Millers Use of Stage Directions Essay Example
Explore Millers use of stage directions, setting and props in Act one; language analysis and conventions of tragedy.
Plan:
* Stage directions – opening stage directions, set the scene for the audience, and give background information on a few of the characters present. * They are descriptive which can give the audience a visual of the characters, and what kind of personality they have. E.g. ‘Keller is nearing sixty. A heavy man of stolid mind and build, a business man these many years....’ * They help the audience see who each character is talking to and perhaps the tone they use. * They introduce new characters coming onto stage and describe them. * They show the directions of the characters and their actions etc. E.g. ‘(coming down to settee)’, ‘(He sits on settee.)’ * Lets the audience know when a character enters or exits stage. * Setting – description of the setting in the opening ‘stage directions’ it is important for Miller to describe the setting as it gives the audience a overview on where it is set and whether it is of importance to the play. * ‘The backyard of the Keller home in the outskirts of an American town. August of our era.’ It goes on to describe more of the set on stage and the position of the characters. * Setting doesn’t change – link to conventions of tragedy, happens in one place over 24 hours. * Setting is convenient for the era, post war. * Is a domestic setting, but both domestic and epic tragedy. * Props – useful, and compliment the speech. * Newspaper – ironic, bad news all the time, uninterested in it, only like want ads, what people want is fascinating. * Tree – memorial for son, topic of conversation for most of Act one, most important prop, it has meaning to characters. * Toaster – shows that the characters fix things for themselves now, either can’t afford a new one or the impact of war have effected how people view things.
Plan:
* Stage directions – opening stage directions, set the scene for the audience, and give background information on a few of the characters present. * They are descriptive which can give the audience a visual of the characters, and what kind of personality they have. E.g. ‘Keller is nearing sixty. A heavy man of stolid mind and build, a business man these many years....’ * They help the audience see who each character is talking to and perhaps the tone they use. * They introduce new characters coming onto stage and describe them. * They show the directions of the characters and their actions etc. E.g. ‘(coming down to settee)’, ‘(He sits on settee.)’ * Lets the audience know when a character enters or exits stage. * Setting – description of the setting in the opening ‘stage directions’ it is important for Miller to describe the setting as it gives the audience a overview on where it is set and whether it is of importance to the play. * ‘The backyard of the Keller home in the outskirts of an American town. August of our era.’ It goes on to describe more of the set on stage and the position of the characters. * Setting doesn’t change – link to conventions of tragedy, happens in one place over 24 hours. * Setting is convenient for the era, post war. * Is a domestic setting, but both domestic and epic tragedy. * Props – useful, and compliment the speech. * Newspaper – ironic, bad news all the time, uninterested in it, only like want ads, what people want is fascinating. * Tree – memorial for son, topic of conversation for most of Act one, most important prop, it has meaning to characters. * Toaster – shows that the characters fix things for themselves now, either can’t afford a new one or the impact of war have effected how people view things.