How to respond to a play

Question 1

;; UNDERSTANDING

• Context

When was the play written?

Answer 1

1600s

Question 2

Where is it set?

Answer 2

Venice/Cyprus

Question 3

What do you know about society at the time it was written?

Answer 3

play was written before novels existed

Question 4

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?

Answer 4

English people

Question 5

Who is the playwright? What do you know about them? Why did they write this play?

Answer 5

Shakespeare

Question 6

• What is the play about?

Where is it set? Time, place, era.

Question 7

What kind of setting or staging is utilised?

Question 8

What happens? What is the main plot? Is there a subplot?

Question 9

How does the play begin and end?

Question 10

What are the themes?

Question 11

How does the action progress? What are the conflicts?

Question 12

• 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?

Question 12

• Characters

Who are the characters? What are their roles?

How do they act/speak?

Question 13

What do they add to the play?

Question 14

Do you like/dislike them? Why?

Question 15

How do they change or develop? Why?

Question 16

How do they interact with others?

Question 17

What do they represent?

Question 18

How do they link to the themes?

Question 19

• What methods are used by the playwright?

Symbolism

Effect

Question 20

Dramatic devices, language, imagery, circular structure

What is the effect of each?

Question 21

Poetic form -

iambic pentametre ; DRAMATIC DEVICE

IF DIALOGUE STARTS VERY RIGHT, character’s line is completing the iambic pentametre

Answer 21

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

Question 22

TYPES OF DIALOGUE: Poetry, Prose

Some dialogue written in prose; pg 97, prose: which is…

Answer 22

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

Question 23

poetic foot is a

Answer 23

basic repeated sequence of meter composed of two or more accented or unaccented syllables.

Question 24

Blank verse

Answer 24

NO rhyming
each line has an internal rhythm w/ a regular rhythmic pattern

Question 25

Rhyming verse, rhyming couplet

• at the end of a speech
• often at the end of a soliloquy (one character’s speech to the audience)

Question 26

what is an ancient (iago’s rank)

Answer 26

Ancient is a designation of rank in the military. It is also sometimes called ensign or standard-bearer (flag-bearer)

It is a relatively low rank, and Iago resents that he has such a low rank as compared to Cassio, who is inexperienced and young. Cassio is Othello’s lieutenant.