tive!" or "Don't look!" If the injunction is speak, as an advertisement to willing
not preceded by a "Don't," or if it is too players.
complicated, it has not been distilled to its
most basic meaning. Therefore, the injunc- The tragic ending (trade-in): This is of
tion "Consume excessive quantities of alco- importance to therapists treating hamartic
hol!" is probably not the last word while (self-destructive) scripts. The tragic end-
"Don't think!" may be. ing is usually specific as to time, place, and
method. It is like an M.O. (modus oper-
The program: This is the manner in which andi) which characterizes each individual.
the parent of the same sex taught the
youngster how to comply with the injunc- Suicidal persons will stick to a certain form
tion coming (usually) from the parent of of suicide, thus affording the
therapist a
the opposite sex. Thus, if the injunction is script antithesis which is intended to dis-
"Don't think!" the program may be arm the self destructive injunction. If the
"Drink," "Fog out," or "Have a tantrum." tragic ending is death through drinking, the
The game: This is the transactional event script antithesis to it is "Stop drinking!"
that produces the payoff which advances plus Antabuse, and in extreme cases remov-
the script. It appears that for every script al of available alcohol by whatever means
there is one basic game of which all the necessary. The script antithesis does not
of the script but it buys time dur-
person's other games are variants. Thus for dispose
a "kill myself" life course the game might ing which treatment can lead to the aban-
be Alcoholic with variants such as Debtor, donment of it. The script antithesis has
Kick Me, and Cops and Robbers, all of been clinically tested by the writer with
which produce the same payoff, namely very clear results. The most impressive re-
sult of a script antithesis is found when the
stamps that can be traded for a free drunk.
hears, as he is about to leap off the
The pastime: This is the social device patient the voice of the
bridge, therapist saying
"Don't jump!"
3 References are to Transactional Analysis The therapist'srole: This is the role which
Bulletin, edited by Eric Berne. the patient expects the therapist to play

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HAMLET S SCRIPT CHECKLIST 113

when he applies for treatment. With alco- your name and why? When do you ex-
holics the role commonly expected of ther- pect to die, how, and what will be written
apists is the one of patsy. The patsy ana- on your tombstone? What will you be do-
lyzes dreams instead of noticing (and per- ing five years from now if everything goes
haps removing) the flask in the patient's well? If everything goes badly? What is
hip pocket. your main bad feeling? What is wrong
Certain questions have been found to yield with you? Which one of your parents had
considerable information about the script. the same thing wrong?
The following are good examples: What is Reprinted from TAB 6:22 (April, 1967), 38,
your favorite fairy tale? What was your by permission.
favorite childhood game? What was your
childhood nickname? Which parent chose

HAMLET:HISSCRIPTCHECKLIST
WARREND. CHENEY
As the only son of a sexy, oedipally-at- er from that incestuous, adulterous murder-
tached mother and an aloof, olympian, er uncle, rectify all that's rotten in Den-
warrior-father, Hamlet when first seen is mark.
27-28 years old, living at home, single and
Hamlet's position, repeatedly confirmed, is
unemployed. By modern standards he "I'm not OK, you're not OK." The couch-
would be classified as a playboy, having no
serious occupation or responsibilities, no like soliloquy, "now I am alone," shows the
I'm-not-OK position with pathological in-
military, governmental, or court duties, not
even an estate of his own to administer. tensity as he likens himself to "a muddy-
mettled rascal, . . . a coward . . . pigeon-
The presenting condition appears within livered and lack gall... an ass... a very
three minutes after his initial speech as he drab, a scullion," these epithets followed by
lays bare deep seated anguish and begs: "0, the deploring of "my weakness [of will]
that this too, too solid flesh would melt..." and my melancholy." Schizoid thoughts
As the case history unfolds, most of the feeding this position mark Hamlet's first
data needed to start a script checklist and dialogue with Rosencrantz and Guilden-
establish a working diagnosis are in hand by stern (II, ii): "Denmark is a prison... I
the end of Act II, which concludes with the have bad dreams ... I have of late lost all
revealing "now I am alone" soliloquy. The my mirth ... the earth seems to me a sterile
balance of the play yields more and more promontory... man delights me not; no,
symptomatology. Hamlet's behavior and atti- nor woman neither."
tudes are marked by impotency of deci- These latter lines illustrate also Hamlet's
sion, loss of reality contact, convoluted and Ain't It Awful game. But of course, the
disoriented thinking, bizarre behavior, irra-
game he plays the hardest is Wooden Leg;
tionality, frequent moods of depression, re- actually, he provides us with a virtually
peated urges to homicide and suicide. classic example of the "Plea of Insanity,"
The first soliloquy supplies the life course a plea uncommonly well delineated in the
"I should kill myself." Unfortunately, the last scene of the play as he says to Laertes:
record does not provide data that would "What I have done that might your na-
allow establishing the date of the decision. ture, honour, and exception roughly awake
As for counterscript, Hamlet voices several I here proclaim was madness. Was it Ham-
ideas that appeal to him in this area: re- let wronged Laertes? Never Hamlet. If
venge my father's murder, rescue my moth- Hamlet from himself had been taken away,

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