Longman Analysis – Page 2

VERTICAL ANALYSIS

(Longman 109-110)

 THREE  FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS

1. How is this play different from actuality?

2. Why is the play different in this way?

3. What is this play about?

THE FIRST READING  Before reading: consider title, cast of characters, set description, time & place€¦ Then, a fairly quick, quiet reading of the script  (in one sitting €¦)  Then, reflect on€¦the concluding action and its final effect.  Make Some Tentative Notes:

  1. Where is the crux moment, the climax when all tension snapped?
  2. What are the two sides of the tension that snapped?
  3. Has it operated throughout the play? (If not, may have mistaken the climax)
  4. At what point in the early stage of the play did the driving force emerge to
  5. work against resistance?
  6. Are the climax moments of the formal segments (acts & scenes) related to the overall tension?
  7. Does the play have a protagonist, and if so, who is it?
  8. What tensions emerge in relation to the context of the play:between the present and past?or between the place of the action and places beyond our view?
  9. What is the nature of the audience’s involvement?
  10. How does the play open to us?
  11. What is asked of us in terms of emotional involvement and critical assessment?
  12. Note any questions that you may have€¦.

SECOND READING (the closest reading)[You know where the action is going, so you can be much more alert to how it gets there.]

  1. Consider again: the title, the cast of characters, the set description — what do they suggest about the world of the play, its probability, and set of tensions?
  2. Make pencil marks in the scripts at those moments where when the tension shifts & realigns itself.
  3. Mark the major reversals, the landmark moments that begin new sequences of actions.
  4. Towards the end of each formal segment, look for and  mark the climax, the moment when tension snaps.
  5. Note significant statements, passages, or dramatic effects and mark them with check-mark.
  6. Stay mindful of the uses being made of scenery, lights, costumes, sounds, and  properties.
  7. What is the relationship between the actor and the character? Are we asked to forget that actors are playing these parts? Or are we reminded in some way that the performers are not really the characters?
  8. Check your earlier notes in light of this more thorough reading.  Make new, more detailed notes.

THIRD READING

[A fairly quick, double-check reading – best done in one sitting]

  1. Look for things this time that might contradict your thinking. Play devil’s advocate with yourself.
  2. At end — polish & refine your notes.
  3. Did any questions arise in this reading that call out for explanation?

Now — what is the play about?