Evaluation and Criticism
► Does
it meet the general requirements of
this kind of play?
► Are the playwright’s intentions stated, and
does he achieve them?
► How do we measure other kinds of
achievement?
► The specific merits of the play or playwright
► The theme in relationship to the kind of play
Does it meet the general
requirements of this kind of play?
► Our
major perspective of evaluation has to
do with what is appropriate in a drama.
That is, does a play meet the requirements
which we generally make for plays of this
kind. If for example, we have a domestic
tragedy is that the hero or protagonist of
the play be an ordinary, common sort of
person, and then we note whether the
author of the play in question follow this
requirement.
Are the playwright’s intentions
stated, and does he achieve them?
► Again,
our cardinal principle is to evaluate in
the right way. In other words, if the
playwright is trying, either directly or
indirectly, to produce a certain effect, we
must evaluate the play to a certain extent
by way of describing the success with which
that effect is (or is not) achieved.
Are the playwright’s intentions
stated, and does he achieve them?
► The
playwright is writing a play for specific
reasons and part of these reasons, at least,
must come into our judgment of the work.
► We can and must point out that the
dramatist has apparently accomplished what
he set out to do, but that resulting play is
not very interesting or entertaining.
How do we measure other kinds of
achievement?
► Our
estimation of a playwright’s success
operates on as many different levels as we
have elements of analysis.
► Everything subject to analysis becomes
automatically subject to evaluation.
► Thus we can and usually should evaluate
the playwright’s achievement in regard to
character, to action, to language, to diction,
to structure, and to meaning.
How do we measure other kinds of
achievement?
► Character
should act in “character”. A character’s
actions should be (1) consistent with one another;
(2) consistent with the character’s beliefs, and (3)
consistent with what we are told about that
character by the other character
► In the final analysis of a play we must try to piece
together the various ways in which the playwright
has or has not been consistent.
The specific merits of the play or
playwright
A large part of any formal criticism is the
explanation of the specific merits of either
the play or playwright .
► When we have carefully measured the
success of the play in terms of what kind of
play it claims to be and in terms of the
playwright’s implied or stated intentions, it
remains to point out what is unique about
the play.
►
The theme in relationship to the kind of play
►A
final consideration is whether or not the
play is the right kind of vehicle, for
conveying the particular theme.
► Granted that the playwright has successfully
conveyed his stated theme, has achieved his
desired goal.