Question

Based on how the stage directions are used in this excerpt from act I, scene I of Richard III, what is likely the main purpose of providing stage directions in a drama? (Alarum. Enter KING RICHARD III and RICHMOND; they fight. KING RICHARD III is slain. Retreat and flourish. Re-enter RICHMOND, DERBY bearing the crown, with divers other Lords) RICHMOND (Henry VII): God and your arms be praised, victorious friends, The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead. Sir William Stanley. Courageous Richmond, well hast thou acquit thee. Lo, here, this long-usurped royalty From the dead temples of this bloody wretch Have I pluck'd off, to grace thy brows withal: Wear it, enjoy it, and make much of it.
A.to provide information about how the characters should move or speak onstage

B.to provide lines of dialogue for the characters

C.to provide information to the audience about the setting of the play

D.to provide the audience some insight into the motivations of the characters

Answer 1

A. to provide information about how characters should speak and move onstage. 

Answer 2

Answer:

A. to provide information about how the characters should move or speak onstage.

Explanation:

This is the main purpose of stage directions. When we read a novel, we are able to imagine how characters act and move in the story. This task is left to the reader, which means that we do not generally need instructions that describe this behaviour. However, when a play is staged, all the actions are perfomed by the actors. This means that the actors need to know what the actions of the characters look like in order to properly represent them. They are able to do this successfully due to the use of stage directions.