Playtime: How to Read Plays and Dramas

Students often feel a surge of relief when their English teacher announces that their next reading will be a play: plays are shorter than novels (consider Death of a Salesman’s paltry 140 pages compared to, for instance, The Grapes of Wrath’s 400-plus.) Additionally, plays are dialogue-based, making for a seemingly more “flowing” read than one might experience with a thick and complicated novel. Realistically, however, plays are still literature and, though they may be shorter and less anxiety-inducing, they, too, require close reading and analysis, which can be easier said than done. Here are some vital tips for successfully reading plays:

Use your pencil: In Mortimer Adler’s piece, “How to Mark a Book,” he stresses the importance of “underlining” and “using star, asterisk, or other doo-dad at the margin,” with the goal of creating an “integrated structure, with a basic unity and an order of parts.” In plays especially, with the numerous major and minor characters, swift dialogue, and scene changes, pencil use can provide a huge boost in understanding. Consider this very short excerpt from the first page of English class-staple Hamlet:

FRANCISCO
You come most carefully upon your hour.
BERNARDO
‘Tis now struck twelve; get thee to bed, Francisco.
FRANCISCO
For this relief much thanks: ’tis bitter cold,
And I am sick at heart.
BERNARDO
Have you had quiet guard?
FRANCISCO
Not a mouse stirring.
BERNARDO
Well, good night.
If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,
The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste.
FRANCISCO
I think I hear them. Stand, ho! Who’s there?
Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS

Notice how quickly the rapid-fire dialogue between Bernardo and Francisco advances, not to mention the entrance of two new characters right at the end of the exchange. Keeping characters and details ordered when dealing with drama is vital for comprehension. A blank margin is a sad margin, so let your pencil help you to keep track of the action.

What is the historical context?
An understanding of the historical and societal context in which a play (or any piece of literature) takes place is always an important part of deepening your understanding of the story. When reading Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, for instance, being aware of the year in which it was written (1949) can help you to understand its scathing social comment on the illusion of the “American Dream,” as well as the significance of the main character, Willy Loman, who represents the “everyman” striving desperately for prosperity. In Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, an understanding of the Cold War and its resultant sense of hopelessness can help frame the story of the two characters’ experience of waiting for some type of savior who never arrives. Indeed, most of Shakespeare’s plays were written in response to the historical events and conflicts of the time. The historical and social milieu is always of note when considering a play, its deeper meaning, and social commentary.

Visualize: As plays are obviously meant to be seen, it is helpful to use your “mind’s eye” when reading one. Creating clear pictures of the characters and the setting will help you create a lasting mental image to carry you through the action without getting confused or distracted. You can even ask yourself “who can I picture playing MacBeth or what does the Loman’s living room look like?” You are, in a sense, thinking like the director, deciding how things look, and how the visual will play out. This mind’s eye technique will bring the action to life, making for a more vibrant and palpable experience not to mention a stronger understanding of the the text.

Often seen by students as less-complicated versions of novels, plays are actually multi-layered and complex, full of nuanced scenes, settings, and characters. It is a common misapprehension that they will automatically be easier reads than novels. Thus, it is important to master techniques, such as visualization, pencil-use, and understanding historical context that will help you through these sometimes short but always profound stories.

Written by Phil Lane

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