What you'll learn
How to analyse an extract from a play you have not studied.
What to analyse
- Dialogue: what it reveals about character and relationships; subtext.
- Stage directions and stagecraft: movement, setting, tone of delivery.
- Dramatic techniques: conflict, tension, dramatic irony, pace.
- The dramatic effect on the audience in performance.
Writing the answer
- Remember drama is written to be performed — consider the audience's experience.
Exam tips
- Analyse both dialogue and stage directions.
- Link techniques to their effect on the audience.
Common mistakes
- Treating the extract like prose and ignoring performance.
- Missing the stage directions.