1. plot - the events of the play
2. character - static, dynamic
Characters can either be static or dynamic. A static character stays the same, while a dynamic character changes.
3. theme - the meaning of the play
The theme is the author's overall purpose for writing the play. What is the author saying about society with this production?
4. style - the language used in writing the play
Each author has his or her own style of writing. Shakespeare's style was iambic pentameter for most of the dialogue.
5. setting - the location and time of the play
This tells where the plot occurs and what time period. The setting does not refer to the play house or theater.
6. structure - arrangement of scenes, characters, and incidents
The structure of the play is the way it is arranged. This can refer to how many acts there are, the number or types of characters as well as the order of incidents.
7. stage directions - comments which guide the production of the play
The stage directions explain what the set should look like, where the characters enter, their facial expressions and other actions. Shakespeare's plays contained very little stage directions in comparison to the play Twelve Angry Men where also every movement was written out.
