how to write an essay on a drama

Essays About Drama: Top 5 Examples and 5 Prompts

The word drama covers many meanings and subjects; if you are writing essays about drama , discover our guide with interesting essay examples and writing prompts featured here.

What is drama to you? Many know it as a situation or event in which emotions run high. For others, the grand, intricate stage plays of Shakespeare and others of his time come to mind. Regardless, these and all other definitions of drama share one thing in common: emotion.

In all its forms, from theatre to television to cinema to even day-to-day interaction, drama is always centered around emotion, tension, and conflict – things we experience daily. Drama is, quite literally, our life, complete with all its imperfections, troubles, twists , and turns.

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1. The History of Drama by Homer Stewart

2. why the news is not the truth by peter vanderwicken, 3. drama reflection essay (author unknown), 4. kitchen sink dramas by rodolfo chandler, 5. love yourself, not your drama by crystal jackson, 6. shakespeare’s theater: an essay from the folger shakespeare editions by barbara mowat and paul werstine, 1. what is drama, 2. types of drama, 3. the history of drama, 4. is the world over-dramatized today, 5. a dramatic incident of the past.

“Perhaps the most theatrical form of drama was opera which is still popular in today’s society. Broadway is certainly a sight that attracts thousands of people annually. In addition, the playwrights of today are striving to make the theatrical experience meaningful to the lives of viewers so that it is not just simply “pleasant entertainment”. Many themes that drama plays in modern times focus on are social problems, tragedies involving the elements of love and hate and as well as social problems that affect the inhabitants of today.”

Stewart gives readers a brief history of drama and its subjects. In different eras, the plays were based around themes and ideas prevalent in those times; for example, the Romantic Period focused on the “experiences of ordinary people.” He also references several playwrights , including Friedrich von Schiller and Percy Bysshe Shelley. In modern times, drama is centered around critical social issues while still managing to be engaging and entertaining.

“Pulitzer turned them into stories with a sharp dramatic focus that both implied and aroused intense public interest. Most newspapers of the time looked like the front page of the Wall Street Journal still does. Pulitzer made stories dramatic by adding blaring headlines, big pictures, and eye-catching graphics. His journalism took events out of their dry, institutional contexts and made them emotional rather than rational, immediate rather than considered, and sensational rather than informative.”

Vanderwicken criticizes the state of news today, saying that many stories are dramatized and outright fabricated to make them more entertaining. He attributes this to Joseph Pulitzer of Pulitzer Prize fame, who introduced He also gives historical examples of instances where the media has exaggerated – news today is too dramatic, and it must change.

You might also be interested in these essays about Macbeth .

“I felt that this learning experience is a very huge step because it takes us from doing a play which is very immature in to something that is big and has maturity in it. It helps me to practice in fluency, public speaking and mostly self-confidence. In the play I developed my ways of acting and how to put emotions in to the character, in which those emotions were not really me.”

This essay describes lessons one can learn from performing drama, such as confidence and speaking fluently. The author also reflects on an experience performing in drama, where the author learned to be more expressive, speak better, and become more hardworking. There is also a brief discussion on the elements of drama, including plot and setting. Drama is important and can teach you essential skills and lessons.

“In the late 1950s in Britain, the “Kitchen Sink movement”, which is also known as “Kitchen Sink realism” occurred. This cultural movement stemed from ideas about working class activities. A typical writer of kitchen sink dramas is John Osborne, for example his drama “Look back in anger” which aroused many strong opinions when it was first performed as a drama. It is set in a small flat in the west midlands, which is typical of working class people.”

Chandler describes a period in drama where “kitchen sink dramas” depicted working-class stories. He uses John Osborne’s “Look Back in Anger” as an example, briefly describing the play. Jimmy, one of the characters, was known as an “angry young man,” This term was later used to describe young people critical of the social and political state of the world.

“We learn to recognize co-dependence, narcissism, and toxicity for what they are rather than making excuses because we liked the look of someone. In other words, we grow up. We stay in love with our own toxic patterns and keep the cycle of damage going, or we recognize the collateral damage of all our drama and start wanting better for ourselves. We make choices. We experience consequences. If we grow up, we’ll even connect the two.”

Jackson’s essay discusses drama from another perspective, the drama that comes with love life. She gives readers tips on how to care for yourself better and look past all the tension, confusion, and drama that comes with dating. If we look at potential partners from a deeper, more constructive point of view, we can avoid toxic relationships and have a healthy love life.

“When performance required that an actor appear “above,” as when Juliet is imagined to stand at the window of her chamber in the famous and misnamed “balcony scene,” then the actor probably climbed the stairs to the gallery over the back of the stage and temporarily shared it with some of the spectators. The stage was also provided with ropes and winches so that actors could descend from, and reascend to, the “heavens.””

In their essay, Mowat and Werstine discuss the conventions of performing Shakespearean drama during his time, including the performance of some scenes in different areas of the theater and men playing women’s roles. They also discuss how the theaters they performed in, such as the Globe Theatre, enhanced the plays’ dramatic effect.

5 Prompts for Essays About Drama

The word drama has many meanings and is used differently, as seen in the essay examples above. In your essay, give the word’s etymology, explain the different sides of drama, from theatre to school life, and give examples of how they exemplify the meaning. Explain how they are all connected as well.

Drama in the context of theatre has four primary forms: comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy, and melodrama. Discuss each type of drama and elaborate on its characteristics. If you wish, compare and contrast them as well. Be sure to give examples of plays when explaining them.

In your essay, you can also discuss the different periods in the history of drama. Explain what occurred in these periods, how drama changed, and their effects on modern drama. You need not explore too many periods; just make sure you write about key developments and explain them adequately.

In the world today, the resilience of survivors is glorified and dramatized, while we see media outlets making headlines out of mere gossip and celebrity news. From this, it can be argued that society is centered around making a drama out of nothing. Why is this the case? Discuss your opinion on this issue- feel free to research if you need inspiration.

Look back to a past event marked by tension, emotion, and drama. Narrate the events and explain how they made you feel- did you learn anything from them? This can be either your own experience or just an event from history or the news. You can read this essay for further inspiration.

Note: drama can mean different things to different people, so what you consider “dramatic” is up to you.For help picking your next essay topic, check out our top essay topics about love .

Literary Terms

When & How to Write Drama

Definition & Examples
When & How to Write Drama

How to Write Drama

Start with characters . The best dramas are usually character- driven. They have a cast of main characters (usually fewer than 10), plus a handful of supporting characters. These characters should all be very distinct from one another, and the main characters should be authentic and life-like. This way, the audience can relate to them and cares what happens to them.
Introduce conflict. All stories revolve around conflict, and this is especially true in drama. The conflict could be anything – the simplest example is political conflict or war, but you might also have competing love interests, clashes in personality, or simply a struggle against misfortune.
Don’t forget about comic relief. Unless you’re writing a tragedy (see section 6), there should be at least some amount of humor in your drama. Otherwise, the negative emotions will get overwhelming and the experience will be too unpleasant for the reader. Give a few funny lines to your characters, or add an amusing situation somewhere to cut the tension – just make sure that this comic relief arises naturally from the story and it doesn’t feel like you’re cramming it in.

When to Use Drama

Drama is great for a creative writing project. It offers opportunities to work on character development, story structure, and a whole other set of writing skills. Every once in a while, you may also find a place for drama in formal essays , but you have to be careful.

For example, history essays are often more enjoyable to read if you craft them with a “dramatic” eye – focusing on a small set of main characters, contrasting these characters and their various desires, and fully describing the conflict at the center of the story. These techniques, in combination with good research and persuasive logic, can turn a good essay into a great one. However, you do have to be careful – too much drama in a formal essay can start to seem distracting, and you don’t want to give the impression that you’re more committed to the entertainment value than to the research and analysis.

List of Terms

Alliteration
Amplification
Anachronism
Anthropomorphism
Antonomasia
APA Citation
Aposiopesis
Autobiography
Bildungsroman
Characterization
Circumlocution
Cliffhanger
Comic Relief
Connotation
Deus ex machina
Deuteragonist
Doppelganger
Double Entendre
Dramatic irony
Equivocation
Extended Metaphor
Figures of Speech
Flash-forward
Foreshadowing
Intertextuality
Juxtaposition
Literary Device
Malapropism
Onomatopoeia
Parallelism
Pathetic Fallacy
Personification
Point of View
Polysyndeton
Protagonist
Red Herring
Rhetorical Device
Rhetorical Question
Science Fiction
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Synesthesia
Turning Point
Understatement
Urban Legend
Verisimilitude
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FOR STUDENTS : ALL THE INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD ESSAY

How to write a drama essay

We devise many ways of passing and enjoying our leisure time, visiting movie theatres and watching live plays comes in handy as a substantial way of enjoying our free time.

Plays are one of the most up and coming, influential ways of conveying a message, as well as a good career move, whether you are acting or play writing. Essay writing when taking a major in Drama playwrights is an essential evaluation of your knowledge and understanding of your course, it is always advisable to have that in mind.

The below tips offer some fundamental guidelines on how to write a drama essay .

Before you start essay writing there are several things you have to consider:

Have an undisputable idea of the direction and focus that you want to take when writing your drama essay is very important. It needs to be informative and interesting. Choose a topic to indulge your audience i.e. use of new technology, how it’s improved life, raise points that explains your theme and why they should be more accepting of the change in technology. A persuasive drama essay is where you raise your point of view or ideology that meant to instill the change you advocate i.e. global warming, its effect and why we need to take care of the environment. You should make sure you ease their understanding of the theme and focus at hand; in this case what really is global warming. This needs to be laid out in leman terms because this will set your reader at ease and help them understand where you are going.
After you have chosen the direction of your play or drama essay, choose the subject matter to relate and keep your audience interested. Having prior knowledge of the subject matter is always an added advantage before making the final decision of the topic to focus on.
Understanding how to write a drama essay is not just about how good of a writer you are, or how good an actor you are. It involves a lot of research. Once you have the outline of your theme, embark on the necessary research, making use of all the available resources like online searches, libraries and databases, which will be especially useful if you have taken a persuasive theme, as they will provide you with more detailed information, which you will use to break down into understandable messages for the reader to take onboard. Google searches and online questionnaires will open up more ideas about recent activities, this way keeping your essay up to date and your readers interested. This is useful for informative theme based making sure your topic of focus is essentially to generate more audience/readers’ as you will have to consider their ideas and simultaneously tackle issues they are most likely to relate to.
Use the materials you found from your research as baselines and backups for your main theme rather than fully encompassing your entire essay with references.

Make use of the standard way of writing essays:

Introduction where you introduce your stand and angle you are choosing to direct your drama.
Main body where you expound on your theme supporting it; be sure to use references here when necessary to improve on your credibility.
Conclusion where summarize all your points laid out throughout the essay cementing your stand and ultimately achieving the ultimate goal of informing or persuading.
Be sure to maintain focus on your theme throughout the essay while aligning and explaining your points.
It is advisable, when writing, to make use of the MLA or Harvard way of referencing. You should use the references as a way of backing up your points and views you have previously made. This may however differ according to instructions that may have been handed to you by your tutor.
You should make use of bullets when stating points because you can elaborate on them in the paragraphs. It will allow the reader to indulge and see your flow and explanations.

Revising and re-doing

When you have finished writing, you should go through your work to ensure you have corrected all spelling mistakes that may have occurred when writing. Also check for grammatical eras that you may have over looked and generally evaluate the general flow of your essay piece; does it make sense? Have you achieved your goal of persuading or informing your readers? Are you satisfied? Have you executed and made use of all available resources to you to get the necessary point across that you wanted to?
Be sure to use collective words i.e. ‘strolling’ meaning to walk leisurely, because this will help you achieve the objective of your essay using a minimum of words.

If you take all these points into consideration before starting the essay, you will definitely be able to make an informed decision on your angle of approach and therefore assuring you achieve a well-written Drama essay.

We hope you enjoyed reading our ‘how to write a drama essay’ guide.

How to Review a Play

Preparing to write a play review.

Below are some tips to help you prepare to write a play review:

The Nature of the Assignment

Because the performance of any play is such an ephemeral experience, writing a play review can be an exciting, though difficult, task. You have to be both spectator taking in and enjoying the performance and critical analyst of the production itself. You have to be able to provide a very brief summary of the play, a close objective analysis of the performance you attend, and an interpretation and evaluation of the entire ensemble of staging, acting, directing, and so on.

The review assignment asks you to analyze in an objective manner the relative success or failure of a given production. Note that you are not asked simply to summarize the plot or give an opinion regarding the text of the play being mounted; your review must be grounded in the production itself. Your job is to describe the production accurately, and then to render a value judgment of it based upon what you have seen and what you expected. The assignment will test your skill as a reader of the play and as an observer and critic of the production.

In addition to grounding your review on the production you witness, you must be careful to limit your review to a few essential observations in support of your thesis (which will be discussed below). You must concentrate on a few important ideas and aspects of the production and focus your attention on only what you consider the most significant parts of the production itself. Unlike a newspaper review, which can be loosely structured and superficial, your assignment is quite definite. You are not asked to cover a wide variety of production elements (i.e. performance of every actor, every costume change, every set change, every directorial decision, and so on); instead, the assignment demands that you develop a few key ideas in thoughtful detail.

Remember, too, that your stance is to be objective and critical, not impressionistic and merely nasty. A critic is not someone who simply “criticizes,” but a person who studies, analyzes, and then renders a rational judgment of what he/she has seen. Your tone will be very important in making your review reliable and intelligent.

Before You Attend the Production

Read the play before going to the production. (It is important to be prepared for the production you plan to attend; otherwise, you run the risk of having to see it several times.)

In your mind, have a good sense of how a “standard” production might look, complete with a sense of what the characters might look like, the type of costuming that might be used, a suitable set design, and an appropriate rendering of the theme and tone of the work.
Pick out, as you read, several critical or problematic points within the play that may be of particular interest to watch for in the production you are about to attend. If your instructor has asked you to pay particular attention to certain elements, make sure that you are prepared to recognize them in performance.

Attending the Production

Attend the play with an open mind, a willingness to accept the play as the director has presented it in production.

Note any deviations from your concept of a “standard” production and try to find a good explanation for that deviation. (Is the director trying to “say” something new or different? Was your sense of the play somehow inaccurate, or were you shown new insights by the director’s production?)
Why the choice of costumes, and why the set design?
How did the actors deliver their lines (seriously, comically, realistically, formally)? Were there any significant actions or gestures that contributed to the play’s meaning?
Were any “special effects” utilized (consider lighting, sound, audience participation, machinery)?
Were any significant cuts made in the script?

After the performance, jot down the details you recall and talk about the performance with friends. You’ll need these details for your paper in order to substantiate your argument.

Evaluate the performance.

Did the director miss any important opportunities to convey something you were able to see in your reading of the play?
Would you have liked to have seen more attention paid to what you perceived as critical passages, passages the director seemed less interested in?
Why would you have preferred this attention, and why do you think the director avoided giving the passage such attention?

Consider the following practical aspects:

What kind of stage does the director have at his disposal? What kinds of restrictions does the stage impose on the director concerning movement and set design?
Are the actors professionals, amateurs, or students? What restrictions does this impose on the director? Are the actors capable of dealing with the script’s requirements? (Be fair to the actors in your assessment of their talents and the level of their “craftsmanship.”)

Writing the Review

Below are some tips for writing play reviews:

Writing the Introduction

The introduction should include the following:

The title of the play, the name of the playwright, and any pertinent historical information regarding them (other similar works from this period? by this writer?).
The name of the director, the place and date of the production you attended, and the name of the production company (again, do you know of any previous work by this company? this director?).
(Note that even if the production did not exactly coincide with your own conception of the play, you should not feel obliged to condemn the performance outright. Be open-minded and willing to weigh pros and cons.)
(Note that this thesis asserts that Papp captured the essence of what is in the text itself — the expectations set up by the thesis are that the reviewer will then analyze the methods by which the director achieved this effect.)
(This thesis suggests that “sympathy” was the director’s intention. Note also that the reviewer gives a strong indication of what he/she expected to find in the production.)
Example: In You Can’t Take It With You, the acting by the family members on the open, exposed stage displayed an innocent and vigorous freedom, as well as a proud independence in their confrontation with accepted norms of behavior.

Writing the Statement and Summary

Include a brief thematic summary (but not a plot summary) of the play, and support that summary with concrete evidence from the text.

You can include this summary in the introduction; or, if you wish to expand the summary, include it in a separate paragraph following the introduction.

Writing the Body of the Paper: The Review

Remember that in the body of the paper you are obliged to deal specifically with each element of the production that you mentioned in the introduction and thesis.

In order to give your review a tight internal logic and cohesiveness, you should also discuss these elements in the order that you outlined in the introduction. Such points of discussion might include the non-technical (acting, directing) and/or the technical (lighting, scenery, costumes) aspects of the production.

For each element that you discuss:

(Note the vivid description of what was seen, and the use of detail to convey that vividness. The passage will work nicely as evidence for an overall, positive evaluation of the production.)
Interpret, Analyze, Evaluate : This part of the paper requires the most thought and organization and consequently receives the most attention from your reader. After you have finished describing important elements of the production, proceed to evaluate them.

For example, you would need to answer the following questions regarding the last description of Lear :

Why were the lights dimmed at the beginning of the scene? (shock effect? slow unfolding of horror?)
Why was the backdrop painted black? (contrast? mood?)
Why was there no order to the skulls? Why seven? (emblem of disorder or chaos? significance in number?)

In other words, assume that everything used in production has significance, but don’t panic if you cannot find “answers” for all the questions raised by what you see in the production.

In the evaluation, you are given the opportunity to attack as well as commend the performance; if the production fails to answer questions that you feel need answers, then say so. If the question or problems are relatively minor, ignore them. Don’t quibble at the expense of missing the more important concerns.

Writing the Summary and Conclusion

Your conclusion should not merely recapitulate your thesis in a mechanical way.

Rather, you should try to show why your response to the play is valid and significant, based on what you have described in the body of the paper.

Do not add any significant new material, but don’t be afraid to leave your reader with something to think about.

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A Short Guide to Close Reading for Literary Analysis

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How to write a literary analysis essay | A step-by-step guide

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on January 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

Literary analysis means closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to novels, short stories, plays, poems, or any other form of literary writing.

A literary analysis essay is not a rhetorical analysis , nor is it just a summary of the plot or a book review. Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay where you need to analyze elements such as the language, perspective, and structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices to create effects and convey ideas.

Before beginning a literary analysis essay, it’s essential to carefully read the text and c ome up with a thesis statement to keep your essay focused. As you write, follow the standard structure of an academic essay :

An introduction that tells the reader what your essay will focus on.
A main body, divided into paragraphs , that builds an argument using evidence from the text.
A conclusion that clearly states the main point that you have shown with your analysis.

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Step 1: reading the text and identifying literary devices, step 2: coming up with a thesis, step 3: writing a title and introduction, step 4: writing the body of the essay, step 5: writing a conclusion, other interesting articles.

The first step is to carefully read the text(s) and take initial notes. As you read, pay attention to the things that are most intriguing, surprising, or even confusing in the writing—these are things you can dig into in your analysis.

Your goal in literary analysis is not simply to explain the events described in the text, but to analyze the writing itself and discuss how the text works on a deeper level. Primarily, you’re looking out for literary devices —textual elements that writers use to convey meaning and create effects. If you’re comparing and contrasting multiple texts, you can also look for connections between different texts.

To get started with your analysis, there are several key areas that you can focus on. As you analyze each aspect of the text, try to think about how they all relate to each other. You can use highlights or notes to keep track of important passages and quotes.

Language choices

Consider what style of language the author uses. Are the sentences short and simple or more complex and poetic?

What word choices stand out as interesting or unusual? Are words used figuratively to mean something other than their literal definition? Figurative language includes things like metaphor (e.g. “her eyes were oceans”) and simile (e.g. “her eyes were like oceans”).

Also keep an eye out for imagery in the text—recurring images that create a certain atmosphere or symbolize something important. Remember that language is used in literary texts to say more than it means on the surface.

Narrative voice

Ask yourself:

Who is telling the story?
How are they telling it?

Is it a first-person narrator (“I”) who is personally involved in the story, or a third-person narrator who tells us about the characters from a distance?

Consider the narrator’s perspective . Is the narrator omniscient (where they know everything about all the characters and events), or do they only have partial knowledge? Are they an unreliable narrator who we are not supposed to take at face value? Authors often hint that their narrator might be giving us a distorted or dishonest version of events.

The tone of the text is also worth considering. Is the story intended to be comic, tragic, or something else? Are usually serious topics treated as funny, or vice versa ? Is the story realistic or fantastical (or somewhere in between)?

Consider how the text is structured, and how the structure relates to the story being told.

Novels are often divided into chapters and parts.
Poems are divided into lines, stanzas, and sometime cantos.
Plays are divided into scenes and acts.

Think about why the author chose to divide the different parts of the text in the way they did.

There are also less formal structural elements to take into account. Does the story unfold in chronological order, or does it jump back and forth in time? Does it begin in medias res —in the middle of the action? Does the plot advance towards a clearly defined climax?

With poetry, consider how the rhyme and meter shape your understanding of the text and your impression of the tone. Try reading the poem aloud to get a sense of this.

In a play, you might consider how relationships between characters are built up through different scenes, and how the setting relates to the action. Watch out for dramatic irony , where the audience knows some detail that the characters don’t, creating a double meaning in their words, thoughts, or actions.

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Your thesis in a literary analysis essay is the point you want to make about the text. It’s the core argument that gives your essay direction and prevents it from just being a collection of random observations about a text.

If you’re given a prompt for your essay, your thesis must answer or relate to the prompt. For example:

Essay question example

Is Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” a religious parable?

Your thesis statement should be an answer to this question—not a simple yes or no, but a statement of why this is or isn’t the case:

Thesis statement example

Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” is not a religious parable, but a story about bureaucratic alienation.

Sometimes you’ll be given freedom to choose your own topic; in this case, you’ll have to come up with an original thesis. Consider what stood out to you in the text; ask yourself questions about the elements that interested you, and consider how you might answer them.

Your thesis should be something arguable—that is, something that you think is true about the text, but which is not a simple matter of fact. It must be complex enough to develop through evidence and arguments across the course of your essay.

Say you’re analyzing the novel Frankenstein . You could start by asking yourself:

Your initial answer might be a surface-level description:

The character Frankenstein is portrayed negatively in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

However, this statement is too simple to be an interesting thesis. After reading the text and analyzing its narrative voice and structure, you can develop the answer into a more nuanced and arguable thesis statement:

Mary Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

Remember that you can revise your thesis statement throughout the writing process , so it doesn’t need to be perfectly formulated at this stage. The aim is to keep you focused as you analyze the text.

Finding textual evidence

To support your thesis statement, your essay will build an argument using textual evidence —specific parts of the text that demonstrate your point. This evidence is quoted and analyzed throughout your essay to explain your argument to the reader.

It can be useful to comb through the text in search of relevant quotations before you start writing. You might not end up using everything you find, and you may have to return to the text for more evidence as you write, but collecting textual evidence from the beginning will help you to structure your arguments and assess whether they’re convincing.

To start your literary analysis paper, you’ll need two things: a good title, and an introduction.

Your title should clearly indicate what your analysis will focus on. It usually contains the name of the author and text(s) you’re analyzing. Keep it as concise and engaging as possible.

A common approach to the title is to use a relevant quote from the text, followed by a colon and then the rest of your title.

If you struggle to come up with a good title at first, don’t worry—this will be easier once you’ve begun writing the essay and have a better sense of your arguments.

“Fearful symmetry” : The violence of creation in William Blake’s “The Tyger”

The introduction

The essay introduction provides a quick overview of where your argument is going. It should include your thesis statement and a summary of the essay’s structure.

A typical structure for an introduction is to begin with a general statement about the text and author, using this to lead into your thesis statement. You might refer to a commonly held idea about the text and show how your thesis will contradict it, or zoom in on a particular device you intend to focus on.

Then you can end with a brief indication of what’s coming up in the main body of the essay. This is called signposting. It will be more elaborate in longer essays, but in a short five-paragraph essay structure, it shouldn’t be more than one sentence.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

Some students prefer to write the introduction later in the process, and it’s not a bad idea. After all, you’ll have a clearer idea of the overall shape of your arguments once you’ve begun writing them!

If you do write the introduction first, you should still return to it later to make sure it lines up with what you ended up writing, and edit as necessary.

The body of your essay is everything between the introduction and conclusion. It contains your arguments and the textual evidence that supports them.

Paragraph structure

A typical structure for a high school literary analysis essay consists of five paragraphs : the three paragraphs of the body, plus the introduction and conclusion.

Each paragraph in the main body should focus on one topic. In the five-paragraph model, try to divide your argument into three main areas of analysis, all linked to your thesis. Don’t try to include everything you can think of to say about the text—only analysis that drives your argument.

In longer essays, the same principle applies on a broader scale. For example, you might have two or three sections in your main body, each with multiple paragraphs. Within these sections, you still want to begin new paragraphs at logical moments—a turn in the argument or the introduction of a new idea.

Robert’s first encounter with Gil-Martin suggests something of his sinister power. Robert feels “a sort of invisible power that drew me towards him.” He identifies the moment of their meeting as “the beginning of a series of adventures which has puzzled myself, and will puzzle the world when I am no more in it” (p. 89). Gil-Martin’s “invisible power” seems to be at work even at this distance from the moment described; before continuing the story, Robert feels compelled to anticipate at length what readers will make of his narrative after his approaching death. With this interjection, Hogg emphasizes the fatal influence Gil-Martin exercises from his first appearance.

Topic sentences

To keep your points focused, it’s important to use a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.

A good topic sentence allows a reader to see at a glance what the paragraph is about. It can introduce a new line of argument and connect or contrast it with the previous paragraph. Transition words like “however” or “moreover” are useful for creating smooth transitions:

… The story’s focus, therefore, is not upon the divine revelation that may be waiting beyond the door, but upon the mundane process of aging undergone by the man as he waits.

Nevertheless, the “radiance” that appears to stream from the door is typically treated as religious symbolism.

This topic sentence signals that the paragraph will address the question of religious symbolism, while the linking word “nevertheless” points out a contrast with the previous paragraph’s conclusion.

Using textual evidence

A key part of literary analysis is backing up your arguments with relevant evidence from the text. This involves introducing quotes from the text and explaining their significance to your point.

It’s important to contextualize quotes and explain why you’re using them; they should be properly introduced and analyzed, not treated as self-explanatory:

It isn’t always necessary to use a quote. Quoting is useful when you’re discussing the author’s language, but sometimes you’ll have to refer to plot points or structural elements that can’t be captured in a short quote.

In these cases, it’s more appropriate to paraphrase or summarize parts of the text—that is, to describe the relevant part in your own words:

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The conclusion of your analysis shouldn’t introduce any new quotations or arguments. Instead, it’s about wrapping up the essay. Here, you summarize your key points and try to emphasize their significance to the reader.

A good way to approach this is to briefly summarize your key arguments, and then stress the conclusion they’ve led you to, highlighting the new perspective your thesis provides on the text as a whole:

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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By tracing the depiction of Frankenstein through the novel’s three volumes, I have demonstrated how the narrative structure shifts our perception of the character. While the Frankenstein of the first volume is depicted as having innocent intentions, the second and third volumes—first in the creature’s accusatory voice, and then in his own voice—increasingly undermine him, causing him to appear alternately ridiculous and vindictive. Far from the one-dimensional villain he is often taken to be, the character of Frankenstein is compelling because of the dynamic narrative frame in which he is placed. In this frame, Frankenstein’s narrative self-presentation responds to the images of him we see from others’ perspectives. This conclusion sheds new light on the novel, foregrounding Shelley’s unique layering of narrative perspectives and its importance for the depiction of character.

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How To Write A Drama Essay

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Author Sandra W.

What Is A Drama Essay; How To Write Drama Analysis Essay or An Essay About A Play

Writing a play analysis requires you to look at what, to many, is a simple form of entertainment in a much more in depth and critical manner. Play analysis requires you to untangle the plot and main characters, and discuss how they worked together and detracted or attracted to the overall performance. Then one must also consider the work the play is based on, and consider that as well. The following are steps recommended by iwriteessays.com on how to write a drama essay:

What Are the Basic Elements of Play Analysis?

i. Plot

The plot of a play is the basic structure, as well as the message of the play. It is basically, what the play entails. There are two basic structures for a play plot â€“ linear and non-linear. Linear plots play out in chronological order; non-linear plots have "flash backsâ€, and take place at different points in time, not in chronological order. A plot summary, or a basic overview of the plot, is necessary in most play analysis.

ii. Characters

These elements of the play bring the story to live. They are the integral elements by which the story revolves. The relationships between the different roles are vital to the overall mood and message of the work. There are main characters that play vital roles in the plot of the play, and secondary characters that are there to help set a mood.

iii. Language

The way that the characters talk â€“ the type of language they use, formal, conversational, etc. â€“ provides a lot of insight into the environment the characters inhabit. It deepens the plot, making it more consistent with the period and mood.

iv. Setting

The setting generally adds relevance and richness to the environment of the performance.

v. Main Idea

This is the message of the play, or the point of the play. What was the playwright trying to get across with his or her work? That is the main idea of the play.

vi. Performance

This is the execution of a live rendition of a written play. Here one must take into account acting, directing, staging and more.

Writing steps of a drama essay

a. Be specific about your drama essay topic

b. Create an outline with concise sentences. The outline will help keep the content of the paper in a logical order and create an organized overview of the paper.

c. Do not rely on just one source when writing the paper. Reading other play analysis might help you come up with ideas of your own. There can be many different themes of a play, decide what type of theme interest you the most.

d. Assure that each of your main ideas are strongly supported

e. Remember to cite when appropriate.

How to write a good drama essay?

Essay paper writing

Thinking about the cultural heritage of a country, people usually remember music, paintings, costumes, and even cuisine, but often forget about drama. This art has taken various forms in different countries, and most nations have a great history of its development.

For ages, it has evolved from being merely entertainment for masses to something a lot bigger and more valuable. It started reflecting the real life, presenting both beautiful and ugly sides of it, teaching people important lessons, educating them, delivering certain messages, and raising public awareness.

Therefore, if you were assigned a drama essay, you have a wide variety of topics to choose from and viewpoints to consider. While picking the topic might not be the biggest issue, as you likely know a few plays you might want to review, the writing part might be a little tricky. Let us walk you through it though.

Drama essay outline

There is nothing special about the structure of dramatic essays. Its main elements are:

Introduction. Start with a hook phrase, provide a few sentences with some background information on the topic, and end the introductory paragraph with a thesis statement showing the purpose of your paper.
Body. If you are writing a typical 1-2-page essay, the body will likely consist of about 3-5 paragraphs, each with its own main idea and supporting sentences.
Conclusion. The main task of this section is to restate the thesis statement, briefly overview the discussion you had in the body, and leave your readers some food for thought.

Drama essay format

The question of formatting always concerns students because it constitutes a considerable part of the overall grade. If you are a school student, you will likely be asked to use APA or MLA style. But if you study at a university, then the choice of formatting styles can be wider. Therefore, it is better to clarify which one would be the most suitable with your professor before you start working on your essay.

Drama essay help: best tips

Drama studies, the same as numerous other courses, require their students to work on different kinds of tasks, and many of them involve essay writing. Even though you are familiar with various types of papers and have certainly worked on a wide range of topics, the most frequent task you may be assigned is usually an analysis paper. No matter how many essays you have prepared before, drama writing assignments will be a unique, unusual, and unexpectedly enjoyable experience that will fascinate you each time.

As most professors try to help their students relish each drama essay assignment and approach it creatively, they often leave minimum instructions to follow. While some people see it as an opportunity to learn in comfort and recognize the limits of their own perception, others freeze in confusion, having no idea what to do next. It is completely natural to feel baffled when you are used to staying within limits set by teachers but are suddenly given so much freedom for experiments and action. It is just important to come out of this perplexed state and make a clear plan like this one:

Choose a play

Obviously, a drama analysis essay cannot be done if there is nothing to analyze. Therefore, it is important to pick the play first. Teachers can provide their students with a list of plays to choose from, and as you have no time to watch them all and then pick one, read brief descriptions of them on the Web, and go with the play you liked the most.

If you have no list, the situation gets a bit more complicated, but there is no need to worry, as you can create such a list on your own. Focus on the topic you are currently studying on the course, and search for plays that would have the needed time frame, country, exact theatre, or team of actors. Make your own little research on these plays to figure out what they are about and make the final decision on what you are going to analyze.

Think of the assessment criteria

The type of paper you are working on implies that you need to analyze certain aspects of the play you will watch, and it is crucial to decide what those things will be. If you have to focus on technical attributes of the play, then lights, quality of music, costumes, and decorations are the nice assessment choices. However, writing about drama, you will more often be asked to put the emphasis on something spiritual or emotional. In this case, it is better to examine acting itself, as well as the role of crewmembers, their involvement, language, feelings, and contribution to the play. You can always look up the criteria, but it is better to come up with a few on your own, write them all down, and make sure they all will be suitable for your essay on drama.

Outline, write, and revise

When you feel ready for writing about drama, create proper working conditions for yourself, and prepare an outline first. Find a place where nothing will bother you, turn off your phone, and take everything you need for writing. Look up how to structure the work, check out the outline provided above, or find a suitable sample and check how it is organized.

You can either use a similar structure or outline the drama paper on your own using the data you have. Think about the purpose of the work, the information you want to present, and the way you will shape your discussion. Start writing a drama review only when the outline is ready and make sure to proofread it when you finish.

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What this handout is about

This handout identifies common questions about drama, describes the elements of drama that are most often discussed in theater classes, provides a few strategies for planning and writing an effective drama paper, and identifies various resources for research in theater history and dramatic criticism. We’ll give special attention to writing about productions and performances of plays.

What is drama? And how do you write about it?

When we describe a situation or a person’s behavior as “dramatic,” we usually mean that it is intense, exciting (or excited), striking, or vivid. The works of drama that we study in a classroom share those elements. For example, if you are watching a play in a theatre, feelings of tension and anticipation often arise because you are wondering what will happen between the characters on stage. Will they shoot each other? Will they finally confess their undying love for one another? When you are reading a play, you may have similar questions. Will Oedipus figure out that he was the one who caused the plague by killing his father and sleeping with his mother? Will Hamlet successfully avenge his father’s murder?

For instructors in academic departments—whether their classes are about theatrical literature, theater history, performance studies, acting, or the technical aspects of a production—writing about drama often means explaining what makes the plays we watch or read so exciting. Of course, one particular production of a play may not be as exciting as it’s supposed to be. In fact, it may not be exciting at all. Writing about drama can also involve figuring out why and how a production went wrong.

What’s the difference between plays, productions, and performances?

Talking about plays, productions, and performances can be difficult, especially since there’s so much overlap in the uses of these terms. Although there are some exceptions, usually plays are what’s on the written page. A production of a play is a series of performances, each of which may have its own idiosyncratic features. For example, one production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night might set the play in 1940’s Manhattan, and another might set the play on an Alpaca farm in New Zealand. Furthermore, in a particular performance (say, Tuesday night) of that production, the actor playing Malvolio might get fed up with playing the role as an Alpaca herder, shout about the indignity of the whole thing, curse Shakespeare for ever writing the play, and stomp off the stage. See how that works?

Be aware that the above terms are sometimes used interchangeably—but the overlapping elements of each are often the most exciting things to talk about. For example, a series of particularly bad performances might distract from excellent production values: If the actor playing Falstaff repeatedly trips over a lance and falls off the stage, the audience may not notice the spectacular set design behind him. In the same way, a particularly dynamic and inventive script (play) may so bedazzle an audience that they never notice the inept lighting scheme.

A few analyzable elements of plays

Plays have many different elements or aspects, which means that you should have lots of different options for focusing your analysis. Playwrights—writers of plays—are called “wrights” because this word means “builder.” Just as shipwrights build ships, playwrights build plays. A playwright’s raw materials are words, but to create a successful play, they must also think about the performance—about what will be happening on stage with sets, sounds, actors, etc. To put it another way: the words of a play have their meanings within a larger context—the context of the production. When you watch or read a play, think about how all of the parts work (or could work) together.

For the play itself, some important contexts to consider are:

The time period in which the play was written
The playwright’s biography and their other writing
Contemporaneous works of theater (plays written or produced by other artists at roughly the same time)
The language of the play

Depending on your assignment, you may want to focus on one of these elements exclusively or compare and contrast two or more of them. Keep in mind that any one of these elements may be more than enough for a dissertation, let alone a short reaction paper. Also remember that in most cases, your assignment will ask you to provide some kind of analysis, not simply a plot summary—so don’t think that you can write a paper about A Doll’s House that simply describes the events leading up to Nora’s fateful decision.

Since a number of academic assignments ask you to pay attention to the language of the play and since it might be the most complicated thing to work with, it’s worth looking at a few of the ways you might be asked to deal with it in more detail.

There are countless ways that you can talk about how language works in a play, a production, or a particular performance. Given a choice, you should probably focus on words, phrases, lines, or scenes that really struck you, things that you still remember weeks after reading the play or seeing the performance. You’ll have a much easier time writing about a bit of language that you feel strongly about (love it or hate it).

That said, here are two common ways to talk about how language works in a play:

How characters are constructed by their language

If you have a strong impression of a character, especially if you haven’t seen that character depicted on stage, you probably remember one line or bit of dialogue that really captures who that character is. Playwrights often distinguish their characters with idiosyncratic or at least individualized manners of speaking. Take this example from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest :

ALGERNON: Did you hear what I was playing, Lane? LANE: I didn’t think it polite to listen, sir. ALGERNON: I’m sorry for that, for your sake. I don’t play accurately—anyone can play accurately—but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life. LANE: Yes, sir. ALGERNON: And, speaking of the science of Life, have you got the cucumber sandwiches cut for Lady Bracknell?

This early moment in the play contributes enormously to what the audience thinks about the aristocratic Algernon and his servant, Lane. If you were to talk about language in this scene, you could discuss Lane’s reserved replies: Are they funny? Do they indicate familiarity or sarcasm? How do you react to a servant who replies in that way? Or you could focus on Algernon’s witty responses. Does Algernon really care what Lane thinks? Is he talking more to hear himself? What does that say about how the audience is supposed to see Algernon? Algernon’s manner of speech is part of who his character is. If you are analyzing a particular performance, you might want to comment on the actor’s delivery of these lines: Was his vocal inflection appropriate? Did it show something about the character?

How language contributes to scene and mood

Ancient, medieval, and Renaissance plays often use verbal tricks and nuances to convey the setting and time of the play because performers during these periods didn’t have elaborate special-effects technology to create theatrical illusions. For example, most scenes from Shakespeare’s Macbeth take place at night. The play was originally performed in an open-air theatre in the bright and sunny afternoon. How did Shakespeare communicate the fact that it was night-time in the play? Mainly by starting scenes like this:

BANQUO: How goes the night, boy? FLEANCE: The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. BANQUO: And she goes down at twelve. FLEANCE: I take’t, ’tis later, sir. BANQUO: Hold, take my sword. There’s husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose!

Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch

Give me my sword. Who’s there?

Characters entering with torches is a pretty big clue, as is having a character say, “It’s night.” Later in the play, the question, “Who’s there?” recurs a number of times, establishing the illusion that the characters can’t see each other. The sense of encroaching darkness and the general mysteriousness of night contributes to a number of other themes and motifs in the play.

Productions and performances

Productions.

For productions as a whole, some important elements to consider are:

Venue: How big is the theatre? Is this a professional or amateur acting company? What kind of resources do they have? How does this affect the show?
Costumes: What is everyone wearing? Is it appropriate to the historical period? Modern? Trendy? Old-fashioned? Does it fit the character? What does their costume make you think about each character? How does this affect the show?
Set design: What does the set look like? Does it try to create a sense of “realism”? Does it set the play in a particular historical period? What impressions does the set create? Does the set change, and if so, when and why? How does this affect the show?
Lighting design: Are characters ever in the dark? Are there spotlights? Does light come through windows? From above? From below? Is any tinted or colored light projected? How does this affect the show?
“Idea” or “concept”: Do the set and lighting designs seem to work together to produce a certain interpretation? Do costumes and other elements seem coordinated? How does this affect the show?

You’ve probably noticed that each of these ends with the question, “How does this affect the show?” That’s because you should be connecting every detail that you analyze back to this question. If a particularly weird costume (like King Henry in scuba gear) suggests something about the character (King Henry has gone off the deep end, literally and figuratively), then you can ask yourself, “Does this add or detract from the show?” (King Henry having an interest in aquatic mammals may not have been what Shakespeare had in mind.)

Performances

For individual performances, you can analyze all the items considered above in light of how they might have been different the night before. For example, some important elements to consider are:

Individual acting performances: What did the actor playing the part bring to the performance? Was there anything particularly moving about the performance that night that surprised you, that you didn’t imagine from reading the play beforehand (if you did so)?
Mishaps, flubs, and fire alarms: Did the actors mess up? Did the performance grind to a halt or did it continue?
Audience reactions: Was there applause? At inappropriate points? Did someone fall asleep and snore loudly in the second act? Did anyone cry? Did anyone walk out in utter outrage?

Response papers

Instructors in drama classes often want to know what you really think. Sometimes they’ll give you very open-ended assignments, allowing you to choose your own topic; this freedom can have its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, you may find it easier to express yourself without the pressure of specific guidelines or restrictions. On the other hand, it can be challenging to decide what to write about. The elements and topics listed above may provide you with a jumping-off point for more open-ended assignments. Once you’ve identified a possible area of interest, you can ask yourself questions to further develop your ideas about it and decide whether it might make for a good paper topic. For example, if you were especially interested in the lighting, how did the lighting make you feel? Nervous? Bored? Distracted? It’s usually a good idea to be as specific as possible. You’ll have a much more difficult time if you start out writing about “imagery” or “language” in a play than if you start by writing about that ridiculous face Helena made when she found out Lysander didn’t love her anymore.

If you’re really having trouble getting started, here’s a three point plan for responding to a piece of theater—say, a performance you recently observed:

Make a list of five or six specific words, images, or moments that caught your attention while you were sitting in your seat.
Answer one of the following questions: Did any of the words, images, or moments you listed contribute to your enjoyment or loathing of the play? Did any of them seem to add to or detract from any overall theme that the play may have had? Did any of them make you think of something completely different and wholly irrelevant to the play? If so, what connection might there be?
Write a few sentences about how each of the items you picked out for the second question affected you and/or the play.

This list of ideas can help you begin to develop an analysis of the performance and your own reactions to it.

If you need to do research in the specialized field of performance studies (a branch of communication studies) or want to focus especially closely on poetic or powerful language in a play, see our handout on communication studies and handout on poetry explications . For additional tips on writing about plays as a form of literature, see our handout on writing about fiction .

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Carter, Paul. 1994. The Backstage Handbook: An Illustrated Almanac of Technical Information , 3rd ed. Shelter Island, NY: Broadway Press.

Vandermeer, Philip. 2021. “A to Z Databases: Dramatic Art.” Subject Research Guides, University of North Carolina. Last updated March 3, 2021. https://guides.lib.unc.edu/az.php?a=d&s=1113 .

Worthen, William B. 2010. The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama , 6th ed. Boston: Cengage.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How To Write A Drama Essay?

Writing an essay is a boring job unless the essay belongs to the drama domain. In this type of essay, other than evaluating one’s grip on grammatical rules, creativity is also tested, which sets it apart from the other forms of essay writing. It requires the student to adopt a critical approach and analyse how the characters, events, and conditions mingle to create a drama.

To understand the pointer mentioned above, it is important to learn about the essentials of a drama. These vital drama components are discussed below for your assistance:

A plot is the main message entailed in the essay’s body. There are two methods to deliver this message to the audience, known as linear and non-linear. In the linear approach, every event takes place in a chronological fashion, which makes it easier for the audience to follow through. On the other hand, the non-linear approach makes use of ‘flashbacks’ and connects it with other events discussed in the essay.

Characters:

Characters are the main focus of every drama writing, and they are responsible for steering the story, setting the mood, and delivering the drama’s message.

The setting is synonymous to the environment, and the background characters are exposed to. This setting adds another layered rich texture to the characters’ performance which allows audience to relate with them.

These three integral components of the drama are to be kept in mind while curating an essay. Once you are clear about these, you can use the following tips to write an impeccable piece of drama essay:

Let the Creative Juices Flow:

As writing a drama essay is all about unleashing your creativity, you should allow yourself to brainstorm and list potential ideas on a piece of paper. In this connection, you can also take inspiration from an event that has occurred to you or someone around you.

After doing this exercise, you should eliminate ideas that seem bogus or repetitive. Also, you can refine the primary listed ideas by adding further information to them.

Set a Direction for Your Ideas:

Similar to the conventional essay writing format, a drama essay also comprises three sections, namely: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Therefore, you are required to segment information in these three sections according to the purpose they serve. For this reason, you need to create a writing outline for your convenience.

It is recommended to create a list of major points and connect it with other supplementary information to evoke your readers’ interest.

Present a Unique Touch:

In the introductory section, you must present a glimpse of the event and highlight its importance to you. Since the introduction should hook the audience’s attention right from the opening sentence, you should be creative in terms of writing.

Regulate the Information

The essay’s main body is incorporated to discuss the impact and the learned lesson. To do so, you have to elaborate on how the characters were influenced by the event, their reaction, and how all of these conditions weaved to generate the main plot of the drama. For this purpose, you have to adopt an analytical and critical writing approach.

Highlight the Outcome:

The concluding paragraph in the drama essay is responsible for presenting the outcome generated by the drama. It may disclose information such as:

• What improvement or change did the characters encounter? • Would things be any different if certain measures were taken? • How is the state of change beneficial or destructive for the characters?

Polish the Write-Up

After completing the essay writing, you should pass it through the stages of proofreading and editing to filter mistakes.

By keeping the drama essentials and the tips above into account, you can write an exceptional drama essay and that too all by yourself.

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How to Write a Scene Analysis

Writing a scene analysis requires a thorough understanding of not only the scene you choose to dissect but also the overall film or play. Scenes need to move the story forward and reveal information about the characters. When you break down a scene, you uncover the writer's intention as well as how the work resonates with you.

Watch the entire movie and choose the scene you wish to analyze. Pick something with an analyzable theme.

Focus on the scene you have chosen. Watch it a few times in a row.

Take notes on the scene. Study the way the characters interact and what that says about each character. Dissect the choice of camera angles and the scene's setting and overall purpose.

Formulate a hypothesis based on a fact you want to prove about the scene you chose.

Write an introductory paragraph stating your hypothesis as well as the relationship of this scene to the rest of the film.

Formulate three supporting paragraphs. Each one should bring to light a different point to prove your theory. Include quotes to strengthen your analysis.

Summarize the scene analysis in a conclusion paragraph. Tie together your points with the hypothesis and the theme of the film you have focused on.

Do not get too specific, as you need enough information to write the paper. Start with a broader hypothesis, and break down the smaller parts to prove the more general idea.
Remember that characters add to the theme as much as the words and actions do. Think about breaking down your supporting paragraphs to examine a different part of the scene in each. One section for character, one for setting and one for cinematography is an example.
Typical scene analysis comes in the form of a five-paragraph essay. You can expand out your points if you need to write a longer paper.
Pick a scene many are familiar with or at least a movie most can relate to. If someone has not seen or read what you are talking about, he will find it difficult to understand your point of view. If you want to choose something obscure, bring in a copy of the scene you have analyzed.

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Pharaba Witt has worked as a writer in Los Angeles for more than 10 years. She has written for websites such as USA Today, Red Beacon, LIVESTRONG, WiseGeek, Web Series Network, Nursing Daily and major film studios. When not traveling she enjoys outdoor activities such as backpacking, snowboarding, ice climbing and scuba diving. She is constantly researching equipment and seeking new challenges.

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How to Structure an Essay

Essay writing is a fundamental skill, a basic task, that is expected of those who choose to pursue their undergraduate and master’s degrees. It constitutes a key requirement for students to complete a given course credit. However, many students and early career researchers find themselves struggling with the challenge of organizing their thoughts into a coherent, engaging structure. This article is especially for those who see essay writing as a daunting task and face problems in presenting their work in an impactful way.

Writing an essay: basic elements and some key principles
Essay structure template
Chronological structure
Problem-methods-solutions structure
Compare and contrast structures
Frequently asked questions on essay structure

Read on as we delve into the basic elements of essay writing, outline key principles for organizing information, and cover some foundational features of writing essays.

Writing an essay: basic elements and some key principles

Essays are written in a flowing and continuous pattern but with a structure of its own. An introduction, body and conclusion are integral to it. The key is to balance the amount and kind of information to be presented in each part. Various disciplines may have their own conventions or guidelines on the information to be provided in the introduction.

A clear articulation of the context and background of the study is important, as is the definition of key terms and an outline of specific models or theories used. Readers also need to know the significance of the study and its implications for further research. Most importantly, the thesis or the main proposition should be clearly presented.

The body of the essay is therefore organized into paragraphs that hold the main ideas and arguments and is presented and analyzed in a logical manner. Ideally, each paragraph of the body focuses on one main point or a distinct topic and must be supported by evidence and analysis. The concluding paragraph should bring back to the reader the key arguments, its significance and food for thought. It is best not to re-state all the points of the essay or introduce a new concept here.

In other words, certain general guidelines help structure the information in the essay. The information must flow logically with the context or the background information presented in the introductory part of the essay. The arguments are built organically where each paragraph in the body of the essay deals with a different point, yet closely linked to the para preceding and following it. Importantly, when writing essays, early career researchers must be careful in ensuring that each piece of information relates to the main thesis and is a building block to the arguments.

Essay structure template

Introduction
Provide the context and share significance of the study
Clearly articulate the thesis statement
Body
Paragraph 1 consisting of the first main point, followed by supporting evidence and an analysis of the findings. Transitional words and phrases can be used to move to the next main point.
There can be as many paragraphs with the above-mentioned elements as there are points and arguments to support your thesis.
Conclusion
Bring in key ideas and discuss their significance and relevance
Call for action
References

Essay structures

The structure of an essay can be determined by the kind of essay that is required.

Chronological structure

Also known as the cause-and-effect approach, this is a straightforward way to structure an essay. In such essays, events are discussed sequentially, as they occurred from the earliest to the latest. A chronological structure is useful for discussing a series of events or processes such as historical analyses or narratives of events. The introduction should have the topic sentence. The body of the essay should follow a chorological progression with each para discussing a major aspect of that event with supporting evidence. It ends with a summarizing of the results of the events.

Problem-methods-solutions structure

Where the essay focuses on a specific problem, the problem-methods-solutions structure can be used to organize the essay. This structure is ideal for essays that address complex issues. It starts with presenting the problem, the context, and thesis statement as introduction to the essay. The major part of the discussion which forms the body of the essay focuses on stating the problem and its significance, the author’s approach or methods adopted to address the problem along with its relevance, and accordingly proposing solution(s) to the identified problem. The concluding part offers a recap of the research problem, methods, and proposed solutions, emphasizing their significance and potential impact.

Compare and contrast structures

This structure of essay writing is ideally used when two or more key subjects require a comparison of ideas, theories, or phenomena. The three crucial elements, introduction, body, and conclusion, remain the same. The introduction presents the context and the thesis statement. The body of the essay seeks to focus on and highlight differences between the subjects, supported by evidence and analysis. The conclusion is used to summarize the key points of comparison and contrast, offering insights into the significance of the analysis.

Depending on how the subjects will be discussed, the body of the essay can be organized according to the block method or the alternating method. In the block method, one para discusses one subject and the next para the other subject. In the alternative method, both subjects are discussed in one para based on a particular topic or issue followed by the next para on another issue and so on.

Frequently asked questions on essay structure

An essay structure serves as a framework for presenting ideas coherently and logically. It comprises three crucial elements: an introduction that communicates the context, topic, and thesis statement; the body focusing on the main points and arguments supported with appropriate evidence followed by its analysis; and a conclusion that ties together the main points and its importance .

An essay structure well-defined essay structure enhances clarity, coherence, and readability, and is crucial for organizing ideas and arguments to effectively communicate key aspects of a chosen topic. It allows readers to better understand arguments presented and demonstrates the author’s ability to organize and present information systematically.

Yes, while expert recommend following an essay structure, early career researchers may choose how best to adapt standard essay structures to communicate and share their research in an impactful and engaging way. However, do keep in mind that deviating too far from established structures can hinder comprehension and weaken the overall effectiveness of the essay, By understanding the basic elements of essay writing and employing appropriate structures such as chronological, problem-methods-solutions, or compare and contrast, researchers can effectively organize their ideas and communicate their findings with clarity and precision.

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Structuring the Essay ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

Answering just one essay question can seem daunting. However, examiners just want to see your ideas and opinions on the modern text you have studied. The guide below will enable you to best express these ideas and opinions in a way that will gain the highest marks. It includes guides on:

Answering the question

Planning your essay, writing your essay.

As Paper 2 requires you to answer three questions in 2hr 15min, you have 45 minutes to plan, write and check your modern text essay. A good rule of thumb is to spend:

3 minutes analysing the question
7-10 minutes planning
26-32 minutes writing

It is always a good idea to use the rest of your time to review what you’ve written and to make any adjustments.

Students usually think that spending more time on the writing will gain more marks, but this isn't true: more essay doesn’t mean more marks! Examiners prefer shorter, well planned responses that have a clear argument throughout. Indeed, long essays that are unstructured and sprawling can in fact lose marks for being unfocused. Therefore, it is vital to always set aside time to write a plan.

Regardless of which modern text you study, the type of question you’ll need to write an essay for will be the same. You will be asked a question that asks you to analyse and write in detail about an aspect of the text. Your answer will need to address the text as a whole.

Completing the steps below will ensure you answer the question in the way that examiners are looking for.

6 key steps to answer the modern text exam question effectively:

1. The very first thing you should do once you open your exam paper is to look at the question:

This sounds obvious, but it’s really crucial to read through the question a few times
Why is this important? Regardless of what subject you’re being examined in, the single-biggest mistake most students make in their exams is not reading the question through carefully enough that they answer the question they think they’re being asked, rather than the question they’ve actually been asked
It’s especially important to get this right in your GCSE English Literature exams because you only have five essay questions to answer across two papers, so if you misread a question, you’re potentially costing yourself a large number of marks

2 . Identify the keywords of the question:

The key words are the focus of the question: the specific themes, ideas or characters the examiners want you to focus on
For the above question, the key words of the question are “how Russell presents the importance of friendship”
This is the theme the examiners want you to explore in your essay
Do not be tempted to write a question on a related theme, even if you have revised more for it: this will affect your overall mark badly, as you won’t be directly answering the question!
In the example above, the theme is about friendship, so make sure you plan and write an essay about friendship , rather than, for example, the role of family in the text:
Although this could be viewed as a related theme, your answer won’t be focused on the question and will lose you marks

3. Critically evaluate the idea or theme of the question in terms of the text as a whole

Think: what is this question asking, and what is it not asking?
It is asking you to explore ideas about friendship – a special relationship or bond that exists between people
The question is not asking you to explore any other themes
Again, writing about related ideas will actually lose you marks as you aren’t answering the exact question you have been set. The examiner isn’t going to reward you extra marks for information that is factually correct or demonstrates a great understanding of the text if the information is not relevant to the question being asked

Planning your essay is absolutely vital to achieve the highest marks. Examiners always stress that the best responses are those that have a logical, well-structured argument that comes with spending time planning an answer. This, in turn, will enable you to achieve the highest marks for each assessment objective. The main assessment objectives are:

It is important to remember how marks are distributed for each assessment objective: there are 12 marks for AO1, 12 marks for AO2 and 6 marks for AO3. The mark scheme places assessment objectives AO1 and AO2 as the key skills, therefore while AO3 must be addressed in your response, your essay should focus predominantly on AO1 and AO2.

Your plan should include all aspects of your response, covering all of the assessment objectives, but mainly focusing on AO1 and AO2:
Your overall argument, or thesis (AO1)
Your topic sentences for all your paragraphs (AO1)
The quotations you will be using and analysing from elsewhere in the text (AO1 & AO2)
A sense of why the writer has made the choices they have (AO2)
A sense of what contextual factors give further insight into the ideas and theme presented in the question (AO3)
Therefore, a plan may look like the following:

Russell presents the importance of friendship through several characters in Blood Brothers, especially Mickey and Edward whose friendship is central to the play. Russell chooses to contrast the power and beauty of their childhood friendship with its final collapse in adulthood, which results in their tragic ending. Their friendship highlights one of Russell’s key messages concerning social class, inequality and poverty which can have devastating consequences on people’s lives.

Russell initially depicts Mickey and Edward's friendship as strong despite their disparate social backgrounds, which underscores his message that natural human bonds and relationships are more important than societal norms and expectations.	“If you loved me you'd let me go out with Mickey”	Russell illustrates how Edward and Mickey are inextricably linked and their refusal to be separated is evident, for example, through Edward as he disobeys his mother’s instructions about associating with working-class friends like Mickey
Russell uses dramatic irony in his presentation of Mickey and Edward’s friendship as ‘blood brothers’, which enables the audience to be fully aware of their fate, which further adds to the tragic element of the play as the two boys do not fully understand the significance of their new brotherhood.	“Ey, we were born on the same day…that means we can be blood brothers”	Russell uses the omniscient Narrator at the beginning of the play to remind the audience of the impending fate of Mickey and Edward, which enables the audience to feel greater sympathy for them as they watch them spiral toward their tragic end
Russell demonstrates how friendships grow and evolve over time, however, the growing tensions between Mickey and Edward cause them to disastrously part ways, which reveals how external influences, such as class and poverty, can negatively affect the natural bonds of friendship.	“Well, how come you got everything…an’ I got nothin’?”	Russell depicts Mickey’s tragic decline into violence and depression and contrasts this with Edward’s prosperity and success, ending the play with the final collapse of their once close friendship
The play’s structure conveys the change in friendships; the irony of ‘blood brothers’; the contrast between other friendships in the play
influence of social class on friendships; ideas about appropriate behaviour amongst classes and sexes; social background to the characters’ lives; the influence of parents on friendships

Some other tips:

You do not need to include a counter-argument (disagreeing with the question/including paragraphs which begin “On the other hand”)
The questions have been designed to enable as many students as possible to write essays
Examiners say that the inclusion of a counter-argument is often unnecessary and unhelpful
It can affect your AO1 mark negatively

Given the time pressure of the exam, there is always a temptation for students to do without a plan, especially if they feel they understand the focus of the question well. However, this is a mistake.

The exam board states: “Where students have written a plan, there is often a sense of a coherent and organised response, for which references and quotations have been selected to support the student’s argument.”

What this means is that writing a plan not only enables you to achieve the highest AO1 marks (for organisation of argument) but also helps you select the most precise quotations and references, which will lead to more relevant analysis of writer’s methods (AO2).

Once you have read and evaluated the question and created a clear plan, you are ready to begin writing. Below is a guide detailing what to include.

Your essay should include:

An introduction with a thesis statement
A number of paragraphs (three is ideal!), each covering a separate point. It’s a great idea to start each paragraph with a topic sentence
A conclusion

Introduction

Your introduction should aim to clearly, and briefly, answer the question
The best way to do this is to include a thesis statement
A thesis statement is a short statement (one or two sentences) that summarises the main point or claim your argument is making
You should include the exact words from the question in your thesis statement
Examiners want to see your own opinion : your interpretation of what the writer is trying to show
Your thesis statement should also attempt to explain why you think the writer has presented their characters in the way that they have: what are they trying to say overall? What is their message?
A good way to think about this is to ask: what is the writer’s one big idea in terms of the characters or themes addressed in the question?
Include contextual ideas and perspectives to help explain the writer’s intentions
Including the writer’s message or one big idea helps create a “conceptualised response”, which examiners reward with the highest marks
An example of a thesis statement:

Thesis statement:

“Russell presents the importance of friendship through several characters in Blood Brothers, especially Mickey and Edward whose friendship is central to the play. Russell chooses to contrast the power and beauty of their childhood friendship with its final collapse in adulthood, which results in their tragic ending. Their friendship highlights one of Russell’s key messages concerning social class, inequality and poverty which can have devastating consequences on people’s lives.”

Introductions should not be too long, or include all the details of what each paragraph will include
You will not be rewarded for including the same information twice, so don’t waste time repeating yourself
Write your thesis in the third person, not the first person (don’t use “I”)
“I believe that Russell presents ideas about the importance of friendship …. ❌
“ Russell presents the importance of friendship through several characters … in order to illustrate …” ✅
Try to include three separate paragraphs that cover three separate points
This will ensure your response is to what examiners call the “full task”
Start each paragraph with a topic sentence
A topic sentence is an opening sentence which details the focus of its paragraph
It should include the words of the question
All topic sentences must relate to your thesis
They should be seen as sub-points that provide a more specific and narrower focus than your thesis statement
Everything that follows a topic sentence in a paragraph must support the point it makes

Example of a topic sentence:

“Russell initially depicts Mickey and Edward's friendship as strong despite their disparate social backgrounds, which underscores his message that natural human bonds and relationships are more important than societal norms and expectations.”

Beware of writing an overly structured paragraph which follows a set pattern
You may have learned PEE, PEAL, PEED, or other structures for your paragraphs
However, examiners often say that although these are excellent for learning what to include in essays, they can be limiting in an exam
Instead, be led by the ideas in the text, and prove your own argument (both the overall thesis and your topic sentences)
It is always a good idea to include a conclusion to your essay so that your essay reads as coherent and focused on answering the question throughout
This can result in improved marks for AO1
However, there is no need to spend a long time writing your conclusion
A conclusion for a modern text should only summarise the proof you have provided for your thesis
It only needs to be two or three sentences long
It should include the words of the question and your thesis
Remember, you do not get rewarded for including the same information twice

An example of a conclusion:

“To conclude, Russell presents friendship as a fundamental aspect of people’s lives and he demonstrates how these special relationships can be impacted by social inequality and injustice. Through Mickey and Edward, Russell argues that even the closest friendships - and by extension, all bonds between different groups in society - are tested, and potentially broken, by these inequalities.”

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Author: Nick

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

Essay on Drama in English

A drama is a medium through which any kind of story is enacted through performance and dialogue. It has a plot, characters, conflict, music and dialogue. It tries to entertain an individual or a group of individuals. Generally, dramas are performed by the actors in a place called stage or theatre.

A theatre is a place in which a play is performed. It can be big or small. It can also be an indoor theatre or outdoor one. A theatre needs at least one character. A drama always aims to reach to a large number of audience or people.

The actors in a drama are normally humans. But, broadly speaking, actors also are seen in the form of cartoons, puppets, or sometimes robots that perform with the help of human.

Today, dramas can be seen in the forms of television serials, movies, and radio plays. The T.V. serials like Motu Patlu, Chhota Bheem are all had cartoons as their actors.

Drama activities in schools are very much fruitful for children. They make learning entertaining and as well as memorable. By taking part in any of the dramas performed in the classroom, children can improve their communication skill as well as self-confidence.

Dramas are seen performing in many functions organized in the schools. They are generally based on any social cause like ‘Stop Cutting Trees’, ‘Save Water etc. It helps students to improve their knowledge of a particular subject. Likewise, drama has become an important part of human life.

In many schools, different drama clubs are formed. The aim is to allow students to think creatively. It helps students to be enough confident so to live a better life.

Table of Contents

Questions on Drama

What is drama explain.

A drama is a medium through which any kind of story is enacted through performance and dialogue. It tries to entertain an individual or a group of individuals.

What are drama and its forms?

What are the characteristics of drama.

The characteristics of drama are plot, characters, conflict, music and dialogue.

A Level Drama and Theatre Studies (Edexcel) Essay Structure

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How to Write a Drama Essay

Essay writing only seems easy. In fact, when a student sits down to work he or she understands how much needs to be done in order to write a persuasive and effective essay . Academic papers are written for professors and admission boards to evaluate students’ knowledge on certain issues, as well as their writing skills. Essay types and topics depend on students’ majors. Technical students are assigned with engineering essays , while arts and literature students write literature and drama papers. Writing of the drama paper can be quite difficult as a student has to penetrate in souls of literature and drama characters.

Drama Essay Page Navigation

Poetry essay.

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Tragedy Essay

Drama short story, drama article, write drama essay, drama essay paper, download free sample of a drama essay.

Drama Essay Page Sample (Click the Image to Enlarge)

Literature students read a lot of poems. Naturally, they are asked to write their own reviews and commentaries to poetry. Thus, a poetry essay is quite a frequent and popular task among students who study literature. Writing of a poetry essay is not just about writing of an introduction, body and conclusion. Your essay must be a masterpiece in itself. It should be a literary work which is interesting to read and even to quote. Very often, when writing reviews on poetry, students show their own poetic power. Creativity is the number one concern. It is very important to show your own attitude towards the style and contents of a poem. You have to explain use of different literature speech tools, or at least try to do so.

The subject of dramatic arts provides ample topics for composing an essay. It can be about art in general, about a specific form of art or a specific work. Drama essays can be composed in any form of essay writing. Say, for example as a narrative essay or an informative essay . Drama essays are an imperative in literary courses. Literature is termed the “Art of written works”. Dramas are put into writing first before they are performed in any other media. Due to the volume and variety of information available on the topic do not feel that it will be easy to compose one. In reality it may be tedious to sift through all that information. ProfEssays.com experts with intimate knowledge of the techniques of successful essay writing offer services that will help you in the construction and presentation of quality essays.

Drama essays can be written in many forms. The form should match the theme of the essay. Some forms that can be used are:

Academic essays: Generally longer in composition and often discursive. The form is often used for literary reviews.
Descriptive essays : As the name suggests the form can be to describe a work or an art form with emphasis on the characteristics of the work or art form.
Compare and contrast essays . A form that can be used to discuss multiple subjects like two contemporary authors, their similarities and dissimilarities etc.

To the literarily inclined, writing about a specific work will be a gratifying exercise. Drama essays in the form of a review, helps the writer to project his personality and erudition on to paper. Care should be taken to be not too critical of famous authors or their work which may project a different picture to the readers. ProfEssays.com professionals have the requisite expertise to help you prepare an appropriate review of any work.

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Who hasn’t read Shakespeare in school? Who doesn’t know who Hamlet or Othello is? But students who study literature have to go further and analyze every event and personality of these classical tragedies. Writing of a tragedy essay is a very popular task. Tragedy essays are so much different from other essay types. Although students have to possess analytical skills, they also have to feel characters. This is something that can be achieved only after reading these dramas. A tragedy essay traditionally contains introduction, body and conclusion. It is very important to stick to the topic. If you’re asked to analyze Hamlet’s monologue you have to do so, but not just describe this drama’s plot.

Professors love drama short stories . These essay types fall into two categories: own dramas and essays on dramas by prominent writers. Imagine that you were asked to write a drama short story . You have to invent your own plot and characters. It doesn’t have to be a recognized masterpiece but you need to follow guidelines and recommendations to drama writing. In case you’re asked to write a short story on drama you have read, you have to select topic and focus on it. If this is description of a character you have to merge with him or her in order to understand why he and he said or did certain things. You can also write a review where you express personal attitude towards plot, key characters writing style etc.

Literature students sometimes watch theater performances, and after that they are asked to write drama articles . A drama article is a short piece of writing that focuses on theater performances or drama in writing. Often, students have complete freedom as to the topic. At the same time, drama articles should comply with all those norms and requirements applicable to academic writing. Thus, a drama article should have introduction, body and conclusion. It goes without saying that you have to pick an interesting topic . Some of the possible suggestions are analysis of key character’s personality, drama style etc. You can also write on why a certain performance impressed you.

How do I write drama essay ? This is a very popular question that literature students often ask themselves. A drama essay is a special piece of writing that dwells on plot intrigues, performance style, characters’ personalities or own impressions on drama performances/texts. For example, if you have just read Hamlet by Shakespeare, you might be asked to write drama essay . As a rule you are given freedom to choose any topic that concerns Hamlet. You can look for topic examples online or look for professional assistance. We at Professays.com can suggest you a dozen of topics related to Hamlet. Moreover, some of our writers specialize in drama essay and literature writing.

Traditionally, a drama essay paper is an extended essay which a student is asked to write after reading or watching drama performance. Any drama essay paper should be written in a stylish language crammed with poetic words. You are writing about arts, so you have to be creative in order to make your essay look persuasive. At the same time, students are asked to meet requirements as to format, reference style and contents. So, check of these before you are sitting down to work.

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Americans’ Views of Government’s Role: Persistent Divisions and Areas of Agreement

Wide majorities of Biden and Trump supporters oppose cuts to Social Security

Table of contents.

Views on the efficiency of government
Views on the government’s regulation of business
Confidence in the nation’s ability to solve problems
Views on the effect of government aid to the poor
Views on government’s role in health care
Views on the future of Social Security
Trust in government
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Acknowledgments
The American Trends Panel survey methodology

Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand Americans’ attitudes about U.S. government, such as its size and role.

This report is based primarily on a survey of 8,709 adults, including 7,166 registered voters, from April 8 to 14, 2024. Some of the analysis in this report is based on a survey of 8,638 adults from May 13 to 19, 2024.

Everyone who took part in these surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Here are the questions used for the report and its methodology .

While the economy, immigration and abortion have emerged as major issues in the 2024 election, Joe Biden and Donald Trump also have dramatically different ideas about the size and role of government.

Chart shows Deep divides between Biden and Trump supporters on size, scope of government

These differences reflect decades-old divisions between Democrats and Republicans over the scope of government.

Among registered voters, large majorities of Biden supporters – roughly three-quarters or more – favor a bigger, more activist government.

74% say they would rather have a bigger government providing more services.
76% say government should do more to solve problems.
80% say government aid to the poor “does more good than harm.”

Trump supporters, by comparable margins, take the opposing view on all three questions.

The Pew Research Center survey of 8,709 adults – including 7,166 registered voters – conducted April 8-14, 2024, examines Americans’ views of the role and scope of government , the social safety net and long-term trends in trust in the federal government .

Democratic support for bigger government is little changed in the last five years but remains higher than it was a decade ago. Republicans’ views have shifted less over the last 10 years.

Among all adults, about three-quarters of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents favor a bigger government, up from about six-in-ten in 2014 and 2015. The share of Republicans and Republican leaners who prefer a bigger government has increased only modestly over the same period.

Democratic support for bigger government, while slightly lower than in 2021 (78%), remains at nearly its highest level in five decades. During Bill Clinton’s presidency in the 1990s, fewer than half of Democrats said they preferred a bigger government with more services.

Voters continue to express very different views about government’s role in specific areas than about the government generally.

Chart shows By wide margins, Biden and Trump supporters oppose reducing Social Security benefits

A large majority of voters (80%) – including 82% of Biden supporters and 78% of Trump supporters – say that in thinking about the long-term future of Social Security, benefits should not be reduced in any way.

However, Biden supporters are more likely than Trump supporters to say Social Security should cover more people with greater benefits.

46% of Biden supporters favor expanding Social Security coverage and benefits, compared with 28% of Trump supporters.

Most Americans (65%) continue to say the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage.

Democrats overwhelmingly (88%) say the federal government has this responsibility, compared with 40% of Republicans.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the federal government has a responsibility to ensure health coverage for all

The share of Republicans who say the government has a responsibility to provide health coverage has increased 8 percentage points since 2021, from 32% to 40%.

There are wide income differences among Republicans in opinions about the government’s role in health care:

56% of Republicans with lower family incomes say the government has a responsibility to provide health coverage for all, compared with 36% of those with middle incomes and 29% of higher-income Republicans.

When asked how the government should provide health coverage, 36% of Americans say it should be provided through a single national program, while 28% say it should be through a mix of government and private programs. These views have changed little in recent years.

Democrats continue to be more likely than Republicans to favor a “single payer” government health insurance program (53% vs. 18%).

Other key findings in this report

Americans’ trust in the federal government remains low but has modestly increased since last year. Today, 22% of American adults say they trust the government to do what is right always or most of the time, which is up from 16% in June 2023.
While the public overall is divided over the nation’s ability to solve important problems, young adults are notably pessimistic about the country’s ability to solve problems . About half of Americans (52%) say the U.S. can’t solve many of its important problems, while 47% say it can find a way to solve problems and get what it wants. Roughly six-in-ten adults under age 30 (62%) say the nation can’t solve major problems, the highest share in any age group and 16 points higher than two years ago.

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Spring 2025 Semester

Undergraduate courses.

Composition courses that offer many sections (ENGL 101, 201, 277 and 379) are not listed on this schedule unless they are tailored to specific thematic content or particularly appropriate for specific programs and majors.

100-200 level

ENGL 201.ST2 Composition II: The Mind/Body Connection

Dr. sharon smith.

In this online section of English 201, students will use research and writing to learn more about problems that are important to them and articulate ways to address those problems. The course will focus specifically on issues related to the body, the mind, and the relationship between them. The topics we will discuss during the course will include the correlation between social media and body image; the psychological effects of self-objectification; and the unique mental and physical challenges faced by college students today, including food insecurity and stress.

English 201 S06 and S11: Composition II with an emphasis in Environmental Writing

S06: MWF at 10–10:50 a.m. in Yeager Hall Addition 231

S11: MWF at 12–12:50 p.m. in Crothers Engineering Hall 217

Gwen Horsley

English 201 will help students develop skills to write effectively for other university courses, careers, and themselves. This course will provide opportunities to further develop research skills, to write vividly, and to share their own stories and ideas. Specifically, in this class, students will (1) focus on the relationships between world environments, land, animals and humankind; (2) read various essays by environmental, conservational, and regional authors; and (3) produce student writings. Students will improve their writing skills by reading essays and applying techniques they witness in others’ work and those learned in class. This class is also a course in logical and creative thought. Students will write about humankind’s place in the world and our influence on the land and animals, places that hold special meaning to them or have influenced their lives, and stories of their own families and their places and passions in the world. Students will practice writing in an informed and persuasive manner, in language that engages and enlivens readers by using vivid verbs and avoiding unnecessary passives, nominalizations, and expletive constructions.

Students will prepare writing assignments based on readings and discussions of essays included in Literature and the Environment and other sources. They will use The St. Martin’s Handbook to review grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and usage as needed.

Required Text: Literature and the Environment: A Reader On Nature and Culture. 2nd ed., edited by Lorraine Anderson, Scott Slovic, and John P. O’Grady.

LING 203.S01 English Grammar

TuTh 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Dr. Nathan Serfling

The South Dakota State University 2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog describes LING 203 as consisting of “[i]nstruction in the theory and practice of traditional grammar including the study of parts of speech, parsing, and practical problems in usage.”

“Grammar” is a mercurial term, though. Typically, we think of it to mean “correct” sentence structure, and, indeed, that is one of its meanings. But Merriam-Webster reminds us “grammar” also refers to “the principles or rules of an art, science, or technique,” taking it beyond the confines of syntactic structures. Grammar also evolves in practice through application (and social, historical, economic changes, among others). Furthermore, grammar evolves as a concept as scholars and educators in the various fields of English studies debate the definition and nature of grammar, including how well its explicit instruction improves students’ writing. In this course, we will use the differing sensibilities, definitions, and fluctuations regarding grammar to guide our work. We will examine the parts of speech, address syntactic structures and functions, and parse and diagram sentences. We will also explore definitions of and debates about grammar. All of this will occur in units about the rules and structures of grammar; the application of grammar rhetorically and stylistically; and the debates surrounding various aspects of grammar, including, but not limited to, its instruction.

ENGL 210 Introduction to Literature

Jodi andrews.

Readings in fiction, drama and poetry to acquaint students with literature and aesthetic form. Prerequisites: ENGL 101. Notes: Course meets SGR #4 or IGR #3.

ENGL 222 British Literature II

TuTh 9:30-10:45 a.m.

This course serves as a chronological survey of the second half of British literature. Students will read a variety of texts from the Romantic period, the Victorian period, and the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, placing these texts within their historical and literary contexts and identifying the major characteristics of the literary periods and movements that produced them.

ENGL 240.ST1 Juvenile Literature

Randi l. anderson.

A survey of the history of literature written for children and adolescents, and a consideration of the various types of juvenile literature.

ENGL 240.ST1 Juvenile Literature: 5-12 Grade

In English 240 students will develop the skills to interpret and evaluate various genres of literature for juvenile readers. This particular section will focus on various works of literature at approximately the 5th-12th grade level.

Readings for this course include works such as Night, Brown Girl Dreaming, All American Boys, Esperanza Rising, Anne Frank’s Diary: A Graphic Adaptation, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, The Hobbit, Little Women, and Lord of the Flies . These readings will be paired with chapters from Reading Children’s Literature: A Critical Introduction to help develop understanding of various genres, themes, and concepts that are both related to juvenile literature, and also present in our readings.

In addition to exploring various genres of writing (poetry, non-fiction, fantasy, historical, non-fiction, graphic novels, etc.) this course will also allow students to engage in a discussion of larger themes present in these works such as censorship, race, rebellion and dissent, power and oppression, gender, knowledge, and the power of language and the written word. Students’ understanding of these works and concepts will be developed through readings, discussion posts, quizzes and exams.

ENGL 240.ST2 Juvenile Literature Elementary-5th Grade

April myrick.

A survey of the history of literature written for children and adolescents, and a consideration of the various genres of juvenile literature. Text selection will focus on the themes of imagination and breaking boundaries.

ENGL 242.S01 American Literature II

TuTh 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Dr. Paul Baggett

This course surveys a range of U.S. literatures from about 1865 to the present, writings that treat the end of slavery and the development of a segregated America, increasingly urbanized and industrialized U.S. landscapes, waves of immigration, and the fulfilled promise of “America” as imperial nation. The class will explore the diversity of identities represented during that time, and the problems/potentials writers imagined in response to the century’s changes—especially literature’s critical power in a time of nation-building. Required texts for the course are The Norton Anthology of American Literature: 1865 to the Present and Toni Morrison’s A Mercy.

WMST 247.S01: Introduction to Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

As an introduction to Women, Gender and Sexuality studies, this course considers the experiences of women and provides an overview of the history of feminist thought and activism, particularly within the United States. Students will also consider the concepts of gender and sexuality more broadly to encompass a diversity of gender identifications and sexualities and will explore the degree to which mainstream feminism has—and has not—accommodated this diversity. The course will focus in particular on the ways in which gender and sexuality intersect with race, class, ethnicity, and disability. Topics and concepts covered will include: movements for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights; gender, sexuality and the body; intersectionality; rape culture; domestic and gender violence; reproductive rights; Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW); and more.

ENGL 283.S01 Introduction to Creative Writing

MWF 1-1:50 p.m.

Prof. Steven Wingate

Students will explore the various forms of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction and poetry) not one at a time in a survey format—as if there were decisive walls of separation between then—but as intensely related genres that share much of their creative DNA. Through close reading and work on personal texts, students will address the decisions that writers in any genre must face on voice, rhetorical position, relationship to audience, etc. Students will produce and revise portfolios of original creative work developed from prompts and research. This course fulfills the same SGR #2 requirements ENGL 201; note that the course will involve creative research projects. Successful completion of ENGL 101 (including by test or dual credit) is a prerequisite.

English 284: Introduction to Criticism

This course introduces students to selected traditions of literary and cultural theory and to some of the key issues that animate discussion among literary scholars today. These include questions about the production of cultural value, about ideology and hegemony, about the patriarchal and colonial bases of Western culture, and about the status of the cultural object, of the cultural critic, and of cultural theory itself.

To address these and other questions, we will survey the history of literary theory and criticism (a history spanning 2500 years) by focusing upon a number of key periods and -isms: Greek and Roman Classicism, The Middle Ages and Renaissance, The Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, Formalism, Historicism, Political Criticism (Marxism, Post-Colonialism, Feminism, et al.), and Psychological Criticism. We also will “test” various theories we discuss by examining how well they account for and help us to understand various works of poetry and fiction.

300-400 level

ENGL 330.S01 Shakespeare

TuTh 8-9:15 a.m.

Dr. Michael S. Nagy

This course will focus on William Shakespeare’s poetic and dramatic works and on the cultural and social contexts in which he wrote them. In this way, we will gain a greater appreciation of the fact that literature does not exist in a vacuum, for it both reflects and influences contemporary and subsequent cultures. Text: The Riverside Shakespeare: Complete Works. Ed. Evans, G. Blakemore and J. J. M. Tobin. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

ENGL 363 Science Fiction

MWF 11-11:50 a.m.

This course explores one of the most significant literary genres of the past century in fiction and in film. We will focus in particular on the relationship between science fiction works and technological and social developments, with considerable attention paid to the role of artificial intelligence in the human imagination. Why does science fiction seem to predict the future? What do readers and writers of the genre hope to find in it? Through readings and viewings of original work, as well as selected criticism in the field, we will address these and other questions. Our reading and viewing selections will include such artists as Ursula K. LeGuin, Octavia Butler, Stanley Kubrick and Phillip K. Dick. Students will also have ample opportunity to introduce the rest of the class to their own favorite science fiction works.

ENGL 383.S01 Creative Writing I

MWF 2-2:50 p.m.

Amber Jensen

Creative Writing I encourages students to strengthen poetry, creative nonfiction, and/or fiction writing skills through sustained focus on creative projects throughout the course (for example, collections of shorter works focused on a particular form/style/theme, longer prose pieces, hybrid works, etc.). Students will engage in small- and large-group writing workshops as well as individual conferences with the instructor throughout the course to develop a portfolio of creative work. The class allows students to explore multiple genres through the processes of writing and revising their own creative texts and through writing workshop, emphasizing the application of craft concepts across genre, but also allows students to choose one genre of emphasis, which they will explore through analysis of self-select texts, which they will use to deepen their understanding of the genre and to contextualize their own creative work.

ENGL 475.S01 Creative Nonfiction

Mondays 3-5:50 p.m.

In this course, students will explore the expansive and exciting genre of creative nonfiction, including a variety of forms such as personal essay, braided essay, flash nonfiction, hermit crab essays, profiles and more. Through rhetorical reading, discussion, and workshop, students will engage published works, their own writing process, and peer work as they expand their understanding of the possibilities presented in this genre and the craft elements that can be used to shape readers’ experience of a text. Students will compile a portfolio of polished work that demonstrates their engagement with course concepts and the writing process.

ENGL 485.S01 Writing Center Tutoring

MW 8:30-9:45 a.m.

Since their beginnings in the 1920s and 30s, writing centers have come to serve numerous functions: as hubs for writing across the curriculum initiatives, sites to develop and deliver workshops, and resource centers for faculty as well as students, among other functions. But the primary function of writing centers has necessarily and rightfully remained the tutoring of student writers. This course will immerse you in that function in two parts. During the first four weeks, you will explore writing center praxis—that is, the dialogic interplay of theory and practice related to writing center work. This part of the course will orient you to writing center history, key theoretical tenets and practical aspects of writing center tutoring. Once we have developed and practiced this foundation, you will begin work in the writing center as a tutor, responsible for assisting a wide variety of student clients with numerous writing tasks. Through this work, you will learn to actively engage with student clients in the revision of a text, respond to different student needs and abilities, work with a variety of writing tasks and rhetorical situations and develop a richer sense of writing as a complex and negotiated social process.

ENGL 492.S01 The Vietnam War in Literature and Film

Tuesdays 3-5:50 p.m.

Dr. Jason McEntee

In 1975, the United States officially included its involvement in the Vietnam War, thus marking 2025 as the 50th anniversary of the conclusion (in name only) of one of the most chaotic, confusing, and complex periods in American history. In this course, we will consider how literature and film attempt to chronicle the Vietnam War and, perhaps more important, its aftermath. I have designed this course for those looking to extend their understanding of literature and film to include the ideas of art, experience, commercial products, and cultural documents. Learning how to interpret literature and movies remains the highest priority of the course, including, for movies, the study of such things as genre, mise-en-scene (camera movement, lighting, etc.), editing, sound and so forth.

We will read Dispatches , A Rumor of War , The Things They Carried , A Piece of My Heart , and Bloods , among others. Some of the movies that we will screen are: Apocalypse Now (the original version), Full Metal Jacket , Platoon , Coming Home , Born on the Fourth of July , Dead Presidents , and Hearts and Minds . Because we must do so, we will also look at some of the more fascinatingly outrageous yet culturally significant fantasies about the war, such as The Green Berets and Rambo: First Blood, Part II .

ENGL 492.S02 Classical Mythology

TuTh 3:30-4:45 p.m.

Drs. Michael S. Nagy and Graham Wrightson

Modern society’s fascination with mythology manifests itself in the continued success of novels, films and television programs about mythological or quasi-mythological characters such as Hercules, the Fisher King, and Gandalf the Grey, all of whom are celebrated for their perseverance or their daring deeds in the face of adversity. This preoccupation with mythological figures necessarily extends back to the cultures which first propagated these myths in early folk tales and poems about such figures as Oðin, King Arthur, Rhiannon, Gilgamesh, and Odysseus, to name just a few. English 492, a reading-intensive course cross-listed with History 492, primarily aims to expose students to the rich tradition of mythological literature written in languages as varied as French, Gaelic, Welsh, Old Icelandic, Greek, and Sumerian; to explore the historical, social, political, religious, and literary contexts in which these works flourished (if indeed they did); and to grapple with the deceptively simple question of what makes these myths continue to resonate with modern audiences. Likely topics and themes of this course will include: Theories of myth; Mythological Beginnings: Creation myths and the fall of man; Male and Female Gods in Myth; Foundation myths; Nature Myths; The Heroic Personality; the mythological portrayal of (evil/disruptive) women in myth; and Monsters in myth.

Likely Texts:

Dalley, Stephanie, trans. Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others. Oxford World’s Classics, 2009
Faulkes, Anthony, trans. Edda. Everyman, 1995
Gregory, Lady Augusta. Cuchulain of Muirthemne: The Story of the Men of the Red Branch of Ulster. Forgotten Books, 2007
Jones, Gwyn, Thomas Jones, and Mair Jones. The Mabinogion. Everyman Paperback Classics, 1993
Larrington, Carolyne, trans. The Poetic Edda . Oxford World’s Classics, 2009
Matarasso, Pauline M., trans. The Quest of the Holy Grail. Penguin Classics, 1969
Apollodorus, Hesiod’s Theogony
Hesiod’s Works and Days
Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Homeric Hymns
Virgil’s Aeneid
Iliad, Odyssey
Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica
Ovid’s Heroides
Greek tragedies: Orestaia, Oedipus trilogy, Trojan Women, Medea, Hippoolytus, Frogs, Seneca's Thyestes, Dyskolos, Amphitryon
Clash of the Titans, Hercules, Jason and the Argonauts, Troy (and recent miniseries), Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

ENGL 492.ST1 Science Writing

Erica summerfield.

This course aims to teach the fundamentals of effective scientific writing and presentation. The course examines opportunities for covering science, the skills required to produce clear and understandable text about technical subjects, and important ethical and practical constraints that govern the reporting of scientific information. Students will learn to present technical and scientific issues to various audiences. Particular emphasis will be placed on conveying the significance of research, outlining the aims, and discussing the results for scientific papers and grant proposals. Students will learn to write effectively, concisely, and clearly while preparing a media post, fact sheet, and scientific manuscript or grant.

Graduate Courses

Engl 575.s01 creative nonfiction.

In this course, students will explore the expansive and exciting genre of creative nonfiction, including a variety of forms such as personal essay, braided essay, flash nonfiction, hermit crab essays, profiles, and more. Through rhetorical reading, discussion, and workshop, students will engage published works, their own writing process, and peer work as they expand their understanding of the possibilities presented in this genre and the craft elements that can be used to shape readers’ experience of a text. Students will compile a portfolio of polished work that demonstrates their engagement with course concepts and the writing process.

ENGL 592.S01: The Vietnam War in Literature and Film

Engl 704.s01 introduction to graduate studies.

Thursdays 3-5:50 p.m.

Introduction to Graduate Studies is required of all first-year graduate students. The primary purpose of this course is to introduce students to modern and contemporary literary theory and its applications. Students will write short response papers and will engage at least one theoretical approach in their own fifteen- to twenty-page scholarly research project. In addition, this course will further introduce students to the M.A. program in English at South Dakota State University and provide insight into issues related to the profession of English studies.

ENGL 792.ST1 Grant Writing

This online course will familiarize students with the language, rhetorical situation, and components of writing grant proposals. Students will explore various funding sources, learn to read an RFP, and develop an understanding of different professional contexts and the rhetorical and structural elements that suit those distinct contexts. Students will write a sample proposal throughout the course and offer feedback to their peers, who may be writing in different contexts, which will enhance their understanding of the varied applications of course content. Through their work in the course, students will gain confidence in their ability to find, apply for, and receive grant funding to support their communities and organizations.

IMAGES

Elements of Drama Free Essay Example
HSC Drama Essay
📌 Essay Sample on a Modern Drama Play by Brian Friel
Drama Essay
Example Of A Drama Essay
Drama Essay

VIDEO

An Essay on Dramatic Poesy by John Dryden Analysis: Part I
How to Write a Dramedy
write essay on the following topics
Poetic Drama in English Literature, Definition, Features and Examples, Modern Drama, Verse Play
How to Write a Tragedy
Write An Essay On A Film You Have Recently Seen

COMMENTS

PDF Drama
To put it another way: the words of a play have their meanings within a larger context—the context of the production. When you watch or read a play, think about how all of the parts work (or could work) together. For the play itself, some important contexts to consider are The time period in which the play was written
Essays About Drama: Top 5 Examples And 5 Prompts
He uses John Osborne's "Look Back in Anger" as an example, briefly describing the play. Jimmy, one of the characters, was known as an "angry young man," This term was later used to describe young people critical of the social and political state of the world. 5. Love Yourself, Not Your Drama by Crystal Jackson.
When & How to Write Drama
When to Use Drama. Drama is great for a creative writing project. It offers opportunities to work on character development, story structure, and a whole other set of writing skills. Every once in a while, you may also find a place for drama in formal essays, but you have to be careful. For example, history essays are often more enjoyable to ...
How to write a drama essay
Writing. Make use of the standard way of writing essays: Introduction where you introduce your stand and angle you are choosing to direct your drama.; Main body where you expound on your theme supporting it; be sure to use references here when necessary to improve on your credibility.; Conclusion where summarize all your points laid out throughout the essay cementing your stand and ultimately ...
How to Write HSC Drama Essays
Here's the formula to writing great essays in Drama! • Introduction Drama is a subject in which the question is usually so specific, you can't have much o...
How to Review a Play
You have to be able to provide a very brief summary of the play, a close objective analysis of the performance you attend, and an interpretation and evaluation of the entire ensemble of staging, acting, directing, and so on. The review assignment asks you to analyze in an objective manner the relative success or failure of a given production.
How to Write a Band 6 Worthy HSC Drama Essay in 5 Steps
Step 4: Answer the Question. Like any essay, we need to come up with a strong thesis. In order to do this, we need to be able to understand what the question is asking. This might involve highlighting the key words of the question and asking ourselves what it is that the question wants us to do.
How to Write a Dramatic Screenplay: Drama Script Writing Tips
Level Up Your Team. See why leading organizations rely on MasterClass for learning & development. Drama is a form of writing that originated in ancient Greece. While today's dramas have moved from Greek amphitheaters to Hollywood sound stages, the basic elements of writing a drama screenplay still remain the same.
How do I structure my paragraphs for an essay about a play?
The structure for a drama essay is similar to a normal prose essay, however with the addition of critics' interpretations. For instance, you would use the same Point, Quotation, Analysis idea but after your analysis you would include the intepretation of a critic and how their interpretation fits in with the point you are making.
How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay
Table of contents. Step 1: Reading the text and identifying literary devices. Step 2: Coming up with a thesis. Step 3: Writing a title and introduction. Step 4: Writing the body of the essay. Step 5: Writing a conclusion. Other interesting articles.
How To Write A Drama Essay
Performance. This is the execution of a live rendition of a written play. Here one must take into account acting, directing, staging and more. Writing steps of a drama essay. a. Be specific about your drama essay topic. b. Create an outline with concise sentences. The outline will help keep the content of the paper in a logical order and create ...
Analyzing Plays
An analysis essay breaks a play into parts and then discusses how the parts contribute to the whole effect or theme. This handout will help you conduct your analysis and prepare your work in an essay. ... Once you have analyzed the play, write out a thesis sentence that explains some aspect of it. In the example, below, the thesis explains a ...
How To Write A Good Drama Essay
Start with a hook phrase, provide a few sentences with some background information on the topic, and end the introductory paragraph with a thesis statement showing the purpose of your paper. Body. If you are writing a typical 1-2-page essay, the body will likely consist of about 3-5 paragraphs, each with its own main idea and supporting sentences.
Drama
This handout identifies common questions about drama, describes the elements of drama that are most often discussed in theater classes, provides a few strategies for planning and writing an effective drama paper, and identifies various resources for research in theater history and dramatic criticism. We'll give special attention to writing ...
How To Write A Drama Essay?
As writing a drama essay is all about unleashing your creativity, you should allow yourself to brainstorm and list potential ideas on a piece of paper. In this connection, you can also take inspiration from an event that has occurred to you or someone around you. After doing this exercise, you should eliminate ideas that seem bogus or repetitive.
How to Write a Grade 9 Modern Drama Essay
How to Write a Grade 9 Modern Drama Essay. To get a Grade 9 in the Modern Drama section of the Edexcel IGCSE English Literature exam, you need to know how to write an effective essay. In Section A, you are assessed on two assessment objectives, AO1 and AO2. AO1 requires you to write an informed personal response and AO2 requires you to comment ...
Live theatre evaluation
Before getting into the main body of the essay, writing a mini introduction is a good way to help introduce the response. In the introduction, the name of the play should be included as well as a ...
How to Write a Scene Analysis
Focus on the scene you have chosen. Watch it a few times in a row. Take notes on the scene. Study the way the characters interact and what that says about each character. Dissect the choice of camera angles and the scene's setting and overall purpose. Formulate a hypothesis based on a fact you want to prove about the scene you chose.
How to Structure an Essay
Essay structure template. Introduction. Provide the context and share significance of the study. Clearly articulate the thesis statement. Body. Paragraph 1 consisting of the first main point, followed by supporting evidence and an analysis of the findings. Transitional words and phrases can be used to move to the next main point.
Structuring the Essay
Answering just one essay question can seem daunting. However, examiners just want to see your ideas and opinions on the modern text you have studied. The guide below will enable you to best express these ideas and opinions in a way that will gain the highest marks. It includes guides on: Answering the question; Planning your essay; Writing your ...
Essay on Drama in English
A drama is a medium through which any kind of story is enacted through performance and dialogue. It has a plot, characters, conflict, music and dialogue. It tries to entertain an individual or a group of individuals. Generally, dramas are performed by the actors in a place called stage or theatre. A theatre is a place in which a play is performed.
Applying to Drama School: The Essential Guide
Essay/artistic statement: Most, if not all, drama school programs will ask you to write an artistic statement, also known as a statement of purpose. These statements, often limited to about 500 words, are designed to gain insight into who you are as an artist, what interests engage all five senses, which experiences/skills you bring to the ...
A Level Drama and Theatre Studies (Edexcel) Essay Structure
2. Show connection between the themes of the play and my interpretation. And I usually use PEAR. P- point. E- evidence. A- audience. R- relating back to the question or another play. Source 2: Costume is a tricky one and requires a slightly different structure - rather than lots of little paras, you'll want three more chunky ones.
How to Write a Drama Essay
Drama essays can be composed in any form of essay writing. Say, for example as a narrative essay or an informative essay. Drama essays are an imperative in literary courses. Literature is termed the "Art of written works". Dramas are put into writing first before they are performed in any other media.
Humidity, Please Go Extinct (A Poem Essay by Flula)
19 Common "Facts" About Dogs That Are Actually False. 'I feel ripped off': Californians fed up with fast food chains hiking prices are now biting back — by taking their business ...
Americans' Views of Government's Role: Persistent Divisions and Areas
80% say government aid to the poor "does more good than harm.". Trump supporters, by comparable margins, take the opposing view on all three questions. The Pew Research Center survey of 8,709 adults - including 7,166 registered voters - conducted April 8-14, 2024, examines Americans' views of the role and scope of government, the ...
Spring 2025 Semester
Students will practice writing in an informed and persuasive manner, in language that engages and enlivens readers by using vivid verbs and avoiding unnecessary passives, nominalizations, and expletive constructions.Students will prepare writing assignments based on readings and discussions of essays included in Literature and the Environment ...

Essays About Drama: Top 5 Examples and 5 Prompts

1. The History of Drama by Homer Stewart

5 Prompts for Essays About Drama

When & How to Write Drama

How to Write Drama

When to Use Drama

List of Terms

How to write a drama essay

Revising and re-doing

Essay Categories:

How to Review a Play

The Nature of the Assignment

Before You Attend the Production

Attending the Production

Writing the Review

Writing the Introduction

Writing the Statement and Summary

Writing the Body of the Paper: The Review

Writing the Summary and Conclusion

Academic and Professional Writing

Analysis Papers

Grant Proposals

Job Materials and Application Essays

Proposals and Dissertations

Research Papers

Thank-You Notes

Scientific Reports

Writing for the Web

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Table of contents

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How To Write A Drama Essay

What Is A Drama Essay; How To Write Drama Analysis Essay or An Essay About A Play

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How to write a good drama essay?

Drama essay outline

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Choose a play

Think of the assessment criteria

Outline, write, and revise

What this handout is about

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A few analyzable elements of plays

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How language contributes to scene and mood

Productions and performances

Performances

Response papers

Works consulted

How To Write A Drama Essay?

Characters:

Let the Creative Juices Flow:

Set a Direction for Your Ideas:

Present a Unique Touch:

Regulate the Information

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Polish the Write-Up

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