STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
THEA 291 Dr. Larsen
I. Structure is pattern; the principle
of organization apparent in the relationship among the parts of a play.
II. A play is organized as a pattern
of events.
A. The structure of a play is partly a
result of the unique ratio between story and plot.
1. A play's story is made up of
all the play reveals about the character's past and present.
2. A play's plot is
made up of those events from the story chosen by the playwright for
representation.
3. The ratio of plot to story varies
widely from play to play; sometimes the playwright dramatizes only one or a few
climactic events, sometimes the story and the plot are nearly coextensive.
4. Learn to distinguish
between past action or off-stage action and present, dramatized action. In your
reading notes, keep track of information about past or off-stage action
discussed or implied in the dialog and stage directions.
B. Learn to recognize the eventfulness
of dramatized action. An event is the main happening in an episode in the
unfolding plot of the play. We will
call these French scenes (A French scene can be determined when a
character enters or exits, OR there is a shift in the action in the play).
1. Examine each act or scene of a play
and locate the French scenes and the events contained in them.
2. Give each French scene a title, and
try to characterize the type of activity represented in the event. EXAMPLE; The
School for Scandal begins with a scene between Lady Sneerwell and her
henchman, Snake. In the scene., Lady Sneerwell reviews with her agent the
progress being made in several schemes to slander her acquaintances, and Snake
pumps her for information about her motive in the scheme involving Sir Peter
Teazle and his family. Snake outlines the relationship of Sir Peter to Charles
and Joseph Surface and to Maria, and Lady Sneerwell explains her motive to
destroy the relationship between Charles and Maria. The fs could be called
"Lady Sneerwell's plans," and the eventfulness of the fs is a product
of Snake and Sneerwell trying to coordinate their understanding of the complex
Teazle family situation they are manipulating by means of scandalous lies.
C. When each fs has been named and the
eventfulness of each fs determined, try to characterize the relationship
between french scenes.
1. Examine the subtitles you
have created to see if any pattern emerges. Name or describe that pattern.
2. Often the title of the play
will name or imply the pattern of the French scenes and events.
D. Organize the cast of characters in patterns
that support or test the validity of patterns of events you nave noted. Look
for couples, trios (menage a trois), quartets (or contrasting couples),
solitary figures; look for families and for social and political groupings
within the cast of characters. The format of characters coordinates with the
structure of events.
E. Locate the most emphatic moment in
each of the most important fs.
Which of these is the most emphatic moment in the play? What events lead
up to this climax? What events follow it?
F. Summarize your observations in a
paragraph of 100 words or less in answer to the question "What happens
in Hamlet?Ó Your answer should make clear the pattern
of events in the play.
Assignment
You will be analyizing Act II of Hamlet.
Format
Content
B: 1 & 2
above. Do that for the first 5 French
scenes in Act II.
C: 1 (you may have to do B for more than 5 in order to do C, but I only need to see 5)
E: for the 5 fs in B
F except you will
answer: What happens in Act II? Then explain why that act is important
in terms of the entire play as conclusion.