Interpreting the play  Other private themes  Elements of autobiography  Historical background  Interpretation as audience conception

Other private themes  It is not only in family relationships that we find unusual, private themes demonstrated in particular ways. For example John Gay’s comedy The Beggar’s Opera that talks about marriage. While the play is comedy, and therefore not seriously criticizing marriage as an institution, it is, nevertheless built upon the foundation of an unusual them, that marriage is bad

Elements of Autobiography  Some plays are to be interpreted to a certain extent as autobiographical statements. The play will have a plot which may be independent of the autobiography but nevertheless the playwright’s personal involvement in one or more of the characters will force us to interpret the play in relationship to that playwright’s involvement.

Elements of Autobiography  More often than not a play of this kind may be interpreted both independently of an autobiographical elements and in light of them. The important aspect of our task, nevertheless, is to suggest that two such interpretations are possible.

Historical background  Just as when we have elements of autobiography to consider, sometimes we have historical facts and events upon which we must focus. If we were inclined toward making a political interpretation of Milton’s play, for example, we would have to read into it the entire set of political facts of the time, explaining Milton’s party affiliations and the chronology.

Historical background  An essential aspect of our interpretation is the development of the history which the play has been written.  All and all, then, we should always suggest the historical implications of the theme, even if we do not want to make the historical background our major consideration

Interpretation as audience conception  Our interpretation of a play is basically our own conception of the play. That is although we can discuss the playwright’s intentions can establish the theme as one dealing, say, with the relationship between man and his society, finally we must explain our own conception of the play

Interpretation as audience conception  First we must consider the ways in which we feel affected by the play,  And then we try to explain why we are affected in this particular way.  Sometimes we have undeniable personal association with the action or characters of a play; we are reminded of events or attitudes in our own lives.