visualizing analyzing dialogue and reading aloud making inferences your turn what reading skills can...

Visualizing

Analyzing Dialogue and Reading Aloud

Making Inferences

Your Turn

What Reading Skills Can Help You Understand Drama?

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Visualizing

A play’s script is like an outline—it gives you basic information about a play’s characters, setting, and plot, but it doesn’t bring the drama to life for you.

Visualizing

To bring the script to life, you must visualize the setting, the characters, and the action: Use clues in the script to picture in your mind what is happening.

Visualizing

Scripts often include stage directions, which give you clues that help you visualize characters and setting.

DEIRDRE lies in her hospital bed. She is surrounded by bright lights and the noise of alarms and monitors, but pays no attention to any of it.

She stares into space, stroking her cotton pillowcase, as the corners of her mouth curl downward. She looks young and small in the big bed.







These details help you visualize Deirdre’s actions.

This helps you create a picture of the scene’s setting.

These clues help you picture her appearance.

Visualizing

Play

As you read, fill in a chart like this one to help you visualize a play’s actions, sets, and characters.

What the Text RevealsSetting

Character’s Actions

Character’s Appearance

A brightly lit hospital room

She stares into space, rubbing her pillowcase and frowning.

She looks small and young in the big bed.

What I VisualizeDeirdre lies in a hospital bed, looking young and scared. The hospital is busy and noisy.

Visualizing

What clues do these stage directions offer about the setting?

What clues are there about the character’s appearance and actions?

Quick Check

[End of Section]

JAMES sits in the witness box looking out at the packed courtroom. He is tall and muscular, but he looks more like a boy than a man.

He fidgets uncomfortably with his tie and adjusts the suit jacket that he has borrowed from his uncle. He is sweating, though he can see through the courtroom window that snow has begun to fall outside.


Playwrights use dialogue, the lines characters say, to show the characters’ personalities and move along the action in the play.

As you read a play, consider the dialogue carefully to understand the characters’ conflicts and emotions.


Reading the dialogue aloud, either by yourself or with others, can help you step into the world of the play. Hearing the characters’ words may help you create a clearer picture in your mind.

Kevin (approaching nervously). Uh, hey, Maya, wait up a minute. I need to ask you something.

Maya (smiling). What’s up, Kev?

Kevin. Uh, the algebra homework. . . . Do you get it at all?

Maya. I think so. Sit with me at lunch and I’ll explain it.

Kevin (grinning). That sounds great! Really great!


Ask yourself these questions as you analyze dialogue:

•How does the dialogue advance the plot?

•What words do the characters use to express themselves?

•What emotions are expressed in the dialogue?

•What does dialogue reveal about character relationships?

•What important decisions by the character are revealed?

What words do the characters use to express themselves?







Kevin and Maya use informal language to speak to each other. By writing the dialogue this way, the playwright makes them sound like typical teenagers.


What emotions are expressed in the dialogue?

Kevin. (approaching nervously). Uh, hey, Maya, wait up a minute. I need to ask you something.

Maya. (smiling). What’s up, Kev?



Kevin. (grinning). That sounds great! Really great!









In the beginning of this dialogue, you can see Kevin’s nervousness, but Maya’s friendliness—and her invitation—bring him obvious happiness.

nervousness

friendliness

happiness.


What does dialogue reveal about character relationships?

Kevin. (approaching nervously). Uh, hey, Maya, wait up a minute. I need to ask you something.

Maya. (smiling). What’s up, Kev?



Kevin. (grinning). That sounds great! Really great!








Kevin’s concern about approaching Maya and his happiness at the thought of eating lunch with her suggest that he really likes her.









What important decisions by the character are revealed in the dialogue?

Kevin’s decision to approach Maya seems like an important step in his relationship with her.Maya’s decision to spend her lunch period with him may also turn out to be important.

Kevin’s decision to approach Maya seems like an important step in his relationship with her.


How does the dialogue advance the plot?






In this dialogue, you learn that Kevin and Maya will eat lunch together.

That decision is likely to lead to additional plot events, including a lunch scene.


How is Ben’s language different from Cate’s?

Quick Check

Cate. You want me to make you some pancakes? It’s no bother.

Ben (coldly). That won’t be necessary. I thank you for your offer, however.

Cate. What about a bowl of cereal? Some juice, maybe?

Ben. Again, I must refuse. I will not be dining this morning.

Cate (rolling her eyes). Whatever. . . .

What emotions are expressed by each character?


What is revealed about the relationship between Lila and her coach?

Quick Check

Lila. Coach, I can do it. I really can.

Coach Dow. I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to sit this one out.

Lila. I knew you’d be like this. You’ve been waiting to bench me all season.

Coach Dow. I’m benching you for your own good. You have a serious injury, and playing today could make it much worse.

Lila. The team can’t win without me!

Coach Dow. I’ll have to take that chance.

What important decisions are revealed in this dialogue?

[End of Section]

Making Inferences

Unlike short stories and novels, most plays do not have a narrator to tell you about the characters’ personalities.

Because there’s no narrator, I’ll have to make some judgments about the characters on my own.

Making Inferences

Inferences, educated guesses based on clues in your reading, help you figure out a character’s personality and the reason for his or her actions.

To make an inference, look carefully at what a character says and does, as well as how others react to him or her.

Making Inferences

Read, then listen to, the following passage. What inferences can you make from the clues in the text?

Tim. I’ve got another one of my headaches. I don’t think I can go to school today.

Mother (stroking Tim’s head). Oh, buddy, I know it’s tough being the new kid.

Tim. No, really, school’s fine, I swear. I’ve made tons of friends—tons!

Mother (nodding sympathetically). Good.

Tim. So, you’re not going to make me go, are you?

Making Inferences




Mother. (nodding sympathetically). Good.








Textual Clue:Tim has frequent headaches.

Inference:Tim may be in poor health, or he may be trying to avoid school.


Making Inferences







Mother (stroking Tim’s head). Oh, buddy, I know it’s tough being the kid.






Textual Clue:Tim’s mother tries to console him about being at a new school.

Inference:She thinks he is trying to avoid school; she is concerned about him.






Making Inferences








Textual Clue:Mother reacts sympathetically when Tim says school is fine.

Inference: She doesn’t believe that school is fine or that he’s made friends.

Making Inferences

Play

The chart below shows how you can make inferences based on textual clues within the passage.

Sample Inferences

Tim gets headaches.

Tim’s mother is sympathetic when he says school is fine.

Tim’s mother consoles him about being new at school.

He’s sick or wants to avoid school.

She thinks he’s having trouble making friends at school.

She’s worried about him and thinks he’s avoiding school.

Text Clue

Making Inferences

Which textual clues support the inference that Mr. Peters has a quick temper?

Quick Check

Mr. Peters (shouting). I can’t believe that mechanic is trying to cheat me like this.

Mrs. Peters (gently patting his hand). The car is getting old. A little work isn’t unexpected.

Mr. Peters. If he thinks he can fool me, he’s crazy! I am no fool!

Mrs. Peters (nodding knowingly). No, he won’t get anything past you.

Mr. Peters (pounding his fist). I’ll tell him a thing or two about fixing cars!

What can you infer from Mrs. Peters’ actions?

[End of Section]

Apply Reading Skills

Your TurnRead this excerpt from a scene in The Diary of Anne Frank silently to yourself, paying careful attention to both dialogue and stage directions.

Peter (to ANNE). Have you seen my shoes?

Anne (innocently). Your shoes?

Peter. You’ve taken them, haven’t you?

Anne. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Peter. You’re going to be sorry!

Anne. Am I? From The Diary of Anne Frank (Play) by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Copyright © 1956 by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich Hackett, and Otto Frank and renewed © 1986 by Albert Hackett, David Huntoon & Frances Neuwirth. Reproduced by permission of Random House, Inc. and electronic format by permission of Flora Roberts, Inc.(Abrams Artists Agency).

[PETER goes after her. ANNE, with his shoes in her hand, runs from him, dodging behind her mother.]

Mr. Frank (protesting). Anne, dear!

Peter. Wait till I get you! From The Diary of Anne Frank (Play) by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Copyright © 1956 by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich Hackett, and Otto Frank and renewed © 1986 by Albert Hackett, David Huntoon & Frances Neuwirth. Reproduced by permission of Random House, Inc. and electronic format by permission of Flora Roberts, Inc.(Abrams Artists Agency).


Your Turn

1. Which stage direction describes the way Anne speaks a line of dialogue?











Your Turn

2. What conflict is revealed in these lines of dialogue?











Your Turn

3. What inference can you make about Anne’s personality based on her actions?

















Your Turn




4. Which details help you to visualize the action in this scene?

The End

visualizing analyzing dialogue and reading aloud making inferences your turn what reading skills can...

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