You should always take interest in what characters say of themselves. For example, in Richard III, 'I am determined to prove a villain,' shows not

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1 Characterisation The word character refers to 'making a character' and relates to the methods used by an author, poet or playwright to create a particular effect.

2 You should always take interest in what characters say of themselves. For example, in Richard III, 'I am determined to prove a villain,' shows not only his evil nature, but also his love of acting and his self-conscious assumption of roles. When viewed as a political play, and not just a historical one, this has clear importance in some of the underlying messages.

3 In Absurd Person Singular, Eva tells the audience, 'My whole mentality is geared around swallowing them every three hours.' What effect does this have on other characters and most importantly, on the audience?

4 Playwrights often use stage instructions to help directors and actors interpret their characters in the way they wish. In particular, this can be important the first time we meet a character. Complete this table for each of the characters Character Opening Stage Directions Effect Sidney 'small, dapper' 'small trimmed moustache' 'cheery, unflappable' 'best, rather old-fashioned suit' 'polished hair and shoes' Sidney is undermined by his size, small physically, he is also small in comparison to higher class characters, Geoffrey and Ronald. His clothes, while clean, are old and somewhat plain, making him seem more common. A man for a crisis, his unflappability reveals itself as insensitivity as the play goes on

5 Stage Business is activity with props, such as the objects in the extract you are about to study, employed for extra dramatic impact. Look at the use of stage directions in the sequence from the bottom of page 54, beginning, 'It's at times like this you're glad of your friends,' to 'EVA now stands with her clothes line gazing at the ceiling.' How are they used to complement the words to create effects of character and theme? Try to use the term stage business.

6 Sample Response:

7 Character Types: Shakespeare often uses the four humours, established means of separating character types from each other. These are: depression, stolid calm, anger and optimism. Are Ayckbourn's characters representations of these, or do they mix aspects of more than one?

8 Motivation: You should always look at what motivates a character. Individual actions that may draw an emotive response may change drastically when viewed in the context of the play. For example, Sidney's mockery of Jane's obsessive cleaning during the opening of the play may be seen as heartless. However, in the context of the 1970's, such gender roles were endemic in society. Is Sidney therefore being used to mock gender and perhaps social stereotypes? How much is Jane to blame for her actions? While it is easy to be angered by how Jane is treated, is there any sign that she is unhappy with Sidney? In fact, the end of the play seems to underline her admiration and submission to him!

9 Motivation: Try to summarise each of the characters' main actions in the play and what motivates them. You don't necessarily need to provide evidence at this point, although you should think about how you could prove your point. Geoffrey is boastful of his conquests during the first act, seemingly motivated by his attraction to women. However, he then misses most of the second while searching for a doctor for Eva. By the final act, he has become quite timid, having lost his business and it would appear his powers of attraction, he is forced to rely on Eva to try to pick up the pieces of his failing business.

10 Parallels and contrasts of character: Juxtaposition is particularly important in drama, from the ancients, through Shakespeare to modern plays. Think of which characters can be juxtaposed alongside each other and what the effect of this is. Eva and Jane, for example, are both wives with striking differences. One rebels and one commits herself entirely to her husband's and society's will. When viewed together, how are some of the underlying concerns of the play developed?

11 Conflict Characters are frequently drawn into conflict with one another. How does conflict drive character actions in the play and what is the purpose of its creation? Can you identify any conflicts? How does the off-stage drama contribute to this?

12 Personal Idiom: Often characters have particular speech patterns, or words that they are associated with. This can be referred to as personal idiom. Try to identify some examples of personal idiom for each of the characters in Absurd Person Singular. See if you can recognise how it characerises them in terms of their personality, social class or any other important feature.