Paraphrasing & Commentary (with noted dramatic Theme/Motif Staging

Quotation(s) devices and parallels across *Repeat select themes/motifs examples

*Paraphrase and/or dramas) as often as necessary *Consider
record significant *Consider highlighting your drama adding/discussing
quotations. Use the terms/texts for easy studying at the images and/or
appropriate citation (Act, conclusion on Part III video clips of the
scene, line) for each. drama on stage
Two Elizabethans Stage directions- Passing time with A lot more stage
passing the time in a meaningless things directions
place without any visible Emphasises the
character fact that this is a
play more - not
real- they are
explicitly told what
to do
Guil is well alive to the Aware of absurdity, but is accepting it Absurdity Theater of the
oddity of it. He is not and is not making a fuss about it- Absurd
worried about the money, which in itself is absurd
but he is worried by the
implications; aware but
not going to panic about
it -- his character note
Heads Shows the absurdity in it all - very Absurdity -
(repeated) pointless

It must be the law of Ironic because the coin goes to heads- Talks about a supernatural
diminishing returns... I they have no control over what thing going on and it shows
feel the spell about to be happens that we have no control over
broken what happens. This connects
to the predetermined fate of
Roz and Gil who are going to
die
The scientific approach to Using science and math to try to justifyTrying to not be afraid about Irony
the examination of the absurd, but all of this is relative, the absurd by trying to justify
phenomena is a defence credited by. it
against the pure emotion
of fear. Also, another motif is the idea
that they cannot/ do not want
to reach a higher level of
emotion
By the end of the next This is showing how the reality is The shared experience makes
speech, the band is faintly becoming more spread thin things less absurd - shared
audible. reality grows thinner and less
amazing

The reality is spread thin

when more people experience
it - and we don't find it to be
so special anymore

Less experienced reality is

thicker
Are dead ( Title) This shows that from the beginning of Predetermined destiny
the play, there is already a fate that
must be met. So they can struggle all
they want with choices but they will
end up dead.
Is language reliable?

Oh yes. We have no This is the player talking about when This ties into the fate and metatheater
control. pg 25 they will perform existential themes of the
book- no control over their
own lives because this is
written already

Do you like being... and Some characters are more self aware Metatheater
actor? than others - realize they are in the
No sir play - also the player is always in
Guil looks around, at the character
audience

Confined to the stage - can't Whenever Guil and

escape - trapped there Roz try to leave the
stage they get
pushed back on by
a Hamlet character

There are also ties between this and
Hamlet, most of what we see is off
stage on hamlet but still some of the
lines are used in this one
The fate of the main
characters are mostly
determined by other works
that exist outside of this one. -
Cannot create new fate
I haven't forgotten - how I They get confused now and cannot be Fail to distinguish between
used to remember my told who is who - names messed up
own name -- and yours
Words words they are all They make wordplay
we have to go on
I feel like a spectator - an
appalling business. The
only thing that makes it
bearable is the irrational
belief that somebody
interesting will come on a
minute
Question Game- 42-44
Twenty-seven ---three,
and you think he might
have had the edge?! He
murdered us.
them -
They often make puns and Humor
make smart comments with
language ( multiple meanings
of things)
This is essentially a shout out to the Metafictional
audience- they are waiting for experience
something interesting that will not
happen
This was a really cool scene, showing All questions and no answers Stichomythia
the dynamic between the characters - more absurdist - never
as well as summarizing the overall feelactually get an answer
of the play
. Questions pass the time,
so long as they are never
answered and do not lead
to an increased level of
emotion. The questions
have no point--any
interrogative will do to
keep the game going.
This is cool in two ways - one they are Humor in word play or Dramatic Irony
still treating their conversation as a dramatic irony
game of questions ish and two its
irony because Hamlet did have them
killed
Well which way did we Often ask where they came from - Not knowing where they are
come in? Pg 58 can't get their bearings

Wheels have been set in They make a lot of little comments One action impacting the rest
motion, and they have about how their fate is already set ( in of the actions - one thing can
their own pace, to which a bad way) and the idea about one change everything that comes
we are.. Condemned. thing impacting the rest of your life after it - but they are stuck so
Each move is dictated by it's a bit ironic -
the previous one.

They play with things a lot- Trait of Theater of

coins often just to pass the the Absurd
time

Pirated from the Italian Mentions this several times in Humor

reference to Shakespeare
copying italian stories

But we don't know Literally right on the nose. Absurdism - not knowing Meta theater
what's going on, or what
to do with ourselves. We
don't know how to act
66

They like to use non specific pronounsAbsurd as well as confusing to

both the audience and the
characters . Messing up of
identities
I want a good story with a Don't we all Drawing attention to what Irony / humor
beginning middle and end this play is NOT doing
Roz - 80

Id prefer art to mirror This is in reference to the play the Drawing attention to the play Dramatic irony-
life players are putting on being a play about a play we know that the
81- Guil play they are
putting on DOES
mirror their reality

Haunted by fear decides This was part of the dialogue in the Foreshadowing
to dispatch his nephew to Play practice the Player says. Though, Magic realism?
england - and entrusts this was not in Hamlet and this did not
undertaking to two happen yet, they should not have Metatheater
smiling accomplices - known this information
friends- courtiers- to two
spies The whole rest of the play depicts how
Roz and Guil die - going to england -
the letters etc ( this is strange)

They are basically playing Hamlet not

just the part we see in the play Hamlet
Coda Type of interjection Religion is absurd because
Call for meaning that won't come you cannot see God.

Call for meaning that won't

come

Alternate ending is a coda

Guil: Ive lost all capacity He can no longer be curious Accepting information now
for disbelief. I'm not sure that everything is absurd -
that I could even rise to a just not question it
little gentle scepticism

100

Guil: Boat metaphor Destination is picked for you

100
Ros: I can't think of This is kind of an outstanding feature Characterization
anything original. I'm of Roz- he supports Guil and tries to
only good in support make him happy.
104

Given awareness that the They have the option now to change Roz and Guil could have a
Letter is about Hamlet the course maybe if they take it similar hamartia to Hamlet of
not being able to make a
decision or act on their fate?
But at the same time they are
not really allowed to do that

Guil talking about how it They begin to think of their own

may not be that bad to understanding of death even though
have Hamlet killed they cannot know what it is, for them
because death may be not it is some sort of answer/ conclusion
that bad that they are lacking in their life.

Hamlet is very relaxed Suggests something about his Characterization

after switching the letter character- he just had men killed and
is relaxing

Hes not coming back? Define death as when something is notDeath = Disappear
Hardly coming back
Hes dead then. Hes dead
as far as were concerned.

We need Hamlet for our They feel hamlet is the key to their Need something/ an answer
release! freedom/ chance to get out and have that they are never going to
things make sense? Why? get
England! Thats a dead HAHA this is my favorite line!!! Dramatic Irony /
end. Humor

Where we went wrong They have no control of their

was getting on a boat. We overall destination - they
can move, of course, think they can move a bit but
change direction, rattle the there is a large force
about, but our movement making them go towards their
is contained within a fate
larger one that carries us
along as inexorably as the Their fate is predetermined
wind and current by other works ( Hamlet)
Denied an explanation for why ( even Absurd - cannot make sense
though they read the other version of of the information that is
the letter) they just don't get an actually there to help them
explanation

Pg 123 * This is where the player gets stabbed Guil and Roz cannot do
by Guil and they watch him die- anything that comes to a
fooling Guil. Then he stands up and definite conclusion
Guil realizes that after he did
something that he felt lead to an end, it
actually didn't and that relates to is
overall condition
Death is not This in another attempt to explain Death = no there =
death by Guil disappearing

By that standard they are

dead at the end

Ending is very ambiguous Is language reliable? Can we believe Are they actually dead ?
We do not actually see them? Is this all a cycle? Dead to us? - Disappear, not,
Roz and Guil die, we are not coming back
just told so....
Immediately the whole They switch seamlessly to the other Using other plays as Great Metafiction
stage is lit up, revealing, play inspiration and parameters
upstage, arranged in the for this one
approximate positions
last held by the dead
Tragedians, the tableau of
court and corpses which
is the last scene of Hamlet