It is essential to mention that plays and dramas are created by authors in order to be evaluated by the audience. Thus, it is crucial to establish why “Hamlet,” “Oedipus the King,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and “Trifles” are interesting for the spectators.
Sophocles used the artistic technique of tragic irony in the play “Oedipus the King,” the essence of which is that the audience understands the progress of events, but the characters do not. Thus, the audience is enthusiastically observing how the characters learn the truth (Gendrich and Archer 16). This enables the viewer to penetrate deeper into the essence of the conflict. It should be noted that the play “Oedipus the King” is based solely on the principle of unity of action. All the action is concentrated around the search for the murderer of Laius (Gendrich and Archer 43).
Accordingly, it is easy for the audience to observe and understand the main characters. It is also significant to mention that after watching “Trifles,” the audience feels that they have the abilities of detectives. This is because the play applies the dramatic irony technique, allowing the viewers to learn about the crime scene faster than the real sheriff and prosecutor (Gendrich and Archer 56). Hence, this play enhances the mood and encourages the development of the public.
Shakespeare addresses a number of important themes that provide the play with philosophical content. The audience can comprehend in the play “Hamlet” the philosophical conflict between a highly moral personality and a false society where lies, deceit, betrayal, and hypocrisy flourish (Gendrich and Archer 17). Thus, it is this theme that interests the public, and the play offers them many ideas for reflection. Moreover, the concept of the comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is that the whole world is a game (Gendrich and Archer 23). The outcome of the game will depend only on the decision and mood of the players themselves. The audience is pleased with the play because it does not force them to search for a particularly deep philosophical implication, as it was created primarily for the viewers’ entertainment.
Hence, the audience’s impression of these plays will encourage them to watch them more than once. Moreover, philosophical questions, ironic techniques, and detective plots make the plays interesting for the spectators.
Work Cited
Gendrich, Cynthia M., and Stephen Archer. Theatre: Its Art and Craft. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.