Name(s): ______________________________

DIRECTIONS: You may work in groups up to 4. Turn in one paper for each group, with all participating group
members names written on it.
1) FIRST, use Aristotles Six Elements of Drama to analyze Tyler Perrys Diary of a Mad Black
Woman, the stage play viewed in class. For each of the six elements (listed below), write a
few thoughtful complete sentences to explain how the stage play relates.
2) NEXT, answer the other questions that follow.

Madea Meets Aristotle:

An Analysis of Tyler Perrys Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Using Aristotles Six Elements of Drama

1) PLOT Summarize the main action/events of the play. What happens in the overall
story?

2) CHARACTERS & Characterization Name and briefly characterize/describe the

major characters in the play, using one or two sentences for each.

3) THEME(s) / REASONING: What social message(s) or main idea(s) is the playwright

trying to get across to the audience? In other words, what moral(s) to the story can we
learn?

Continued ...
4) SPECTACLE Describe all aspects of the visual impact (visible part) of the play -including any costumes, scenery, stage setting, props, special effects, lighting, etc.

5) AUDIBLE Describe what the audience hears and when -- including the overall
amount and type of dialogue, music, singing, instruments/orchestra, background music,
sound effects, etc. What value do they add to the production?

6) DICTION How would you describe the overall type of diction (or language/word
choice) that the playwright chose to use for the dialogue? (For example: casual, formal,
modern, Old English, poetic verse, musical/lyrical, slang, dialect, etc., etc.)

See additional question...

7. What type of stage play is it? (HINT: Consider the playwrights tone,
overall.)
Examples: Tragedy, comedy, musical, serious drama, parody/satire, action,
heroic drama, etc.)

8. Would the play be as entertaining & effective in any other form/tone?

Explain why or why not.

9) A) What types of mistakes or problems did you notice in the acting,

props, etc.?

B) How would the mistakes have been handled differently IF it had a

different tone? Explain.

10) What purpose do songs have in this stage play? Explain when and how
they are used.

11) Tyler Perry is well-known for writing, producing, directing and acting in
many stage plays
with a Christian theme. Keeping that it mind, EXPLAIN why you think his
plays like this one
often contain cussing, dirty jokes, and inappropriate actions by Madea?

12. Label the following audience behaviors (in a theater) as appropriate or

inappropriate:
Laughing when a mistake is made during a comedy:
_______ appropriate
_______
inappropriate
Laughing when mistake is made in serious play:
_______ appropriate
_______ inappropriate
Talking during a song and/or boring part:
_______ appropriate
_______ inappropriate
Getting up to use the theater restroom at any time:
_______ appropriate
_______ inappropriate
Putting your head down and/or sleeping:
_______ appropriate
_______
inappropriate
Putting your feet up to get comfortable:
_______ appropriate
_______ inappropriate
THE END