Description
Contending that there are no right or mistaken answers in play analysis, Rush emphasizes the importance of students developing insights of their own. The process is twofold: be aware the critical terms that are used to define more than a few parts and then apply these to a particular play. Rush clarifies the concepts of plot, character, and language, advancing Aristotle’ s concept of the Four Causes as a method for approaching a play through more than a few critical windows. He describes the essential difference between a story and a play, outlines four ways of having a look at plays, and then takes up the typical structural devices of a well-made play, four primary genres and their hybrids, and a large number of styles, from expressionism to postmodernism.
For Every subject, he defines critical norms and analyzes plays common to the canon. A Student Guide to Play Analysis draws on thoughtful examinations of such dramas as The Cherry Orchard, The Good Woman of Setzuan, Fences, The Little Foxes, A Doll House, The Glass Menagerie, and The Emperor Jones. Every chapter ends with a list of questions so one can guide students in further study.