OUTLINE FOR CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Answer the questions under characteristics and back it up with quotes from the script
Characteristics
A. PHYSICAL
1. Name
2. Age
3. Height
4. Weight
5. Hair & eye color
6. Dental condition
7. Health
8. Posture
9. Physical gestures
10. Ethnic background
B. VOCAL
1. Vocal quality
2. Vocabulary
3. Grammar
4. Pronunciation
5. Articulation
C. SOCIAL
1. Occupation
2. Education
3. Social Status
4. Economic background
5. Family background
6. Historical significance (only for historical roles)
7. Where is the character from? Where are they living?
D. EMOTIONAL
1. Religious and/or political beliefs
2. Likes
3. Dislikes
4. Desires
5. Prejudices
6. Hopes
E. CHARACTER TRAITS
1. Sincerity
2. Humility
3. Personal values and morals
4. Emotional control
F. PERSONALITY TRAITS
1. Enthusiasm
2. Mood
3. Warmth
4. Energy
5. Good Humor
Evidence from the script
SUMMARY FOR CHARACTER ANALYSIS
In this section pull together all the information from the questions above and put
into essay form. If the playwright has given you an incomplete picture, use your
imagination and logically complete the character’ background. This I where the real
creativity begins! Try to create the most 3-dimensional character that you can. Next
answer the questions below. Have fun and let your imagination take over.
1.) What is the character’s dramatic function? How do they help or illustrate the
main theme of the play? Why are they necessary? What would happen if they
weren’t there?
2.) What changes in your character’s attitude takes place in the course of the play?
Wher in the action of the play do these changes happen?
3.) What is your character’s reason for their behavior? What do they want and what
are they willing to do to get it?
4.) Find a picture of what your character looks like.
5.) What is your character’s texture?
6.) If you were to think of three colors that best describe your character what would
they be?
7.) What kind of animal would your character be?
8.) What are you going to do physically and vocally to bring this character to life?
OUTLINE FOR PLAY ANALYSYS
Your first paragraph (the introduction) needs to include:
1) Title of the play
2) Who wrote the play
3) What characters are in this play?
4) A summary of the plot
5) What is the message in this play
The second paragraph (the plat analysis) needs to include:
1) Select two characters in this play that are very different from each other.
Compare and contrast the differenced between their characteristics. (You can
discuss the difference in how they walk, talk, the difference in their ages,
occupations, etc.)
2) Where are the climatic points in this play? Draw an action graph showing how
the tension builds in the story and where the climax happens. Finish this
paragraph by showing how the action declines towards the ending of the play.
The third paragraph (the technical application) needs to include:
1) What kind of mood needs to be conveyed in your scene? How could you use
lighting and sound to create that mood?
2) Draw a picture of what the set could look like for your scene. What colors would
you use to help accentuate the mood that you are trying to convey with the
lighting and the sound? What types of furniture would you use?
3) Draw a picture of your costume. What colors and types of fabric would you use
in your costume that would help to bring your character to life?
4) Make a props list of props used in your scene.
The fourth paragraph (the conclusion) needs to include:
1) Discuss what steps you need to take in the creative process to get your scene to
performance lever. How are you going to rehearse this scene? How are you memorizing
your lines? How is your group working together? What challenges are you having
personally in the rehearsal process? what things are working well for you and your
group?