Script Analysis Outline

  1. WHERE DOES THE PLAY TAKE PLACE?
  2. What does the author list in the stage directions?
  3. What do the characters say about place specifically in the dialog that give you clues?
  4. How do the characters describe the place they are in?
  5. What is the significance to the place they are in?
  6. Summary, in what country, town, building, room does the play take place and why did the playwright close this location for this story?
  1. WHEN DOES THE PLAY TAKE PLACE?
  2. What does the author list in the stage directions?
  3. What do the characters say about the time, date, month, day, year, season, etc, specifically in the dialogue that gives you clues?
  4. How do the characters describe the time period in which they are in?
  5. What is the significance to the time period, day, date, month, year, season, decade, century?
  6. Over what timeframe does the action of the play occur? Construct a time chart for the action.
  7. Summary, in what time of day, day of the week, date, month, year, season, decade, century does the play take place and why did the playwright chose this period of time?
  1. CHARACTER ANALYSIS
  2. Who are the principal characters?
  3. Who is the protagonist?
  4. Why do you think this character is the protagonist?
  5. What type of character is this?
  6. Who is the antagonist?
  7. Why do you think this character is the antagonist?
  8. What type of character is this?
  9. Who are the other principal characters?
  10. Why do you think these characters are principal characters?
  11. What are the functions of any other principal characters?
  12. What type of characters are these?
  13. Who are the secondary characters?
  14. Why did you think they are secondary characters?
  15. What is the function of each?
  16. What type of characters are these?
  17. Are there any crowds and groups?
  18. If so, are they actual or implied?
  19. What is the function of each group?
  1. Are they symbolic? If so, of what specifically?
  2. Who do they represent?

D. How are the characters related? Include familial, professional, metaphorical, and emotional relationships.

  1. What are the roles in life? Include jobs and professions as well as social and economic classes.
  1. What do they think of each other?
  2. What do they think of themselves?
  3. Under what form of government do they live?
  4. What are their attitudes about the form of government under which they live?
  5. Is there a form of self-government within the structure of the family, group, community?
  6. What role does religion play in their lives?
  7. Which religion?
  8. In the absence of dialog to support a particular religion, if you were forced to say they were a particular religion, what would it be?
  9. What are their attitudes about their religion?
  10. If they are atheist, non-religious, etc, why?
  1. Prevailing attitudes toward:
  2. Sex
  3. Family
  4. Marriage
  5. Ethical Conduct
  6. Do they live within or rebel against the attitudes listed above?
  7. What kinds of dialogue do the characters speak?
  1. WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE THE PLAY BEGAN?
  2. Briefly describe the principal event in the play?
  3. Construct an action chart for the play. Is it a climactic or episodic structure?
  1. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE PLAY?
  1. WHAT IS THE PLAY’S THEME?