MONOLOGUE ANALYSIS

My first impression of six characters in search of an author

In lesson, we looked at a monologue that was included in the play Six Characters In Search Of an Author by Luigi Pirandello. My first impression of the monologue was that it was a monologue included in the play to project a character’s views on how angry she was. A lot of punctuation was used to show that the character had ideas that she wanted to project. For example, question marks, exclamation marks and dashes were used which indicates the various emotions and feelings the character projected.  

I quite like this monologue as it allows me to explore a variety of emotions within one minute. Although the general emotion in the monologue is anger, there are lines such as “bound by a chain that can’t be broken” that have potential to explore the objective “to stare” to show the character’s vulnerable side as the line does sound quite poetic instead of a line that projects anger.

My first impression of spring awakening

In this monologue, there are fewer stage directions compared to the first monologue which shows that this monologue allows more freedom for whoever is going to act it out. The lack of stage directions hints that the character could be in a stationery position. Or, the character is allowed to move as freely as it wants to move. From analysing the monologue, I have been able to infer that the character is reflecting on something that has affected them negatively through the use of negative language that the character uses. Poetic sentences were included which demonstrates the sensitivity of the character whilst also projecting vulnerability.

I find this monologue to be quite interesting as it doesn't include stage directions which mean I am able to move however I want during the monologue. The more freedom a piece of theatre gives you, the better you can explore different things to do with it and think outside of the box.

Why is working out your physical activities/objectives so important?

It is crucial to make sure you know what your physical objective is in order to accurately and effectively portray your character on stage as well as possible. With a physical objective that is clear, it will give the audience an insight on what emotions your character is feeling without having to listen to the words you are saying as your objective should be physically shown clearly. 

A physical objective should be self-explanatory when delivered on stage. For instance, if you were to remove all the words your character had to say and could only use your body to act (mime), would it be clear to the audience what emotions your character is feeling? To make sure it is clear, your physical objective must be exaggerated effectively to engage the reader in not only the words that your character says but also the story your body should be telling. With physical objectives, you begin to use your instincts instead of relying on the lines of the character. They make you believe in the given circumstances of your character when you analyse the emotions behind the text. To effectively and correctly analyse a monologue, you must mark out their thought changes. Doing this will allow you to perform the character you are playing the best you possibly can and more.

It is very important to make sure that even before you perform your monologue, you must create the world of your character before you speak to bring your character to life right from the very moment you appear on stage. If you are able to do this effectively, your performance of your monologue will be at its best.