Susan Kattwinkel
THTR176
Dr. Susan Kattwinkel
Character Analysis
Consider the following information when preparing your character analysis. You may choose any character from Threepenny Opera, The Visit, The Underpants, or Peer Pleasures, for
whom you will prepare an analysis. The analysis should be two pages long, and
should cover as many of these elements as possible. For every character some
aspects of character will be easier to determine than others. When the script
does not give you information, whenever possible make it up based on what you
do know about the character. Sometimes that won’t be possible, and you
must spend more time on character attributes you can determine.
There are four ways you learn about characters:
1) through descriptions in stage directions or in the character list at the
beginning of the play;
2) through what the character says, either to themselves, to the audience, or
to other characters;
3) through what other characters say about that character (which, as in real
life, must be taken with a grain of salt), and;
4) through what the character does - their actions in the play.
Using those four methods, break the character down into its four aspects:
1) physical or biological - what gender, race, age is the character. What is
their physical description? How tall are they (if it matters), do they have
any handicaps, any distinguishing features, does it seem to matter to the playwright
what color their hair or eyes are, etc.
2) societal - what social class do they come from, where do they live, where
were they born, how educated are they, how much money do they have/have they
had, are they married, single, etc. What do they do for a living, what religion
are they? Naturally, much of this will be indeterminable and unimportant. What
seems important for this character, in this play, to this playwright?
3) psychological - what is important to them, what do they want (i.e. what is
their objective), are they happy or sad. What makes them tick - have they had
a trauma that affected them, are they obsessed with something/someone? How do
they view other people, what seems to be their take on the world?
4) moral. This is the trickiest one, but it’s best explained by saying
"what is this person willing to do to get what they want?" Naturally
that answer is intimately connected to the rest of the character aspects. But
how "good" is the character? Where do they draw the line? How do they
treat other people? Do they put themselves, or others, first in life?
It might also help to ask the three basic motivational questions of your character. What do they want? What is standing in their way? What are they willing to do to get it?
Be analytical - in other words, you can make assumptions about these character aspects as long as there is evidence for them in the play. But don't make stuff up. Don't answer what isn't supported by the play.