Essay Question on Family Relationships
We all belong to a family of sorts so this has universal appeal. We can identify with
the ways families function and can appreciate how tensions and conflicts arise. Some
families are portrayed realistically while others are stereotyped. In CST, families are
used to identify the issues, clarify the differing points of view, often putting forward
the playwright’s opinion which attempts to influence or change the audience’s
thinking.
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as stereotypes
o to make them universal rather than individual
o to ensure they are instantly recognisable
o to fulfil a function within the drama
o to identify and clarify the issues (social, gender, past)
o often used in a negative or prejudicial sense
o the audience recognises the stereotype and responds to it without
sympathy or empathy
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as real individuals
o to make them believable
o to create a credible and honest portrayal
o to enhance the sympathy and empathy felt
o to further the playwright’s aims
o to identify and clarify the issues (social, gender, past)
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as products of their environment
o to gain the audience’s sympathy
o to highlight their motivations and limitations
o to identify and clarify the issues (social, gender, past)
o to examine the impact of the outside world (and social/gender issues)
on the individual which
o creates tension and dramatic conflict
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as the playwright’s mouthpiece
o to identify, clarify and communicate the issues
o to air differing points of view and
o allow conflict/tension to occur which
o creates interesting drama
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as a microcosm of the macrocosm
o representative of the society in which they live
o allow the differing views/elements of society to be examined up close
o create opportunities for issues and the impact on the individual as well
as society as a whole to be examined closely