dramatic techniques

Question 1

aristotelian tragedy

Answer 1

hero tends to be a person of high birth such as a king

possesses a hamartia which causes their downfall

the tragic hero is not fully in control of their fate, but is at the mercy of the cosmic forces which ultimately determines their tragic destiny

towards the end of the play, the character’s powerful emotions are brought to the surface and ‘purged’ (catharsis) and eventually order is restored as the guilty are punished

pathos (sympathy)

Question 2

the unities

Answer 2

time - traditionally demanding that the play should take place within 24 hours

place - the setting should remain the same throughout

action - the play should centre on the main characters with no subplots and the action should have a satisfying ending

influenced by strindberg, chekhov and ibsen

in the play, there is a clear unity of place - the kowalski’s apartment which represents the closeted tensions of all the characters

time span is usually several months, breaking the 24 hours tradition

centres on blanche dubois and how the subsidiary characters affect her from her initial kindness of her sister, to the resentment of stanley

blanche reminds him of stella’s superior background, something that he can never appreciate - shows unity of action

Question 3

plastic theatre

Answer 3

setting, props, music, sound and visual effects must combine to reflect and enhance the action, themes, characters and language to express universal truths