Deck 8: Stage Language

Question 1

Asides, monologues and soliloquies are written so that the audience may know information that is shared or not shared with other characters. What other ways do playwrights have of informing the audience without informing the other characters?

Answer 1

Playwrights have several other methods of informing the audience without informing the other characters. These include dramatic irony, where the audience knows something that the characters do not; stage directions, which can provide information about a character's actions or emotions that are not explicitly stated in the dialogue; flashbacks, which can reveal a character's past or provide context for their actions; and props or set design, which can provide visual clues about the setting or a character's personality. Additionally, a character's costume or makeup can also provide information about their role, status, or emotional state. Finally, lighting and sound effects can also be used to create a specific mood or atmosphere, or to indicate a change in time or location.

Question 2

Modern playwrights use language in ways that would be alien to earlier dramatists. Contrast Shakespeare's use of language in Hamlet's soliloquy with Shephard's use of language in Buried Child. Does the social standing of the characters of the two characters play a part in how they express themselves?

Answer 2

In Hamlet's soliloquy, Shakespeare uses language in a poetic and introspective manner. The language is highly structured and complex, reflecting the deep emotional and philosophical turmoil of the character. Hamlet's soliloquy is filled with metaphors, allusions, and wordplay, demonstrating Shakespeare's mastery of language and his ability to convey the inner workings of the human mind.

On the other hand, in Buried Child, Sam Shepard's use of language is more colloquial and fragmented. The characters speak in a disjointed and raw manner, reflecting the dysfunction and disconnection within the family. Shepard's language is more direct and often uses vernacular speech patterns, highlighting the gritty realism of the play.

The social standing of the characters in the two plays does play a part in how they express themselves. In Hamlet, the characters are of noble birth and therefore their language reflects their education and societal status. They speak in a more refined and eloquent manner, befitting their position in society. In Buried Child, the characters are from a lower socioeconomic background, and their language is reflective of their rough and unpolished lives. Their speech is more casual and coarse, mirroring their working-class roots.

Overall, the use of language in the two plays reflects the different time periods and social contexts in which they were written, as well as the social standing and inner turmoil of the characters themselves.

Question 3

Gestic language is just one of the many ways Brecht attempted to "alienate" his audiences. What were some of the others? Use examples from the plays that are mentioned in the text, both in this chapter and in previous chapters.
Multiple Choice

Answer 3

Brecht used a variety of techniques to "alienate" his audiences, in order to make them more aware and critical of the social and political messages in his plays. Some of these techniques include:

1. Direct address: In "The Threepenny Opera," characters often break the fourth wall and directly address the audience, reminding them that they are watching a play and not getting fully immersed in the characters' emotions.

2. Song and music: In "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny," Brecht used music and songs to distance the audience from the emotional impact of the characters' actions, instead encouraging them to critically analyze the themes and messages being presented.

3. Gestus: In "Mother Courage and Her Children," Brecht used gestus - a specific physical or gestural expression of social relationships - to emphasize the social and political aspects of the characters' interactions, rather than their individual emotions.

4. Verfremdungseffekt: This is the German term for "alienation effect," and it refers to the overall technique of keeping the audience at a critical distance from the events on stage, so that they never fully identify with the characters. This technique can be seen throughout Brecht's plays, as he consistently reminds the audience of the artificiality and constructed nature of the theatrical performance.

Overall, Brecht's goal was to create a sense of critical awareness and detachment in his audiences, so that they would engage with the social and political themes of his plays on a deeper level.

Question 4

Signs differ from symbols in that their relationship to their referent is

A) Auspicious
B) Anti-verbal
C) Arbitrary
D) Argumentative

Question 5

In Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, the orchard is

A) A family treasure
B) A local tradition
C) Valuable property
D) All of these

Question 6

The ___________ is directly addressed to the audience, while the __________ is overheard by the audience, though not by other actors

A) Aside, monologue
B) Aside, soliloquy
C) Monologue, soliquy
D) None of these

Question 7

Shakespeare's language, with five stresses in every line, is an example of

A) Trochaic hexameter
B) Iambic pentameter
C) Spondaic pentameter
D) None of these

Question 8

__________ and __________ are used by Brecht to communicate the character's thoughts and feelings

A) Language and action
B) Plot and language
C) Placards and narrative
D) Music and song

Question 9

Wordsmiths are characters who

A) Speak in a language that is fragmented and profane
B) Make up new words for dictionaries
C) Comment on societal attitudes and ideas
D) Speak in asides and soliloquies

Question 10

Among the things that support a playwright's nonverbal language are:

A) Physical gestures, costumes
B) Colors and sounds
C) Music and lighting
D) All of these

Question 11

_________________ is a sign while _____________ is a symbol.

A) The flag, thunder
B) Thunder, the flag
C) The buried child, thunder
D) The cherry orchard, the three sisters

Question 12

At the end of The Cherry Orchard, __________ is left alone on stage, abandoned by the departing family

A) Ranyevskaya
B) Lopakhim
C) Prozorov
D) Firs

Question 13

Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle deals with

A) The conquest of China
B) The fate of a child whose parentage is in dispute
C) A game of tug-of-war
D) The materialism of Chinese aristocracy

Question 14

Spoken language in the theatre should be exactly like the way people talk in real life

Question 15

Signs have a direct physical relationship to the thing they represent.

Question 16

Antonin Artaud opposed performing written texts

Question 17

Hamlet's soliloquy moves him from activity to inactivity

Question 18

Buried Child was written by David Mamet.

Question 19

Edward Albee, Marsha Norman and Lanford Wilson were among the new voices that emerged from the American theatre in late 60s and 70s.

Question 20

"Magical Realism" is the writing style most associated with Edward Albee.