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University of Pamplona Anglophone Literature: Analysis of A Play

This document provides guidance on analyzing a play by outlining 11 key elements to examine: 1) the author and how their life is reflected in the work, 2) themes, 3) characters, 4) actions, 5) plot, 6) soliloquies/monologues, 7) conflicts, 8) time, 9) symbolism and imagery, 10) key lines, and 11) setting. Plays are meant to be performed, not just read, so these elements can reveal deeper meaning through how the play conveys its messages, develops characters, and moves the story along through actions and conflicts over time. The analysis should consider each element's role and how it contributes to the overall power and themes of the

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Adriana Suarez
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151 views2 pages

University of Pamplona Anglophone Literature: Analysis of A Play

This document provides guidance on analyzing a play by outlining 11 key elements to examine: 1) the author and how their life is reflected in the work, 2) themes, 3) characters, 4) actions, 5) plot, 6) soliloquies/monologues, 7) conflicts, 8) time, 9) symbolism and imagery, 10) key lines, and 11) setting. Plays are meant to be performed, not just read, so these elements can reveal deeper meaning through how the play conveys its messages, develops characters, and moves the story along through actions and conflicts over time. The analysis should consider each element's role and how it contributes to the overall power and themes of the

Uploaded by

Adriana Suarez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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University of Pamplona

Anglophone Literature
ANALYSIS OF A PLAY

After analyzing poetry, you will know how important the details are. Vocabulary,
rhythm, meter, and tone are all very important. It is true that analyzing a scene or a
play has some similarities to analyzing poetry but, as you'll soon see, analyzing
plays has some characteristics all of its own. Remember, plays were meant to be
performed for an audience, not simply read.

1.It is important to read about the author and how his/her life is reflected in the
piece of work

2.Theme How has the playwright emphasized the play's theme? Through images?
characters? action? and/or direct statements? Is the theme negative? How
negative? Where is the theme first introduced? By whom? How does the central
action of the play reveal the theme? Does the play's ending reinforce the principle
theme? How? Are sub-themes important?

3. Characters Playwrights often try to convey many of their messages through the
way they depict characters. Consider points such as whether the character has a
major or minor role in the central action of the play, how other characters react to
him/her, what happens to the character throughout the play, what changes does
he/she undergo, what his/her fate is, his/her place in society, as well as any
strengths or weaknesses. What does a character reveal about him/herself through
speech and action? How fully developed is the character? Are we led to like or
dislike a character?

4. Actions Are the actions physical or mental? Do they seem forced or do they
appear to occur naturally? Are they coincidental or are they the result of much
planning and scheming? How many people and which characters are involved in,
or suffer from, the actions of the play? What are the results of the action?

5. Plot How does the plot evolve from act to act and from scene to scene (do not
simply retell what happens)? Is suspense used? How effectively? How do conflicts
help develop the plot? What is the significance of any subplots? How unified is the
plot? Where is the climax? How is the action resolved in the conclusion? Is the play
a tragedy, a comedy? How can you tell?

6. Soliloquies/Monologues
At what point in the action do they occur? What do they reveal about the speaker?
What is their tone? What is the speaker's mood? Does the speaker talk of taking
action or is he/she giving you his/her philosophy of life? Is the speaker's train of
thought rational? Treat the soliloquies to the same close reading as you would a
poem; for example, consider imagery, symbolism, diction. Are asides used as
opposed to soliloquies? to what effect?

7. Conflict Where does the conflict lie? Is it between two characters or within a
character or between a character and his/her surroundings? How are they
developed? How are they resolved? Is the central conflict reinforced by other
conflicts –between minor characters or in the setting (a storm, perhaps.)

8. Time Does the play take place over a short or a long period of time? Does a lot
of time elapse between the scenes or in between the important actions? Are the
characters preoccupied with time? Is the play set in actual time, where the stage
time is the same as real-life time?

9. Symbolism and Imagery Playwrights often use symbolism and imagery.


Characters are often representations of something else. Actions, objects, and
props may also be symbolic. What images are used? How powerful are they?
Does the imagery extend through the entire play, an entire scene, or is it only used
once? How does the imagery help bring out the theme?

10. Key Lines Often an entire theme of a play can rest on a single line, as in a
Shakespearean scene. The theme of deceit in MacBeth is seen clearly in the line
"Look the innocent flower but be the serpent under it." The theme of guilt in
MacBeth is also seen vividly in Lady Macbeth's fervent crying, "Out, out damn
spot!" and in the way that the action had "murdered sleep" for her. Respond to the
emotions lying beneath the written lines. They may be vital to the meaning of the
play.

11. Setting Does the setting have a particular significance? Does it add to the
mood of the play? Does the setting change and, consequently, the mood or the
symbolism involved?

The above points should not simply be applied to each and every play. Instead, think
about each play and the separate actions that take place in it. Remember, the closer you
read and study a play, the more you will experience its power and beauty.

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