Wayne State University The Boor Play Analysis Link (Links to an external site.) This link will take you to your script for this assignment. Play Analysis

Wayne State University The Boor Play Analysis Link (Links to an external site.)

This link will take you to your script for this assignment.

Play Analysis Format

The Boor by Anton Chekov

Whether you are a director, designer, actor or manager, you need to understand the structure of the play you are working with. Play analysis helps one focus on key moments, characters, and ideas within the script. It takes practice develop good analysis skills.

IN THIS EXERCISE WILL NEED YOUR TEXT TO GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION NEEDED TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

Before you even start to read the play, brainstorm as many images as you can that come to mind when you read the title of the play. Write them here:
Setting: Where does the play take place?

Nation: How do you know?

City or countryside: How do you know?

Indoors or outdoors: How do you know?

When does the play take place? (Even though the script says the present, that probably means when it was written.) 19th, 20th, 21st century?

How does the script support your choice?

Season of the year: How do you know?

Day or night: How do you know?

The more specific we are about setting down the details of the play now, the more it will help us later.

PLOT

Match the answer the Actions in the play to the appropriate Plot Elements.

A. Exposition: When the curtain opens who is on stage and what is happening?
B. Conflict: The moment someone or something enters the scene and forever changes the world of the people you met when the play began.
Obstacle: Delays one character’s ability to reach their goal.
Complication: A new force (counter action to obstacle) that creates a balance of power.
Crisis: When an important confrontation takes a critical turn it is known as crisis. It usually takes 2 or 3 crises to reach the climax of the play.
Climax. As a result of the climax, a new world will commence for the characters.

_____Smirnov challenges Popov to a duel.

_____Smirnov bursts into the room demanding money

_____Mrs. Popov does not have money on hand.

_____Mrs. Popov converse in the drawing room. Luka pleads with her to stop mourning.

_____Popov and Smirnov share a kiss.

_____Popov refuses to leave until he receives his money.

Extra credit: Can you name other crises between duel proposal and kiss?

Dramatic Structure

Given the work that we have done thus far, do you think we are dealing with a Climatic or Episodic plot structure? Explain the reasoning for your answer:

CHARACTERS
Strongly Opposed Forces: People in conflict each determined to reach their own goals. Aristotle called them the protagonist and Identify who’s who in The Boor and them below, include they goal each is fighting for.
Protagonist:
Antagonist:
Balance of Power:

– Why does a balance of power matter in creating dramatic characters?

How do Smirnov and Popov balance each other’s power?
DRAMATIC PURPOSE

The final piece of analysis has to do with the question we used in our play reviews – Why did the playwright write this play? Use your instincts, check out Chekov. There is no arbitrary answer to this question, but one thing I have learned is that the author’s title speaks volumes about his/her dramatic purpose. Review your brainstorms about a boor before reading the play, now what do you think? BTW, who is the Boor in this play?

Theatre Genres

By now it is safe to say that we are dealing with some form of comedy. I want you to carefully investigate the types of comedy that are listed in the text, choose the one that you think fits this play, and make a case for why The Boor belongs to the genre you chose.