DRAMA DISCUSSION BOARD

Two of the major elements of we have discussed in this weeks lectures are plot and characters, arguably, the only two elements absolutely necessary to create a piece of dramatic literature. For this discussion board, we will focus on an element at the conjunction of plot and character—conflict.

Main Prompt:

Choose one of the major conflicts. Some options are:

1. Troy’s relationship with his sons

2. Troy’s infidelity to his wife

3. Gabriel’s injury and his subsequent life, and the way he is treated by others

4. Or choose another conflict (just OK it with me before we get started).

5. Find important passages in the play where this conflict is central. (For example, if you are discussing Troy’s relationship with his children, find important passages in which he is in conflict with his children, or is speaking to or about them.) Analyze them and answer the following questions:

6. What external forces have contributed to creating the conflict (things like race, economics, gender, etc)?

7. What internal forces have contributed to creating the conflict (things like the characters personalities, their emotional states, their views on life, their attitudes)?

8. How do these different internal and external forces combine to create the conflict?