Aspect
Staging:
Set
Lighting
Sound
Props
costumes
Crucible
SETTING-set: plain furniture and
rooms reflect lifestyle
raw wood (new),
village/hamlet
public vs. private shown
through actual places in
each act (bedroom,
kitchen in private house,
outer room of
courthouse; jail cell)
Prop: one different chair
(Danforth’s)
-costume
Lighting: represents
truth; lighting decreases
as truth becomes less
important.
From bedroom with
small windows to house
at night to courtroom
with small windows to
cell at night.
Sound:
Offstage sound: singing
psalms in Act I;
Elizabeth being chained
in Act II, Martha Corey
on the stand in court
offstage in Act III; chains
Equus
SET-all actors (and
audience) on stage;
dissecting theatre and
relationship to
themes/motifs of eyes,
observing
“Equus is always
watching” “It comes out
all eyes (picture)”
-style/structure reflected
in stage set: flashbacks,
memories within
memories, psychological
exposition.
-encourages audience
participation
Lighting:
Lights in a circle above
stage (reinforces
operating
table/dissection)
downward view of
audience. (“The
extremity is the point”)
Dysart’s monologue:
from darkness, minimal
light on Alan (subject)on
Props: miming actions
and tools (recreation vs.
Streetcar
Lighting:
-reinforce character,
becomes symbolic.
-Blanche-absence of light
shade on the light; dating
at dim times; Mitch has
never seen her in harsh
light of day, avoids glare
of lights “I can’t stand a
naked lightbulb any more
than I can a rude remark
or vulgar action” Blanche
Stanley- turning lights onrevealing truth, exposing
her
Train lights=exposing
Set: inside/outside
dichotomy, public vs.
private
Scene 10: rape scene,
background fades, we see
street scene that is
representative of current
plot tensions.
Sound:
-symbolic, representative
of character’s inner turmoil
-street sounds (public) of
jazz and music and
neighbours calling etc.
LDJ
Set: as representative of
setting (playwright’s home
reconstructed to great
detail)
-books (Edmund’s;
represent his way of
thinking, education)
intellectual family
-chairs similar, but father’s
stands out as different.
Set helps to characterize.
Windows-looking out
window (avoidance),
looking at fog (esp. Mary)
“How thick the fog is. I can’t
see the road. All the
people in the world could
pass by and I would never
know. I wish it was always
that way.” P.59
-always just before or after
a meal (except last sceneisolation) represents
disintegration of family.
Alcohol & bottles- also
symbolizes addiction and
escape, for males of the
family.
Lighting:
-characterization: Tyrone
of Proctor heard, also
drums before the
hanging.
THEMES: Individual vs. Society:
Individual Conflict- Proctor vs. Court
vs.
-Mary Warren vs. other
actual event); also horse
masks as
representational.
Anthropomorphizes
horses; like
human/horse/gods.
Sound:
-chorus (represent
Equus, horses) their
hum. Omnipresent.
At points of emotional
tension. Also reflect
Equus/Alan’s disquiet in
stamping, snorting etc.
“ I am wearing that
horse’s head, my own
face, my horsepower if
you like…”
-symbolic aspects: blue
piano = life; varsouviana
polka= death, specifically
death of Allan; love
Train sound= impending
doom
Props:
Alcohol- audience realizes
how much Blanche is
drinking (Stanley too, and
Mitch, later)
Fake jewellery,fine
dresses- represent
Blanche’s illusion; past
“It’s all fake” Stella
“Look at you in that wornout Mardi gras outfit that
you bought from some
ragpicker for 50 cents”
Stanley
Costume:
-Blanche’s style of
clothing and
accoutrements
-Stanley’s clothing;
undressing etc.
Individual vs. Society:
Conflict- Alan vs. parents;
Dysart vs. profession; Alan
Individual vs. Society:
Conflict- Blanche out of her
element (relates to theme of
and lights in last scene
-isolation and
disintegration- progressive
throughout play
-linked to truth and
revealing (frank discussion
with lights on- Tyrone and
Edmund)
(“I became the sun, the hot
sand, green seaweed
anchored to a rock,
swaying in the tide”
Edmund’s monologue)
-conversely, darkness and
fog is linked to hiding and
escape.
“I really love fog… It hides
you from the world, and the
world from you.” Mary to
Cathleen, Act III
Sound: foghorn
(representative of escape)
Sounds of Mary walking
upstairs.
Costume: Tyrone’s suit is
shabby (thriftiness is
exposed) vs. the boys’
suits.
Individual vs. Society:
Conflict- whole family doesn't
fit in to society; Jamie failed
Society
Social
heirarchy
Illusion
vs. Reality
Escapism
Morality
Truth (and
denial)
girls
-contrast that John &
Elizabeth's relationship
provides with disfunction
elsewhere
Character:
-Proctor, Elizabeth,
Danforth, Hale, Giles
Corey, Parris, Putnam
Setting: isolated, insular
community
Style- Proctor's isolation in
court, chorus of girls
Quotes:
“Because it is my name!”
“There's a party in this
church, I'm not blindthere's a faction and a
party.” Parris
“Abby stop it!” “Abby stop
it!”
vs. Society; Alan vs.
Dysart
Character- Alan, Dysart
Hesther as representative
of society
Set- Alan in centre (and
Dysart), society watching
and judging (audience &
actors); judgement
(dissecting theatre)
Style- Dysart's
monologues, use of
flashbacks; chorus of
Equus plays judgement,
observational role, like
society
Note: effect of past on
present
Quotes:
“Equus is always
watching”
“If they ever see the
implied doubt that this
smelly and repetitive work
is doing any social good at
all, I'll be next over the
stone”
“I wish there was one other
person that I could show
that life can only be
comprehended through a
old world vs. new world);
Blanche vs. Stanley; Stella
straddling those two
elements.
Character: Blanche (also
relates to illusion vs. reality);
Mitch (momma's boy;
emotional, refined-most “old
south” of the men)
Setting & Set- new world,
contrasts with Blanche, also
house and neighbourhood in
contrast with Belle Reve;
surrounded by elements of
New World- eg. Sound of
streetcar, phone, sound of
blue piano, neighbours
voices: uncomfortable
environment for Blanche vs.
comfortable for Stanley &
Stella
Stage directions- Blanche's
discomfort is emphasized, as
is Stanley's comfort ;
Blanche's baths- ritual
cleansing (of new world; of
past)
Style- language- Blanche is
flowery, Stanley's plainness,
crudeness; also Blanche is
erratic, fluttery in her
father's and society's
expectation; Tyrone gives in
to expectations (role);
Addiction (isolation from
society) CONTRAST: family
and individuals are criticized
much more than society. More
about dysfunction.
Tyrone family as microcosm
of society as a whole.
(macrocosm)
Effect of family on the
individual (e.g. Mary and the
past & its effect); also
idealized past (Mary)
Note: effect of past on present
Character – all of main
characters play the role.
Mary. Cathleen at the
drugstore (how society looks
at addiction)
Set and Setting- type of books
Edmund reads sets him apart
(attitude)
-props (alcohol)
Irish immigrants- ostracised,
but also nationalism
demonstrated by elder
Tyrones.
Societal roles- Mary “married
down” to an actor, affected
Characte
rization
-style of
speech
-stage
directions
-actions
interaction
with other
characters
interaction
with set
-other
Style of Speech:
Proctor: direct; says what
he means “It's a whore's
vengeance”
Abigail: manipulative e.g.
“I will come to you in the
black of some terrible
night and I will bring a
pointy reckoning that will
shudder you” (threat)
also re-directing when she
is threatened (e.g. calling
out in Act I, with Mary
Warren in Act III)
Hale: common, logical
thousand local gods”
speeches, this shows
discomfort.
Quotes:
“I have always relied on the
kindness of strangers”
“It brought me here, where I
am not wanted and where I
am ashamed to be” Blanche
referring to the Streetcar.
Style of Speech:
Alan: redirecting through
songs, questions “Do you?”
Short answers (under
hypnosis) – not
forthcoming; quotes
parents (shows influence
“Mind your own
beeswax”)
Frank: didactic; speaks in
proverbs, nuggets of
wisdom “If you receive my
meaning”
Dysart: longer
monologues; more
Style of Speech:
Blanche: fluttery, speaking
to fill the silence; flowery
language; makes things
“more than they are”. E.g.
Elysian fields compared to
Poe's “Haunted woods of
Weir” A lot of ellipses,
avoids direct questions and
directness in general.
-facade: “Voulez-vous
couchez avec moi?”
“Is that old streetcar named
Desire still grinding down
the track at this hour?”
her, could not have home etc.
The Fog- isolating
Style & Stage directionsstage directions are important
in demonstrating conflict and
relationships.
- Mary's monologues as
evidence of her drifting away
from the family.
- avoidance of confrontationboiling up of conflicts but the
climax is avoided- cyclical
pattern
Quotes:
“fog quote above”
Mary's about loneliness
Style of Speech:
Tyrone: declaims like the
Shakespearean actor he is
(stage directions: “actor
voice”); quotes Shakespeare
Mary: long monologues show
her distancing herself; focus
on the past (escapism); when
alone she berates herself, but
has hope. Avoids answering
questions, or answers by
challenging the question. “I
don't know what you're
talking about.”
Edmund: quotes poetry,
characters'
perception
s of them
-costumes
-specific
info from
author
monologu
es/soliloq
uys and
inner
thoughts
-dialogue
(things
they say)
“we; must keep our wits
about us”
Danforth: to the point,
logical “No, no, I accept no
depositions”
Tituba: colloquialisms,
manner of speech situates
her as an outsider “I love
me Betty”
Other characters'
perceptions:
-Abigail on Tituba: “I
know not; she spoke
Barbados”
-John on Abigail: “You are
denouncing heaven and
raising up a whore.”
Monologues:
shorter in Crucible,
Proctor: “Because it is my
name! Because I cannot
have another. Because I
sign my name to lies.”
“I finally see a shred of
goodness in John Proctor.
Not enough to weave a
banner with, but white
enough to keep it from
such dogs.” Proctor
descriptive language;
imagery “They see the
green sweat running down
my face. Their gold pop
eyes suddenly fill up with
blood.”
Leading questions; more
direct in his speech with
Alan (knows how to do his
job; get what he wants)
Monologues:
Dysart's opening and
closing monologues frame
the play, introduce themes,
conficts etc. extremely
imp. To play, to character,
to theme). Revealing
character: his doubt, his
connection to Equus and
Alan's worship, etc.
Addressing audience
“storming at the
audience”(final monologue
begins by addressing
Hesther)
Dora: about fault/parents
and blame. “All I know is,
he was my little boy and
then the devil came.”
Stanley: direct; less than
sophisticated “Meat” “I'm no
Polack...I'm American. I'm
from the greatest country on
earth and don't you forget it”
Mitch: topics of conversation
(mother)
Actions:
Mitch's actions distinguish
him from other male
characters, esp. during the
poker game. (stands)
reflects his melancholy
outlook. Edmund hopeful in
his dialogue
Jamie: quotes reflect
morbidity, depressing outlook;
generally hopeless and
pessimistic “I'm a cynical
bastard”
Actions:
Mary's hand
Monologues:
Mary: a lot of them, signify
Monologues:
her retreat, her distraction, her
Blanche: caveman speech (to escape. Focus on past; lack of
Stella) about Stanley “don't
home. “the past is the present,
hang back with the brutes!”
isn't it? It's the future too. We
reveals attitude
all try to lie out of that but life
Her past and Alan (to Mitch) won't let us.”
and how she became who
Edmund: reveals his world
she is. “and then the
view. Lost in the fog, one
searchlight that was turned in with the universe. “who does
the world was turned off
not want and is not really
again, and never for one
wanted... who must always be
moment since has there been a little in love with death”
any light stronger than thiskitchen- candle!”
expresses feelings directly;
to others (not being
private; open and honest)