Skip to main content

Discuss the art of acting on a stage with respect to action in the world of human affairs.

The art of acting serves several purposes, but perhaps the most relevant is in providing an audience the opportunity to study an issue, theme or question in a focused, limited time-frame, with the skills of an author and actors employed to illuminate a particular area of interest. Acting also allows audience members to share the experience with others.


An actor can offer the joy of pure entertainment or offer escapism from reality. Comedy may be employed to...

The art of acting serves several purposes, but perhaps the most relevant is in providing an audience the opportunity to study an issue, theme or question in a focused, limited time-frame, with the skills of an author and actors employed to illuminate a particular area of interest. Acting also allows audience members to share the experience with others.


An actor can offer the joy of pure entertainment or offer escapism from reality. Comedy may be employed to lift the spirits of an audience (while comedy can also serve to illuminate serious social issues). Aristotle considered actors in ancient Greek theater as serving the vital role of allowing audiences to purge themselves of powerful emotions such as grief and terror, and to experience pity for tragic figures of Greek theater, such as Sophocles' tragic hero Oedipus in 'Oedipus Rex'.


Actors can also illuminate myriad issues that occur in contemporary life, and allow the theater experience to bring meaning to events that may lack coherence or meaning when experienced day-to-day. Actors can tackle roles that are overtly political, are historical in sweep, or those that are quite mundane, or intimate and personal.


Quality acting can serve as many functions as there are human experiences.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is hyperbole in the story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his... The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him plu
Post a Comment
Read more

How can I analyze Moon and Six Pence by Somerset Maugham?

In "Moon and Sixpence," loosely based on the life of Paul Gaugin, Maugham presents a study of the tension between the "civilized" life of 19th century Europe, and the lead character's desire to throw off the shackles of bourgeois life. Charles Strickland is a middle-aged English stockbroker with a wife and family. By abandoning his domestic life, Strickland commits what many in European society would consider a gross betrayal of one of the foundations of... In "Moon and Sixpence," loosely based on the life of Paul Gaugin, Maugham presents a study of the tension between the "civilized" life of 19th century Europe, and the lead character's desire to throw off the shackles of bourgeois life. Charles Strickland is a middle-aged English stockbroker with a wife and family. By abandoning his domestic life, Strickland commits what many in European society would consider a gross betrayal of one of the foundations of that society. His decision to e
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some literary devices in Macbeth, Act V, Scene 1?

Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not... Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh, oh! (5.1.53-55) Hyperbole - Obvious exaggeration  There is also h
Post a Comment
Read more