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| Preface | |
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| Introduction: How to Look at a Play | |
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| The Four Causes | |
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| A Case in Point | |
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| You're the Expert | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Structural Components | |
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| What Is a Play? | |
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| Play Versus Story | |
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| What Kind of Story Makes a Play? | |
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| What Is a Dramatic Action? | |
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| The Nature of Change: Its Four Levels | |
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| The Six Elements of a Play | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Plot: The Beginning | |
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| A Plot by Definition | |
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| Dramatic Action: An Overview | |
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| The Beginning | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Plot: The Middle, the Ending, and Other Matters | |
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| The Middle | |
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| The Ending | |
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| What about Other Kinds of Structures? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Characters | |
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| The Literal Aspect | |
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| The Functional Aspect | |
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| The Connotative (or Symbolic) Aspect | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Language | |
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| Language as a Set of Codes | |
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| Words as Symbols of Meaning | |
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| Words as Euphonics | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Genres | |
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| Classic Tragedy | |
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| What Is the Mood of a Classic Tragedy? | |
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| What Sort of World or Society Forms the Setting? | |
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| What Typical Plot Pattern Does a Classic Tragedy Follow? | |
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| What Characters Appear in a Classic Tragedy? | |
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| What Kinds of Tragedy Are There? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Classic Comedy | |
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| What Is the Mood of a Classic Comedy? | |
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| What Sort of World or Society Forms the Setting? | |
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| What Typical Plots Does a Classic Comedy Have? | |
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| What Characters Appear in a Classic Comedy? | |
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| What Is "Funny"? Sources of Laughter | |
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| What Kinds of Comedy Are There? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Melodrama | |
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| What Is the Mood of a Melodrama? | |
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| What Is the World of a Melodrama? | |
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| What Typical Plot Patterns Does a Melodrama Use? | |
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| What Sort of Characters Are Typical? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Farce | |
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| What Is the Mood of a Farce? | |
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| What Is the World of a Farce? | |
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| What Typical Plots Appear in a Farce? | |
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| What Sort of Characters Appear in Farce? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Alternate Genres | |
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| Drama | |
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| Tragicomedy: The Work of Chekov | |
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| Classifying Subgenres | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Styles | |
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| Realism | |
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| Background | |
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| What Are the Concerns of the Author? | |
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| What Is the Point of View of the Author? | |
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| How Comprehensible Is the World? | |
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| How Is the Plot Constructed? | |
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| What Is the Substance/Texture of the Characters? | |
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| What Is the Setting? | |
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| How Is Language Used? | |
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| What Is the Form? | |
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| How Does Realism Define the World? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Symbolism | |
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| Background | |
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| What Are the Concerns of the Author? | |
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| What Is the Point of View of the Author? | |
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| How Comprehensible Is the World? | |
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| How Is the Plot Constructed? | |
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| What Is the Substance/Texture of the Characters? | |
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| What Is the Setting? | |
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| How Is Language Used? | |
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| What Is the Form? | |
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| How Does Symbolism Define the World? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Expressionism | |
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| Background | |
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| What Are the Concerns of the Author? | |
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| What Is the Point of View of the Author? | |
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| How Comprehensible Is the World? | |
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| How Is the Plot Constructed? | |
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| What Is the Substance/Texture of the Characters? | |
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| What Is the Setting? | |
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| How Is Language Used? | |
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| What Is the Form? | |
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| How Does Expressionism Define the World? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Theater of the Absurd | |
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| Background | |
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| What Are the Concerns of the Author? | |
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| What Is the Point of View of the Author? | |
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| How Comprehensible Is the World? | |
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| How Is the Plot Constructed? | |
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| What Is the Substance/Texture of the Characters? | |
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| What Is the Setting? | |
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| How Is Language Used? | |
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| What Is the Form? | |
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| How Does Theater of the Absurd Define the World? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Epic Theater | |
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| Background | |
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| What Are the Concerns of the Author? | |
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| What Are the Alienation Effects of Production? | |
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| What Alienation Effects Appear in the Text? | |
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| How Does Epic Theater Define the World? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Postmodernism | |
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| Background | |
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| The Assumptions of Liberal Humanism | |
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| The Assumptions of Postmodernism | |
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| Characteristics of Postmodern Plays | |
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| How Does Postmodernism Define the World? | |
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| Questioning the Play | |
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| Glossary | |