How to Write a Set Text Essay
in a Few Simple Steps.
“Choose a character in your prescribed text that you would consider to be manipulative and/ or
controlling. Give reasons for your choice. As an actor, how would you perform this role?
INTRO
STEP 1:
LIKE S1 ANSWER THE QUESTION
Abigail in The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a character who is controlling.
STEP 2:
EXPLAIN WHAT “MANIPULATIVE and/or CONTROLLING” MEANS
Controlling means asserting power over others for personal gain.
STEP 3:
BREAK THAT DOWN INTO 4 DIFFERENT PEOPLE SHE CONTROLS.
Throughout the play we see Abigail control/assert her power over Mary Warren, John Proctor, Parris and Danforth.
STEP 4:
TIE IT ALL BACK TO THE ACTING/DIRECTING PART OF THE QUESTION
All of these relationships would be interesting to explore as an actor.
EXAMPLE INTRO
Abigail in The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a
character who is controlling. Controlling means
asserting power over others for personal gain.
Throughout the play Abigail asserts her power
over Mary Warren, John Proctor, Parris and
Danforth. All of these relationships are interesting
to explore as an actor.
Paragraph One – you need 2 different examples of/moments when we see
Abigail’s controlling behaviour with just Mary Warren.
where
One
mark
Opening sentence
explains the
paragraph topic.
One
mark
We can identify Abigail as
controlling through her
relationship with Mary
Warren, as she asserts power
over Mary throughout the
play.
One
mark
One
mark
In Act I, we see
Abigail threatening
Mary Warren in
order to keep her
quiet.
quote
“I will come to you in the black of the
night and serve you a pointy reckoning’
How you would
act a la standard
grade.
Abigail is intimidating towards
Mary Warren to ensure she does
not tell the truth about Abigail’s
involvement in witchcraft, to
which Mary submits. Thus
showing Abigail is controlling.
As an actor I
would ….. To
show….
How you would
act a la
standard grade.
where
Explain how
quote
Explain how
As an actor I
would ….. To
show….
EXPLAINING HOW IS KEY....
You must always round off your paragraph by
first, referring back to your original definition
and then, concluding by referring to the
question
‘At this moment it is clear Abigail is asserting
her power over Mary Warren thus
demonstrating that she is a controlling
character.’
SQA MARKING GUIDELINES SAY YOU WOULD GET A MARK IF YOU...
‘communicate the aspects of how an actor can convey a controlling
character’
You could talk about
• How the actor would use voice or movement to be controlling
• How the actor would interact with other characters to be controlling
• How the actor would interact with the audience to be controlling
• How the actor would use the space to be controlling
• How the actor would use their costume to be controlling
• How the actor would use props to be controlling
• How the actor would use make-up to be controlling.
VOICE
Articulation
Fluency
Intonation
Register
Clarity
Pause
Pitch
Accent
Pace
Timing
Tone
Volume
Emphasis
MOVEMENT
Stance
Balance
Body Language
Gesture
Facial Expression
Mime
Posture
Pace
Timing
Slow Motion
Blocking
Masking
CONVENTIONS
alternative ways of presenting all or parts of a presentation
Slow motion
Tableau (C) / Frozen Picture (F)
Freeze Frame –action frozen in time
Soliloquy
Flashback/flash forward
Narration
Voice Over( recorded speech played during a drama)/
Voice in Head (recall words said by others about a character or
situation)
Mime
Monologue
soliloquy
OTHER ACTING TECHNIQUES
Aside- to audience only
Stage whisper
Masks
stereotype
CHARACTERISATION
- the process of developing a character fully
Character
Role Play
-exploring attitudes and beliefs
Thought Tracking
- when prompted the character says their thoughts out loud
Voice in the Head
Writing in Role
Hot Seating
Thought Tunnel
-character walks past other characters.
Those other characters speak their thoughts outloud
usually about the character walking past.
Lighting
Follow Spot
Profile Spot
Fresnel
Flood Light
(gauze)
Barn Doors
Gobo
Gel
Pyrotechnics
Focusing (the lights)
Black out
Slow fade
Cross fade
Snap-to
Sound
Sound cue
Cross fade
Recorded voice over
Set
Back cloth
Cyclorama
Gauze
Flies
Door Flats
Window Flats
Flats
Scenery
Trapdoor
Rostra
Treads
Truck
Wings
Backstage
Staging
Venue
Thrust
Theatre in the round
End on
Proscenium Arch
Avenue
Auditorium
Revolving Stage
Ground plan
Key
Rake
Enter/exit
Audience
Sight lines
Stage Directions
Stalls, balcony, dress circle
Props
objects used by actors
Personal Prop
Set prop
Costume
Period Costume
Write in super detail for full
marks
Make Up
liners
Wax/nose putty
Crepe hair
Fake blood
Latex
Spirit gum
Makeup pallets
Stipple sponge
Scarring
Skull cap
Tooth varnish
I WOULD
(tell the actors to) (put a) (use a)
VOCAB WORD
WHERE
(on the stage)
or
TO SHOW …..
(that is voice, movement, sound, lights, set, props, costume, makeup)
WHEN
(in the script)
Paragraph 2, 3 and 4 – repeat the same process for the three other characters
you mentioned in the intro. Remember, two examples /moments for each character.
where
One
mark
Opening sentence
explains the
paragraph topic.
One
mark
Abigail’s controlling behaviour is
also demonstrated via her
relationship with John Proctor.
One
mark
One
mark
quote
Explain how
We see Abigail
assert power over
John Proctor in Act
1.
As an actor I
would ….. To
show….
How you would
act a la
standard grade.
where
How you would
act a la standard
grade.
quote
Explain how
As an actor I
would ….. To
show….
CONCLUSION
STEP ONE:
RELIST YOUR DEFINITION
Controlling means asserting power over others for personal gain
STEP TWO:
RELIST YOUR PARAGRAPH TOPICS
Through out the play we see Abigail asserting her power over the
characters of Mary Warren, John Proctor, Parris and Danforth
RELIST YOUR FIRST STATEMENT
Therefore, as I have shown through the text and my choices for my
portrayal of this character, Abigail is a controlling character
Controlling means asserting power over
others for personal gain. Through out
the play we see Abigail asserting her
power over the characters of Mary
Warren, John Proctor, Parris and
Danforth. Therefore, as I have shown
through the text and my choices for my
portrayal of this character, Abigail is a
controlling character.