How to respond to a play Flashcards
Everything - all questions [context, etc]
;; UNDERSTANDING
- Context
When was the play written?
1600s
Where is it set?
Venice/Cyprus
What do you know about society at the time it was written?
play was written before novels existed
Who were the intended audience? What were they like? How would they have reacted to the play? Is this different to how a modern audience would react?
English people
Who is the playwright? What do you know about them? Why did they write this play?
Shakespeare
- What is the play about?
Where is it set? Time, place, era.
What kind of setting or staging is utilised?
What happens? What is the main plot? Is there a subplot?
How does the play begin and end?
What are the themes?
How does the action progress? What are the conflicts?
- What is the genre?
Is this a tragedy, comedy, romance? How do you know?
To what extent is this genre adhered to?
Is there a subgenre?
- Characters
Who are the characters? What are their roles?
How do they act/speak?
What do they add to the play?
Do you like/dislike them? Why?
How do they change or develop? Why?
How do they interact with others?
What do they represent?
How do they link to the themes?
- What methods are used by the playwright?
Symbolism
Effect
Dramatic devices, language, imagery, circular structure
What is the effect of each?
Poetic form -
iambic pentametre ; DRAMATIC DEVICE
IF DIALOGUE STARTS VERY RIGHT, character’s line is completing the iambic pentametre
iam - 2 syllables
pent - 5
10 syllable ‘foot’
unstressed, stressed
Some dialogue written in iambic pentametre - 5 groups of 2 syllables. Pg 96, poetry
more refined way of speaking/delivering lines; upper-class; thoughtful about what they’re saying; shows quick back and forth dialogue btwn 2 characters;
+ creates a specific atmosphere
TYPES OF DIALOGUE: Poetry, Prose
Some dialogue written in prose; pg 97, prose: which is…
words carry on, no syllable constant
Prose: generally less refined way of speaking [lower class characters speak this],
- sneaking, up to no good; secretive conversations
poetic foot is a
basic repeated sequence of meter composed of two or more accented or unaccented syllables.
