Scene analysis: explanation, structure and example

The scene analysis describes the interpretation of literary texts the genus drama. Along with epic and lyric poetry, drama is one of the main genres of literature. The action in the drama is based on suspense and gets through dialogues, monologues and promoted non-verbal means.

Write scene analysis for a drama

If you are supposed to write a scene analysis, it is your job to Analyzing excerpts from a drama. This usually means a scene or an act.

Basically, the present text is based on his contents and the linguistic form to analyze and interpret. After reading your scene analysis, readers should be able to place the scene in the overall context of the drama and understand its importance to the work as a whole.

Structure of a scene analysis

Like many essay forms, the scene analysis is divided into three main sections: introduction, body and conclusion.

When writing your scene analysis, you can remember the following Construction orientate:

  1. Introduction: basic information
  2. Bulk:
    1. Contents: Summary, context, structure into sections of meaning and constellation of figures
    2. Language: choice of words, syntax, style and rhetorical figures
  3. Ending: Main insight, dramatic function

In the introduction is about providing readers with the most important basic information lead to the topic. It makes sense to include key information such as title, author, type of drama, main characters, brief synopsis of the content, and the scene to be analyzed. The introduction should be as possible short and factual be.

It is very roughly divided Bulk your scene analysis in two sections: On the one hand you grasp it contents together, break it down into meaningful sections, embed the scene in the overall context of the drama and go into the constellation of characters. On the other hand, the linguistic analysis.

in the final part a scene analysis are the essential insights from the analysis part in 3-4 sentences played back. In addition, it is made clear which Status occupies the scene in relation to the overall context of the drama.

Tips for preparing a scene analysis

Before you start writing your scene analysis, it can be helpful to determine in which Series and on which way you want to proceed. you need one schedulearound work in a structured way to be able to One has Orientation to the outline the scene analysis in introduction, Bulk and Ending proven.

You can do the following:

  1. Look at the task exactly on.
  2. Read the excerpt to be analyzed task-related and carefully. You can underline important points.
  3. collect background information about the work: genre, topic, author, time of origin, place and time of the action, etc.

introduction

After you have familiarized yourself with the text excerpt, you can use the basic information for the introductory part of your scene analysis. These include: title, author, Publishing year, kind of drama, themea, main charactern, scene of action and time and the passage.

When writing your introduction, you can use the prepared bullet points as a guide. You must be careful to include the key information in ordered order to bring into a continuous text. In the case of dramas, it can also be important not only to the year of publication, but also to the period of origin and the premiere enter into.

Bulk

in the Bulk then he will contents of the scene and reproduced in their own words. It is important to distinguish between what is important and what is less important. The main focus of your scene analysis should be on the Analysis of the linguistic design and lay the dramatic communication.

Unlike epic texts, the action in the drama especially in monologues and dialoguesso in the figure speech.

In examining dramatic language, first choice of words, Sentence baand, style and rhetorical figures examined more closely. It is necessary to question which basic functions the people involved fulfill with their statements.

contents

Your summary of the content begins with the fact that you content core get to the point of the scene. enough for that 1-2 sets.

Then you break down the scene sections of meaning. These are interwoven in terms of content and thus one theme belonging. In order to determine the different sections of meaning, you can look at the appearance and departure of characters, the alternation of speech and counter-speech as well as elements that trigger and structure the action.

Basically you can contact the W-questions orientate:

  • who occurs in the scene?
  • What happens in what order?
  • Where are the figures?
  • When does the action or interaction occur?
  • As do the characters behave?
  • why do the characters behave this way?

Then you arrange the scene in the overall context of the drama. You look at what before and after happened in the scene to be analyzed. At this point you can already think about which ones meaning the scene for all the drama Has.

In your summary of the content, you should make sure that in the present tense and not to write in the past tense. You should avoid quotations at this point.

Now it’s a matter of describing which ones characters occur in the scene and how their relationship to each other.

You can ask yourself the following questions:

  • It is about main or secondary characters?
  • which Social status do the figures have?
  • It follows from this balance of power?
  • which values ​​and attitudes represent the characters?
  • Connect them relationship of trust?

If in the scene to be analyzed too many characters at once occur, it may be useful a sociogram to create. You keep all the figures on a separate sheet of paper and connect them with arrows. You can use color to distinguish between positive and negative relationships. This allows you to see the social relationships within the character constellation at a glance.

language

Then you can start with the most important part of your scene analysis: the Analysis of linguistic peculiarities. Basically, the closer you work to the text, the better. The statements that you make in this part should always be taken with a Citation substantiate

First you can answer the following questions to get an overview of the scene:

  • Is it one monologue or a dialog?
  • How are they parts of speech distributed among the interacting characters?
  • What information do they give you stage directions about the expression and body language the figures?

Once you have clarified these things, you lead to linguistic analysis above. You start with the areas choice of words, style, sentence construction and rhetorical medium out.

It may be useful to go through the scene to be analyzed and colored underlining to do.

You can linguistic style of the characters: Do they speak colloquial language or do they use a lot of technical terms? Does this fit your social class? Regarding the sentence construction you can analyze whether the words are in the grammatically correct order or whether there are breaks in the middle of the sentence.

at rhetorical means you can especially rhetorical questions, repetitions, exclamations, allusions, ellipsis or irony respect, think highly of. Once you have found a rhetorical device, you can ask yourself: How works the stylistic device in the appropriate place?

Ending

in the final part is it important to the core statement your analysis in 3-4 sentences to get to the point. You can ask yourself what makes the scene unique in relation to the whole drama.

The ending also allows you to get closer to the Generic characteristics of the scene, drama or epoch enter into. Maybe you even had one additional question to? Then the final part is the right place to answer this question. background knowledgen about the author, the epoch or the creation of the work can be an advantage.

Formulations for writing scene analysis

Now you are prepared to write your scene analysis and can start working in a structured way. The following formulations can help you with that.

introduction

  • The drama was written by and was released in . It was premiered.
  • The drama deals with the topic.
  • The scene to be analyzed is about .
  • This scene is about .
  • The conversation between and is about .
  • Conduct the dialogue.
  • and play a key role in the conversation.
  • The scene in which .

Bulk

  • The present scene is from the act of the drama. So she is part .
  • The scene is particularly important for the course of the drama because .
  • The conversation is dominated by while tending to hold back.
  • The shares of speech are evenly distributed between and .
  • The shares of speech are distributed unevenly in favor of.
  • The conversation is guided by intention.
  • is of the opinion that .
  • represents a turning point in the dialogue.
  • The stylistic device serves to illustrate .
  • The use of in this scene illustrates that .
  • Evidence for this interpretation can be found in line.
  • The wording «» in line allows the interpretation that .

Ending

  • In summary, based on the previous analysis, it can be stated that .
  • For the drama as a whole, the scene is important in that .
  • In drama, dialogue fulfills the function.

Example of a scene analysis

Take a closer look at the following example to get a feel for what a scene analysis can look like. It is a scene analysis of the 8th scene of the 1st act of Lessing’s drama «Emilia Galotti».

If you would like to see a summary of the content of the drama or would like to find out more about one of Lessing’s most famous dramas in general, you can take a look at the article on «Emilia Galotti».

In the introduction You name your scene analysis first title, author and Publishing year. Then you grab it contents of drama short and sweet together. At the end of your introduction, you tell your readers which ones scene You analyze and what it is about.

The drama «Emilia Galotti» comes from Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and became 1772 released. In the piece is about the bourgeois Emilia Galotti, who is promised to Count Appiani. However, the Prince of Guastalla has also fallen in love with her. He has Emilia kidnapped to win her over.

But Emilia would rather die than marry the prince and thereby lose her virtue. In the following the 8. Appearance of Act 1 analyzed, in which Camillo Rota would like to discuss state affairs with the prince.

To in yours Bulk to transfer, you now grasp the contents of the scene to be analyzed and at the same time arrange them in the overall context of the drama. At this point you can also access the figure constellation enter.

The prince lightly wants to sign a death warrant, but Camillo Rota has the presence of mind to do so…