• The cultural, historical, literary background in which the play was produced and information about the playwright.
• The plot construction of the play/ short summaries/ narrative and dramatic devices. [What narrative techniques does the play rely on? -monologs, soliloquys, dialogs, flashbacks, the asides, deus-ex-machina, in-medias-res, dramatic irony, the 3 Unities (time, place, action) etc. (What is the conflict of the play in terms of opposing principles? Which events are simply reported or revealed through exposition? Are there subplots? Is there anything special about the title? What is the significance of the setting of the play? Etc.)]
• Characterization. (Are the characters stereotypical representations or types? Do they have specific characteristics? How do character traits activate the drama? In what ways do they represent their own time, society, culture? Assuming that each character is necessary to the plot, what is the dramatic function of each? What are their motivations? Etc.)
• Themes of the play; its genre, and the objectives of the text. (What are the generic qualities of the play? Make references to highlights and quotes from play, too.)
• The rhetoric of the play/ Do all characters use language in the same way? How does the language reflect the ideology of the play? In what ways does it help to establish certain norms or values or certain stereotypes? Does the playwright consciously use certain terms? What are the implications or impacts of these terms at present? Is the language ironical, humorous? Study the language in terms of literary devices [Figures of speech, symbolic allusions, puns, etc.])
• Any cultural, social, or philosophical issue such as gender, class, race, identity, quest, psychological dilemmas etc. discussed in the play. (What are the given circumstances of the play’s action? [Geographical location, period, time of day, economic, environmental, political situation, social milieu, religious system etc.])
• A crucial scene, quote, action, incident or a critical problem, turning point, character trait and so on. (What happens during this dialogue and as a result of this dialogue? What does this passage reveal about the plot or about any of the circumstances contributing to the complication or resolution of the play? What are the most notable moments or statements in this dialogue? Are there any implicit or unspoken matters in this scene that deserve attention?)
• Spectacle-staging (What role do the stage props play in the general decorum of the play? Lighting and sound effects, costumes, masks, stage craft etc. How do they contribute to the general delivery of the play and the ideas which the playwright develops in it?)