Play Analysis: Character

Hi friends! Today we are continuing with our play analysis series. Last time we talked about theatrical contracts. Today we’ll be diving into the characters that drive the plot along. By analyzing the characters — their relationships, their thoughts and feelings about each other, their actions, their motivations that create conflict, etc. you can understand the play as a whole. As we discussed in my previous post about given circumstances, we can find this information from the dialogue as well as the stage directions.

Relationships:

It’s important to identify the existing relationships between characters in the play, whether they be social, familial, work, religious, or total strangers. Most modern plays have relatively small casts which makes this task an easy one, but most musicals or non modern plays have larger casts and keeping track of all the relationships can be confusing, especially when a character is called by different names such as with King Henry IV in Shakespeare’s play Richard the II. For visual people, mapping out the relationships on paper can be helpful.

We also need to know the quality of the relationships. Is their relationship close? Strained? Awkward? Jealous? Bored? Angry? etc. For example, in East of Eden by John Steinbeck, the two brothers, Charles and Adam, have a complex relationship. They love each other, but they are also jealous of each other and of their relationship with their father. They have different personalities and moral views and, therefore, often disagree. A similar relationship is seen in Adam’s two sons as well. A symbol of generational hurt.

Responding to given circumstances:

Each character responds to their given circumstances differently. What might bother one character might not even phase another. Religion might effect one character most while another is effected by economics or politics most. These differences in response create conflict. For example, in the play Antigone by Sophocles, conflict is built from the Creon valuing the state more while Antigone values religion and family more.

Simple verses complex behavior:

In the examples I’ve given so far, the behavior has been complex, meaning more than one dimensional. The characters act like real people with complex feelings and motivations — acting differently with each character they come in contact with. Simple behaviors are often seen in comedies such as Noises Off and Tartuffe. The characters are one dimensional and often act the same way towards one person as with the next. They are also typically stock characters such as the lover, the fool, the villain, etc. For example, in Tartuffe, the maid, Dourine, is impertinent with every person she interacts with and in every situation. There are no levels to her.

Tactics:

In acting classes, one of the first things you learn about is tactics. A tactic is defined as the means by which a character gets what she wants. Something to remember: while a character’s behaviors might be simple, their tactics can still change. Dourine might always be impertinent, but she uses different tactics to get what she wants. She uses confrontation with Madame Pernelle but hints at a “silly rumor” with Orgon to induce shame. Two very different tactics.

Point of view:

Like real people, characters see the world from their own perspectives. To get the complete picture, the analyst must take note of how each character sees the world and the other characters. Is one character viewed much the same way by all, or are there multiple points of view?

Dialogue:

As previously mentioned, details about characters can be gotten from their speech. From the way a person talks, you can find out whether they’ve been educated, whether they are intelligent, what they care about, and sometimes even where they are from, among other details. One might be uneducated, but they can still be intelligent. A character might be from the nobility with a grand education, but they lack common sense. These characteristics are not opposites. For example, in the musical Newsies, Jack’s speech tells us much about him. Let’s look at snippet from the show.

                   "You shouldn't be callin' people
                   ugly little shrimps. Oscar. Unless
                   you're referrin; to the family
                   resemblance in your brother here."

From this line, we an tell that Jack is a caring and protective person. We can also tell that he’s witty and not afraid of throwing out insults, whatever the consequences might be. Language also reveals a character’s thought process as it goes from one line to another. Something the character has thought, seen, or heard leads him to say every line.

We can also tell physical actions by dialogue. This is called implied stage directions and is often found in plays with little to no actual stage directions such as Shakespeare. The physical stage directions might be blatantly said by a character to another, or they may be implied. The scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet at the party is a famous example of this. It never blatantly says that he takes her hand or that they kiss, but it’s strongly implied.

Conflict:

At the center of any good plot is conflict. Without conflict, there is no interest. Conflict is created by opposition in the characters’ wants and needs or in other words, their goals and tactics. The conflict might be small and seemingly nonexistent such as Juliet’s initial resistance to Romeo’s flirtation, or it might be blatant such as their family feud keeping them apart. How a character reacts to conflict gives us information about his central values. Romeo and Juliet sacrifice everything to be together, making romantic love the most important value to them.

Questions to Ponder:

1. Who are the major characters?
2. What are the existing relationships among the characters? Are they social, work, religious, or familial?
3. What are the qualities of the relationships at the start of the play and throughout?
4. What given circumstances affect each character most?
5. Which characters are simple, and which are complex?
6. How do they behave differently towards different people?
7. What does each character say about himself? What does he say about others?
8. What do the characters say about each other?
9. What do you learn about the characters from the stage directions?
10. What do you learn about the characters from their language? (Education, relationships, circumstances, their thought process, etc.)
11. What goals and tactics do apposing characters pursue?
12. What do you learn about the characters from their moments of greatest conflict?

Understanding the characters is so important when putting on a show. They are the heart and soul of the plot, after all. Thanks for reading! XOXO!

Sources:

Cal Pritner, Scott Walters. Introduction to Play Analysis. Waveland Press, Inc. 2005. Print.