How to Analyze Drama

by Christopher Reaske

Briefly outlines the history of drama, discusses dramatic structure, character, language, and shows how to evaluate and criticize a play

Paperback

First published April 1, 1984

Reviews

[Yusnia Sakti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for the beginner.

[Kiril]

A lil volume my mama lent me since I've been reading a lot of plays. From the 60s so perhaps I should follow up with something more contemporary, but this was surprisingly comprehensive considering it's such a slim volume. As a basic framework for looking at drama, very useful to have around. I imagine some ideas will have changed if I read something newer, but it's always good to know to what precedent contemporary writing is reacting.

[Jed · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't read this book. There's newer stuff out there that is more appropriate to today's dramaturgy. I found it in a used bookstore just before a long, international train ride.

Reaske has a fairly perverted interpretation of "Death of a Salesman", though. He seems to be obsessed with Willy Loman's affair, calling it "whoring". Rather than this incident showing Biff that his father was human and imperfect, he sees this as some kind of fatal flaw.

I tend to view the play more like the parables of the New Testament. It teaches us what happens in a capitalist society when we are no longer needed. Willy's pride isn't so much a fatal flaw, but a pathetic trait.

My version, by the way, is from 1966, not 1984 as indicated above.