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KS3 English · Year 8Chapter 4 · Reading drama: structure, tension and staging
Year 8 · Chapter 4

Reading drama: structure, tension and staging

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Identify exposition, rising tension, a climax and resolution in a scene
  • Explain what a stage direction shows about mood, movement and character
  • Explain dramatic irony: what the audience knows that a character does not
  • Tell an aside from a soliloquy, and explain the effect of each
  • Propose a staging choice, and say what it does for the audience

You should already know

  • Plays, characters and speech in a script (Year 7, Chapter 4 of this book)
  • Stage directions and what they tell the actor (Year 7, Chapter 4 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Reading non-fiction: reliability, rhetoric and synthesis (Chapter 5 of this book)
  • Writing to argue and evaluate: sustained argument (Chapter 11 of this book)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 3 English, Year 8. Content: Read drama, including a short public-domain extract (KS3 reading, R1), Analyse the structure of a scene, including tension and climax (KS3 reading, R9), Explain what stage directions signal to the actor and the reader (KS3 reading, R9), Explain dramatic irony, asides and soliloquies, and their effect on the audience (KS3 reading, R3 and R9), Propose how a scene might be staged and directed, and justify the choice (KS3 reading, R9).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWrite the word for a speech given by a character alone on stage, which shows their thoughts. Write one word.
2
FWrite the word for the main character of a play or story. Write one word.
3
FWrite the word for the words in a script, in brackets, which tell the actors what to do. Write one word.
4
FWrite the word for a situation where the words mean the opposite of what is meant. Write one word.
5
FWrite the word for the place where a play is set, as given in a script. Write one word.
4.1

Structure and tension in a scene

Year 8
Analyse the structure of a scene, including tension and climax (KS3 reading, R9)
Video lesson: Structure and tension in a sceneComing soon
Story. A family is in a kitchen late at night, and a broken clock has become a question no one wants to answer. Playwrights build tension scene by scene, so the reader feels the pressure rise.

Scene: The clock on the landing (original script; read the directions as well as the speeches)

[A kitchen, late at night. A wall clock hangs on the far wall, but its glass front is missing. Dad enters with a torch. Maya stands in the doorway.]

DAD: Who was on the landing? Somebody has smashed the clock.

MAYA: (quickly) Not me. I have been in bed since nine.

[Pause. Maya looks at the empty hook where the clock once hung.]

DAD: Your grandmother's clock. It has ticked on that wall for ninety years.

MAYA: Then somebody should have been more careful with it.

[Owen enters in pyjamas, and goes straight to the tap. His hand shakes as he fills a glass.]

DAD: Owen. Did you see anything on the landing tonight?

OWEN: (not turning round) No.

[The glass rattles against the tap. Maya watches him.]

MAYA: (aside, to the audience) He is lying. I saw him kick the ball at the landing, and I heard the clock fall. One word from me, and he would be in trouble.

DAD: I want the truth, and I want it now.

MAYA: (after a long pause) Fine. It was me.

OWEN: (spinning round) It wasn't! Maya, you didn't have to—

DAD: Owen, sit down. [Dad sits heavily at the table.] Maya, go to your room.

[Maya does not move. Owen stares at the floor. A loose piece of glass slides off the shelf and stops. Silence.]

Key ideas

  • Exposition gives the setting and the situation at the start of a scene.
  • Rising tension grows as the characters come closer to a difficult truth.
  • The climax is the moment of greatest tension, often a choice or a confession; the resolution, or the ending, follows.
Worked example 4.1.1
Which line is the first sign of trouble in the scene?

Method. Find the first line that shows a problem.

  1. Find the opening. The scene opens in a quiet kitchen.
    A kitchen, late at night
  2. Find the problem. Dad says somebody has smashed the clock.
    smashed the clock
  3. Name the line. That line starts the tension.
    Somebody has smashed the clock.
  4. Write the answer.
    Somebody has smashed the clock.

Check. The first problem is named. ✓

Worked example 4.1.2
Where is the climax of the scene? Choose one: when Maya says "Fine. It was me.", when Dad sits at the table or at the very start, with the empty hook.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. The false confession is the moment of greatest tension, because it changes what Dad believes.
    when Maya says "Fine. It was me." fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Dad sitting down is a consequence of the confession, and the empty hook is only the set-up.
    when Dad sits at the table and at the very start, with the empty hook do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    when Maya says "Fine. It was me."

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 4.1.3
What is the resolution of the scene, if the scene has one?

Method. Look at the final direction, and decide what it leaves unsettled.

  1. Read the last direction. A loose piece of glass slides off the shelf and stops.
    slides off the shelf
  2. Check for an answer. The truth is not stated, and nobody leaves the room.
    nobody leaves the room
  3. Name the ending. The tension is left open.
    no resolution, the silence is left open
  4. Write the answer.
    no resolution, the silence is left open

Check. The ending is judged from the final direction. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: the climax is not always the loudest moment. It is the moment that changes what the characters know or do.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Name the part of the structure first (exposition, rising tension, climax, resolution), then quote the line that shows it.

Exercise 4A  Practice: structure and tension in a scene

1
FCopy the words of the stage direction that sets the place.
2
FCopy the line in which Dad says the clock is his grandmother's.
3
FWhich part of the structure is the opening of the scene? Choose one: exposition, climax, resolution or epilogue.
4
PSWhat is the tension in the middle of the scene? Choose one: Dad is trying to find out who broke the clock, Maya is hungry, the clock is ticking loudly or Owen wants a drink of water.
5
PSExplain how the scene builds tension between Dad and Owen, in one sentence.
6
FWhich speech is the moment of greatest tension? Write the speaker's name.
7
PSWhich line is the climax of the scene? Choose one: "Fine. It was me.", "Not me. I have been in bed since nine.", "Who was on the landing?" or "Owen, sit down.".
8
RDescribe the resolution of the scene in one sentence, or say that it has none.
9
FCopy the words of the stage direction that describes the glass rattling.
10
RWhich line of the scene is a short line that increases tension? Choose one: No., Did you see anything on the landing tonight? or Your grandmother's clock..
11
RExplain why the scene is more tense when Maya is silent, rather than when she speaks.
12
PSWhich character gives the first answer that shows the truth is hidden? Write the name.
13
RExplain the function of the scene's opening line, "Who was on the landing? Somebody has smashed the clock."
14
RWhich stage of structure is the final direction, with the glass sliding and stopping? Choose one: the ending, which leaves the audience with silence, the opening or the climax.
15
RChallenge: explain how the structure of the scene, from the question to the silence, shapes the audience's feelings about the family.
4.2

Stage directions and what they signal

Year 8
Explain what stage directions signal to the actor and the reader (KS3 reading, R9)
Video lesson: Stage directions and what they signalComing soon
Story. A stage direction is written for the actors, the director and the reader. It tells them where to stand, how to speak and what the mood should be. A good reader pays attention to directions as well as to the speeches.

Directions in the scene are in square brackets, or in brackets within a speech, as in (quickly) or (aside, to the audience).

Key ideas

  • A stage direction tells the actor what to do, how to speak, or where to move.
  • A direction can signal mood, such as a silence or a shaking hand.
  • When you explain a direction, quote it, say what it tells the actor, and say what the audience sees or feels.
Worked example 4.2.1
What does the direction "His hand shakes as he fills a glass" signal?

Method. Read the direction, then say what it shows about the character.

  1. Read the direction. The direction says his hand shakes.
    hand shakes
  2. Say what it shows. A shaking hand shows that he is nervous.
    nervous
  3. Say what it signals. The actor should show Owen as anxious, which suggests guilt.
    Owen is nervous or guilty
  4. Write the answer.
    Owen is nervous or guilty

Check. The direction is explained. ✓

Worked example 4.2.2
What does "(not turning round)" tell the actor to do? Choose one: keep his back to the audience and avoid looking at Dad, turn round quickly or shout the answer.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. The direction tells the actor to keep his back to Dad, which shows Owen is avoiding eye contact.
    keep his back to the audience and avoid looking at Dad fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Turning round and shouting are the opposite of the direction.
    turn round quickly and shout the answer do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    keep his back to the audience and avoid looking at Dad

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 4.2.3
Why is the direction "Pause" before Maya's reply important?

Method. Find the direction and say what the pause does on stage.

  1. Find the direction. The direction says pause, and then Maya looks at the hook.
    Pause
  2. Say what the pause does. A pause makes the audience wait.
    the audience wait
  3. Explain the effect. The wait lets the tension grow before she speaks.
    it lets the tension grow before she speaks
  4. Write the answer.
    it lets the tension grow before she speaks

Check. The effect of the pause is explained. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a stage direction is an instruction, not a part of the speech. Do not quote it as if a character says it aloud.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Quote the direction, then say what it shows the actor and what the audience sees.

Exercise 4B  Practice: stage directions and what they signal

1
FCopy the words of the direction that describes Maya's look.
2
FWhat is the purpose of a stage direction in a script? Choose one: to tell the actors what to do or how to speak, to give the next speaker's name, to list the play's chapters or to add a footnote.
3
PSExplain what "(after a long pause)" signals about Maya's reply.
4
PSExplain what "(spinning round)" signals about Owen.
5
PSWhat does the direction "Silence." at the end suggest about the family? Choose one: they are stuck in an unspoken truth, they are happy or they are asleep.
6
FCopy the words that describe the hook where the clock once hung.
7
FWhich is a stage direction, rather than a speech? Choose one: [Maya does not move.], "I have been in bed since nine.", "Who was on the landing?" or "Owen, sit down.".
8
RExplain what "(quickly)" signals about Maya's first reply.
9
RExplain what a stage direction can show that a speech cannot, in one sentence.
10
RExplain what "(aside, to the audience)" signals about Maya's speech.
11
FWrite the word in brackets that tells the actor to speak quietly, after Maya says "Fine. It was me." Write the word only.
12
RExplain why a playwright gives directions in a script, rather than leaving every choice to the director.
13
RWhich direction creates the most tension for the audience? Choose one: [Pause.], [Owen enters in pyjamas.] or [The lights are on in the hall.].
14
RChallenge: explain how the stage directions in the scene support the speeches, so that the audience understands the family's feelings.
4.3

Dramatic irony, asides and soliloquies

Year 8
Explain dramatic irony, asides and soliloquies, and their effect on the audience (KS3 reading, R3 and R9)
Video lesson: Dramatic irony, asides and soliloquiesComing soon
Story. In a play, the audience can know more than a character. This gap is dramatic irony. An aside is a short speech to the audience that others on stage do not hear. A soliloquy is a longer speech spoken alone, which shows the character's thoughts.

Extract 1: Macbeth, Act 2 Scene 1 (William Shakespeare, public domain)

Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?

Extract 2: Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 7 (William Shakespeare, public domain)

I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself And falls on th' other.

Key ideas

  • Dramatic irony: the audience knows something a character does not.
  • An aside is a short remark made to the audience; the other characters do not hear it.
  • A soliloquy is a longer speech made by a character alone, which reveals their thoughts and doubts.
Worked example 4.3.1
What does the audience know that Dad does not?

Method. Compare Maya's aside with Dad's belief.

  1. Read the aside. Maya says he is lying, and she saw him kick the ball.
    I saw him kick the ball
  2. Read Dad's belief. Dad believes Maya when she says "It was me."
    Fine. It was me.
  3. Name the irony. The audience knows the truth, and Dad does not.
    Maya is lying to protect Owen
  4. Write the answer.
    Maya is lying to protect Owen

Check. The dramatic irony is named. ✓

Worked example 4.3.2
Which is an aside, rather than a soliloquy? Choose one: (aside, to the audience) He is lying., Is this a dagger which I see before me? or Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. It is a short remark to the audience, so it is an aside.
    (aside, to the audience) He is lying. fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The two Macbeth lines are longer speeches spoken alone, which are soliloquies.
    Is this a dagger which I see before me? and Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    (aside, to the audience) He is lying.

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 4.3.3
What does Macbeth's dagger speech reveal about his state of mind?

Method. Read the speech, and say what it shows about the character.

  1. Read the speech. Macbeth asks if the dagger is real.
    Is this a dagger which I see before me
  2. Read the doubt. He is uncertain whether he is seeing things.
    uncertain
  3. Name the state of mind. He is troubled and uncertain.
    he is troubled, seeing a dagger that is not there
  4. Write the answer.
    he is troubled, seeing a dagger that is not there

Check. The state of mind is explained from the speech. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: an aside is short and is heard by the audience only; a soliloquy is long and shows thought. Do not call every speech alone a soliloquy.

Exam tip

Exam tip. When you name irony, write "The audience knows ... but ... does not."

Exercise 4C  Practice: dramatic irony, asides and soliloquies

1
PSExplain the dramatic irony in the scene, in one sentence.
2
FWhich speech is an aside? Choose one: "(aside, to the audience) He is lying.", "Is this a dagger which I see before me?", "Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself" or "Owen, sit down.".
3
FCopy the words of the aside, which tell the audience about the clock.
4
FWhich is a soliloquy? Choose one: "Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?", "Not me. I have been in bed since nine.", "Owen, sit down." or "Fine. It was me.".
5
RExplain what the dagger speech shows about Macbeth's mind, in one sentence.
6
PSWhat is the effect of Maya's aside on the audience? Choose one: the audience feels sympathy and suspense, because they know more than Dad, the audience becomes bored, the audience is told a recipe or the audience has to leave the theatre.
7
RExplain the difference between an aside and a soliloquy, in one or two sentences.
8
RWhich phrase shows Macbeth is uncertain about what he sees? Choose one: "Is this a dagger which I see before me?", "Vaulting ambition", "Out, damned spot!" or "I have been in bed since nine.".
9
PSWhat might the audience feel when Dad says "I want the truth, and I want it now."?
10
RExplain how a soliloquy might help a playwright show a character's doubt.
11
RWhich device does "Out, damned spot! out, I say!" show? Choose one: a soliloquy or speech that shows guilt, a stage direction, a list of names or a simile.
12
RWhich phrase in the scene is an example of dramatic irony? Choose one: "(aside, to the audience) He is lying.", "Your grandmother's clock." or "Pause.".
13
RExplain why the playwright might give Maya an aside, rather than letting her speak to Dad.
14
RChallenge: explain how dramatic irony makes Maya's final confession more powerful for the audience.
4.4

Staging and directing the scene

Year 8
Propose how a scene might be staged and directed, and justify the choice (KS3 reading, R9)
Video lesson: Staging and directing the sceneComing soon
Story. A director decides how a scene looks and sounds on stage. Lighting, sound, position and movement all help the audience feel the tension. The director must choose, and must justify the choice from the script.
Staging choiceWhat it can do for the audience
Dim lights, one lamp on the tablefocus the audience on the family and make the room feel private
Pause before Maya's confessionlet the audience feel the weight of the choice
A loud, sudden sound when the clock fallsshock the audience and show the danger of the moment
Actor stands with back to Dadshow distance between the characters

Key ideas

  • A staging choice must come from the script, and it must support the meaning.
  • Lighting, sound, position and pace can all create tension.
  • Justify a choice by naming the direction or the line it supports, and by saying what it does for the audience.
Worked example 4.4.1
Which staging choice supports the moment when Owen says "No"?

Method. Find the moment, then choose a staging that makes it feel tense.

  1. Find the moment. Owen says No, and the glass rattles.
    The glass rattles
  2. Choose a staging. A sudden silence makes the reader notice the lie.
    silence
  3. Justify it. The silence keeps the audience aware of the lie.
    a sudden silence on stage
  4. Write the answer.
    a sudden silence on stage

Check. The staging is justified from the script. ✓

Worked example 4.4.2
Which staging choice would best show Dad's authority? Choose one: Dad stands high, near the door, Dad sits on the floor or Dad is hidden behind the clock.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. Standing high and near the door shows that Dad is in control of the room.
    Dad stands high, near the door fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Sitting on the floor and being hidden do not show authority, and they would confuse the audience.
    Dad sits on the floor and Dad is hidden behind the clock do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    Dad stands high, near the door

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 4.4.3
Justify a lighting choice for the scene, in one sentence.

Method. Choose a lighting choice, then say its effect.

  1. Choose the lighting. Dim lights on the kitchen.
    Dim lights
  2. Give the effect. The room feels private and tense.
    private and tense
  3. Link to the script. The family is hiding a truth in the dark.
    dim lights make the room feel private and tense
  4. Write the answer.
    dim lights make the room feel private and tense

Check. The lighting choice is justified. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a staging idea must be supported by the script. Do not add a plot point that the writer did not write.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Write "I would stage ... because the script says ... and this makes the audience feel ...".

Exercise 4D  Practice: staging and directing

1
FWhich lighting choice suits the private family moment? Choose one: dim lights on the kitchen table, bright white lights on the whole stage, a flashing red light or lights that go out at the start.
2
FWhich sound choice best shows shock when the clock falls? Choose one: a loud crash at the moment the clock is mentioned, a happy tune, a long silence before any mention or a call from another room.
3
PSDescribe one movement for Maya at the confession, and say why it helps.
4
PSWhich staging best shows distance between Owen and Dad? Choose one: Owen stands with his back to Dad, Owen sits close to Dad or Owen dances.
5
PSJustify a sound choice for the end of the scene, in one sentence.
6
RWhat is the main purpose of a director in staging a scene? Choose one: to bring the script to life for the audience, to rewrite the speeches or to choose the audience's seats.
7
RExplain why a director might keep Dad's words "Owen, sit down" calm and quiet.
8
RWhich staging would most increase the irony of Maya's aside? Choose one: Maya speaks to the audience from the front of the stage, while Dad stands with his back to her, Maya speaks to Dad directly, and he answers her or The lights are turned off during the aside.
9
RExplain one reason a director might cut a line from the scene.
10
RChallenge: propose one staging idea for the final silence of the scene, and justify it from the script.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod

Can you…?

    Key terms

    Exercise 4Z  Check-up

    1
    Copy the words that give the setting of the scene.
    2
    Where is the climax of the scene? Choose one: when Maya says "Fine. It was me.", at the very start or at the end.
    3
    Explain what "(not turning round)" signals about Owen.
    4
    Explain the dramatic irony in the scene.
    5
    Which speech is an aside? Choose one: "(aside, to the audience) He is lying.", "Is this a dagger which I see before me?", "I want the truth, and I want it now." or "Owen, sit down.".
    6
    Which is a soliloquy? Choose one: "Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?", "Owen, sit down.", "Fine. It was me." or "Not me. I have been in bed since nine.".
    7
    Which is a stage direction rather than a speech? Choose one: [Pause.], "Who was on the landing?" or "Fine. It was me.".
    8
    Describe the tension in the middle of the scene, in one sentence.
    9
    What does "dramatic irony" mean? Choose one: the audience knows something a character does not, the play is set in winter or the actors sing.
    10
    Propose one staging choice for the confession, and say why it helps.

    Total 22 marks. Allow about 22 minutes.

    Exercise 4X  Practice test questions

    1
    RIn a short scene, a father asks "Who was on the landing?" and his daughter says "Not me." Name the stage direction type of "(quickly)" and explain what it tells the actor, in one sentence.[2 marks]
    2
    RExplain the dramatic irony in a scene where a character confesses to a crime she did not commit. Use one example in your answer.[3 marks]
    3
    FIn an aside, Maya says: "He is lying. I saw him kick the ball at the landing, and I heard the clock fall." Copy the words that say what she saw.[1 mark]
    4
    RExplain the difference between an aside and a soliloquy, in one or two sentences.[2 marks]
    5
    RExplain what a stage direction shows about a character, using the direction "(after a long pause)".[2 marks]
    6
    RPropose one staging choice for a scene in which a father asks his children who broke a clock. Justify it in one sentence.[3 marks]
    7
    RExplain what a climax is in a play. Then name the climax of a scene in which a sister says "Fine. It was me." after a long pause.[3 marks]
    8
    FName the public-domain play and the character who says "Out, damned spot! out, I say!"[2 marks]
    9
    RExplain why a director might stage the silence at the end of a scene with the lights fading slowly. Give one reason.[2 marks]
    10
    RExplain what the stage direction "(quickly)" tells an actor, in one sentence.[2 marks]
    ← Chapter 3: Reading poetry: form, voice and sound across periodsChapter 5: Reading non-fiction: reliability, rhetoric and synthesis →

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