CHAPTER 1
Action Analysis
Why action analysis? In the Introduction we said that formalist analysis proceeds by gathering lots of detailed information from the play and then drawing general conclusions about the whole work. It uses a systematic collection of close-ups to assemble at last the big picture. Because it attempts to cover all the dramatic potentials of a play, formalist analysis is time-consuming and thorough. This attention to detail almost guarantees its practical success. Unfortunately, attention to detail is also lengthy and loaded with ins and outs. In the middle of a project readers can become so involved in the details that at times they lose sight of the whole play. They cannot see the forest for the trees. At some point they ...
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