Building Characters Based on Given Circumstance Clues from the Playwright Arsenic and Old Lace

The Given Circumstances The Given Circumstances are everything that delineates or defines the special world of the play. There are THREE kinds of Given Circumstances: Previous Action Environmental Facts Polar Attitudes

Previous Action Any action mentioned in the play’s dialogue that reveals any incident or action that took place BEFORE the current action of the play began. Often called, “EXPOSITION”. The part of a play that sets the stage for the drama to follow: it introduces the theme, setting, characters, and circumstances at the story’s beginnings.

Previous Action Anything the characters mention that happened before the action of the play. Example: “Do you remember how he (Jonathan) used to cut worms in half with his teeth?” “I saw a honey of a play last night that had a character in it just like Jonathan.” “Father preached a sermon about it only last Sunday….he was against it.”

Environmental Facts THERE ARE 6 KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Date, year, season, time of day 2. Geographic Location 3. Economical Environment 4. Social Environment 5. Political Environment 6. Religious environment

Date, year, season, time of day Date - When does the play take place? Example: “Let’s take Junior to the talking pictures.” Season - what time of year is the action in the play taking place Example: {in stage directions} Kids arrive at the door trick-or-treating, Abby hands out pies and jack-o-lanterns. Time - what time of day is the action in the place taking place Example -- see above stage direction

Geographic Location The specific area in which the play takes place. The exact place. This includes the CLIMATE. Where does the play take place Example: “Did everyone in Brooklyn know I was getting married?”

Economic Environment The character’s relationship to wealth or poverty, and the class of the character in relationship to the society in which they live. Often includes the “class level” Examples: “The old girls must be hard up.” “They don’t rent rooms, their old man left them loaded. But you can bet anyone coming around needing a room would leave with a warm meal and a few bucks in their pocket.”

Social Environment The morals and social institutions under which the characters live; their values and societal beliefs. Example: “Aunt Abby, Aunt Martha how can I make you understand?” “Watch what you say around the Brewsters” “But Sarge, you know I’d not a swearing man.” “You’d be surprised at what they consider swearing.”

Political Environment The character’s relationship to the form of government under which they live. Example: “I don’t think that Hitler is a very Christian man.” “Has he always thought he was Teddy Roosevelt?” “The country is squarely behind you Mr. President”

Religious Environment The formal or informal psychological controls place upon a character because of their religious beliefs. The values and beliefs (or lack thereof) that the characters have in the play. Example: “Oh, he’s a Methodist! That’s nice.” Example: “It’s one of our charities.” Example: “Gentlemen, if I know pure kindness and absolute generosity, it’s because I know the Brewster sisters.”

Polar Attitudes Beliefs held by a character that are in direct opposition to the world in which the character lives. This opposition creates CONFLICT. Conflict creates DRAMATIC ACTION. Example: “Don't you understand? How can I marry you? Me! The symbol of bachelorhood. I've sneered at every love scene in every play. I've written four million words against marriage. 

Polar Attitudes Abby and Martha: - they poison unsuspecting old men who seek lodging with their special homemade elderberry wine (a gallon mixed with a teaspoonful of arsenic, a half-teaspoon of strychnine and a "pinch of cyanide") as a charity act - to end their loneliness and find ultimate peace: "If we could help other lonely old men to find that same peace, we would." They are blissfully unaware that their humanely murderous acts are immoral.