Revision Paper 2: Genre Drama: How to tackle a comparative essay

1.

Themes:
What are the significant ideas that are presented in this text?

The conclusions we take away with us at the end.

• Ideas through a longer piece of writing become themes
• Many ideas can branch out from one main one.
• All events, all situations have ideas attached to them

Text One: DEATH OF A SALESMAN: ARTHUR MILLER

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Text Two  : A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE: TENNESSE WILLIAMS

Text Three: RIDERS TO THE SEA: J M SYNGE

Text Four: ST JOAN: BERNARD SHAW

TEXT 1
Theme	Evidence

TEXT 2
Theme	Evidence

2.
a)Select the most important quotations that support similar themes ( any two texts)
b) What are the different elements of both texts? Include evidence.( any two texts)

.c) Style

How it is all communicated?

• Genre and form of text

• Use of punctuation
• Use of imagery and symbolism
• Sentence structure – short, complicated, non-sentences, enjambment
• Tone
• Narration style – 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd;changes
• Figurative language eg simile, metaphor, personification
• Sounds of words eg onomatopoeia, assonance, alliteration, consonance
• Use of emotive or biased language, positive, negative or neutral
• Rhyme and rhythm
• Juxtaposition and contrast
• Allusions to other literary works, characters, myths etc
• Use of description, adjectives and appeal to senses
• Use of persuasive language – subjective language eg hyperbole, magic realism
• Use of rhetoric questions, statements, commands
• Use of humour in its various forms eg sarcasm, wit, puns, oxymorons, irony
• Dramatic techniques such as lighting, catharsis, chorus, dialogue, gesticulation etc.
• Cinematographic techniques

List significant techniques used by the playwright / director. Remember to also refer to the genre / style of the text. The criterion explicitly refers to an analysis of how language, style, structure and techniques are used by the creator to infer meaning to the audience. 

Brecht: The art of his Drama

Brecht's Epic Theatre:follow the link

epic theatre 

Mother courage: study map

1.

Mother Courage and Her Children is one of Brecht’s most well known and politcally potent anti-war plays. Set during the 30 Years War from 1618 to 1648, the story follows Anna Frieling who is nicknamed Mother Courage, as she travels through Europe over a period of 12 years. During this time she loses all three of her children, Kattrin, Eilif and Swisscheese through their affiliation with the war. This tragedy is juxtaposed with Mother Courage’s career ambition and profiteering from the war as a trader and canteen woman.

Brecht’s story is based on Grimmelshausen’s novel of the same name from 1670. Brecht wrote around 49 stage productions during his career incorporating operas, adaptations and interludes. Mother Courage was written later on in his career, in the late 1930’s, although it was not produced until 1941, in Zurich, where it was an immediate success, despite the looming Nazi invasion.  There are many parallels to be drawn between the conflict within which the play is set, and the rapidly escalating conflict that was taking place whilst Brecht was writing. It is considered as a powerful commentary on WW2 with strong undercurrents of meaning. Brecht was vehemently opposed to the oppressive Nazi regime, and was himself persecuted for his strong Marxist beliefs.

·         Further research on : 

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·         Research Brecht’s life and career as a story teller, evaluate his methods of storytelling. Examine his use of the ‘narrator’.

         Akhila & Mrinalini

 

·         Why did Brecht want to make theatre accessible to the common people? What did he think of the theatre he saw when he was growing up?

            Samantha & Prajim

·         Research Brecht’s wider political aspirations as a communist, and evaluate the impact that this had on his stories. Look particularly at his Lehrstücke (Learning Plays), what political and social messages did these portray?

         

        Karan & Lalit