CHAPTER 10

The Style of the Play

The previous chapters explained the basic elements of a play and how they work their effects. How the dramatist selects and arranges these elements to fashion a unique, imaginative creation comprises the final stage of formalist analysis. This is what is meant here by the term style. Every dramatist has a special individual style and he or she can also be influenced by existing writing practices, but it is still worthwhile to analyze the style of each play. This is particularly true if the dramatist is known to make use of different styles, as is the case with Ibsen, O’Neill, and Miller. Analyzing the technical particulars of a play and their relationship to each other reveals important stylistic impressions. ...

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