Analysis begins by asking what factors about the play shaped your response.

  the orchestra, the performance and dancing area for actors and chorus, which was utilized by Greek theater to inform audiences of what happens "off stage." (i.e. no murders or suicides were shown; instead, a messenger would inform the characters of the news).





• lighting is used to show illusion of time, highlight an action, or emphasize an event or character. Lighting is more complicated today than it was in ancient times, because plays used to be shown only outside.
  
• costumes are used to portray age, class, profession or ethnic culture.



 


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• structure - The way a play is organized into sections. Most plays are divided into acts and scenes.
  

  Ancient Greek drama did not use acts and scenes but had a system of divisions which were:
  

  
  
  • prologue (exposition) - the introductory speech given to the audience at the beginning of the play.
    
  • parados (entry of chorus) - the parados is the song chanted by the chorus on their entry. Their song is usually about the action of the play and helps to build emotion in the audience.
    
  • episodes - modern drama would call these scenes, or acts. There are usually four or five episodes. Each episode consists of dialogue and action that takes place in one location at one time. Each is separated by a choric interlude, or the strophe and antistrophe.
    
  • choric interlude - immediately follows each of the episodes. Like the parados, these are songs or odes performed by the chorus. They serve to comment on the characters' actions, express emotion, and explain the plot. Also, because Greek theatre had no curtain, the interludes indicate a change of scene.
    
    
    
    • strophe and antistrophe - these are terms that describe the chorus' movement from one side of the stage to the other. For the strophe, they are on one side of the stage, and for the antistrophe, they move to the other. When the chorus speaks outside of these interludes, directly with the characters, their lines are said by only one member of the chorus, their leader (Miller 38).
    
    
  • exodus - the final scene and resolution.
  
  

  The ancient Greek episodic structural pattern gradually evolved into a five part division of action. By the 16^th century, most plays had five acts with as many scenes as needed. The playwright determines how many acts and scenes the play will have.

  
  

  A traditional play follows the structural pattern of a traditional short story or novel. It has an introduction (exposition), conflict, climax, and a resolution (denouement).

  
  

   

  
  

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• characterization - the way the actor portrays the character's qualities and faults.
  

  The actor plays a role that animates the character's:
  

  
  
  • traits
    
  • moral qualities
    
  • physical presence
    
  • voice
  
  

  Qualities of a personality may be either physical and superficial (external) or psychological and spiritual (internal). Characters can possess both types of traits.

  
  

  External characteristics (characteristics that flat, one-dimensional characters possess):
  

  
  
  • names
    
  • physical appearance
    
  • physical nature
    
  • manner of speech and accent
    
  • manner of dress
    
  • social status
    
  • class
    
  • education
    
  • friends
    
  • family
    
  • community interests
  
  

  Internal characteristics (characters that round, multi-dimensional characters possess):
  

  
  
  • thoughts
    
  • feelings
    
  • emotions
  
  

  Types of Characters:
  

  
  
  • protagonist - the main character of a play, the one who is the center of action and holds your attention.
    
  • antagonist (or villain) - the character who causes problems for the protagonist. Example:
    
    
    
    1. In Shakespeare's play, Othello, Othello is the protagonist and Iago is the antagonist (Desdemona can also be considered to be a protagonist).
       
    2. In the fairy tale and movie, Cinderella, Cinderella is the protagonist and her wicked step mother is the antagonist.
    
    
  • foil - the character that acts as the butt of the jokes. Also a character used to show contrast with the main character.
    
  • confidant/confidante - friend or servant of the antagonist or portagonist who by "listening" provides the audience with a window into what the major characters are thinking and feeling. Example:
    
    
    
    1. In Othello, Desdemona's nurse acts as her confidant.
       
    2. In Cinderella, the friendly mice serve as Cinderella's confidants.
  
  
  
  
  • stock characters - superficial roles. (Ex: comic, victim, simpleton/fool, braggart, pretender).
    

     

    
    

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  • theme - the central purpose or message of the play as developed by the playwright (i.e. the playwright's message for the audience).
    

     

    
    

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  • dramatic irony - the contrast between what the character thinks the truth is and what the audience knows the truth to be. This occurs when the speaker fails to recognize the irony of his actions. For example, if the speaker were to put a curse on the murderer without realizing that he himself is the murderer, then he would have unwittingly cursed himself.
    

    Example:

    
    

    
    

    In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus places a curse on the murderer of Laios, not realizing that he was actually that murderer. Since the audience has information of which Othello is ignorant, they recognizes the significance of Othello's actions, while he does not. 
     

  
  

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  Kennedy, X. J. Literature, An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry and Drama. 3^rd ed. Boston: Little Brown, 1983.