An actor’s duty to the play is to present the most fully formed and vivid interpretation of the character. To do so, the actor must have an understanding of how that particular character developed their own sense of identity. This should be constructed not from the actor’s personal experience but from an informed imaginative experience founded on research and analysis. As pedagogues we are challenged with attempting to give young actors the skills for such an analysis. I have developed a formula to aid the actor in creating the foundations for such an interpretation founded upon the sociological understanding of identity and symbolic interactivity. I also lay out a plan for a college course designed to teach preprofessional actors this method for character analysis.

Undoubtedly, Juli Zeh is one of the most important and interesting current German female writers, who is gaining her reputation abroad as well. In her pieces, there are current issues and philosophical questions combined together and, therefore, she affects readers on several different levels. Novel ?Spieltrieb? isn´t different. The author introduces questions of freedom, guilt, will, violence and law in this novel ? and the individual characters throw light on the matters from different views. The objective of the diploma thesis is to present the way of these topics ?personalizing?, using a precise character analysis (analysis of the names, languages, private stories, corporalities and features of particular characters). The method which has been used for the analysis is close reading, based on a precise and combinatory reading. The analyses and reflections is supplemented an interview with the author.

This essay explores the relationship between the textbooks Fixa Svenskan 1 andFixa Svenskan 2 and the curriculum from a gender-critical perspective, in parts ofthe textbooks that deal with literature. Content analysis is used to explore the maincharacters and themes of the literary texts and the questions provided for studentsto discuss to show if and how these sections challenge norms about gender. Theanalysis shows that these sections include texts that explicitly and implicitlychallenge gender norms, as well as texts that rather reproduce traditional genderroles. From a gender-critical point of view, the implications for teachers mean agreater responsibility to challenge the literary characters and themes that arefound if the textbook does not challenge these aspects themselves. In not doing so,stereotypical, and restrictive gender norms risk being reproduced. This can haveconsequences for the students that are counter-productive and negative whenviewed in relation to the curriculum’s guidelines.

The subject of my Thesis and accompanying Monograph Document in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts degree / Performance Track is my work in the role of Mistress Quickly from William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. In my research, I will be focusing on a number of issues, many of which will bear direct relevance to and undoubtedly, more fully inform, my interpretation in performance. A key element of the performance-related side of my research will be an exploration of the cultural, historical, political, economic, and religious attributes of Shakespeare's times and how these factors drive Mistress Quickly's interactions with others, her perspectives of the society in which she lives, and her personal behavior. The directorial concept, as initially explained to the cast, will be keeping us within the English Renaissance and Shakespeare's time. Any variation within this initial concept will also be elaborated upon. Finally, I would like to explore the overall place of women at the time Shakespeare wrote, as well as during the specific time frame in which our production is set. Furthermore, I will look at Mistress Quickly as a character and how she is either reflected in or at odds with that societal placement.

The study analyses four of Elsa Beskow´s picture books from a gender perspective and with character analyis as the method. The aim is to find out how gender is presented in the picture books and how the books reflect their time. The study also discusses how the books can be used in today´s school. The result shows that the men in the four works have the greatest power. They are portrayed as deciding and dominating everything. The character analysis also shows that they are portrayed as being surly rather than cheerful. The women and the girls in the works are portrayed as capable, caring and cautious. The school curriculum states that school should aim to ensure that all pupils are treated equally regardless for sex. Beskow´s works reflect the gender roles that prevailed around 1900, and teachers need to be aware of this when the works are used in school today.

Both contemporary and modern critics recognize the industrial, regional, and personal conflicts in North and South. There are, however, other conflicts which Mrs. Gaskell treats and resolves. This study emphasizes inner struggles resulting from repressive Victorian sexual mores. An examination of conflicts at a deeper -level than has previously been attempted clarifies motivations of individual characters, reveals a conscious and unconscious pattern within the novel and gives a fuller appreciation of Mrs. Gaskell's psychological insight. Included for discussion are examples of the Victorian feminine stereotype and the use of religion as sexual sublimation. A major portion of the paper concerns the growth of the heroine, Margaret Hale, from repressed sexuality to an acceptance of womanhood in Victorian society.

This thesis is an endeavor to accurately document and define my actor coaching process as a director through Robert Harling's Steel Magnolias. The following chapters contain a record of the development of my actor coaching process in this production, including character & actor analysis, a rehearsal log that provides a daily track of my progress, and an evaluation of the process and resulting performance.

Oliver Twist is a novel loved by many, read by more. It is a classic novel by Charles Dickens, portraying the life and hardships of a young boy named Oliver Twist, who was born in a work house. Oliver is bright and righteous, the exact opposite of his brother Edward “Monks” Leeford. This essay will follow Oliver and Monks and analyse their characters in the light of the literary hero and the literary villain and in doing so see how Dickens use the characters as literary tools to convey his view of a dark, uncaring Victorian society as well as his hopes for a brighter future. Their strong characteristics make way for a fascinating story, a story that do not only tell us about Oliver’s bravery and Monks’ egoism, but one that do also prove that they are characters created by Dickens to show both the Victorian society that he lived in as well as the society that it could become.

This thesis looks to explore the musical Cabaret through a critical, historical and political lens, with particular focus on Sally Bowles, questioning the creation and agency of this character in contrast with the political and societal values of various productions. Using a socio-political analysis, this thesis discusses the important relationship between politics and theater, using the pro-choice abortion movements of the 1960's as a way to understand Sally Bowles as a complex device for political and social commentary.

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