47 pages 1 hour read

Luigi Pirandello, Transl. Edward Storer

Six Characters in Search of an Author

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1921

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Essay Topics

1.

How does the play’s structure and form reflect the play’s interest in metatheatrical themes? How might the breaks between acts and the set design support the play’s absurdist themes?

2.

Do the characters have free will or are they predestined? How does their nonlinear, but repeated play acting and the repetitions in theatrical rehearsals and performances inform this question?

3.

The conversation between the play and the play-within-the-play explores the relationship between truth and identity. Are certain characters or performances truer than others? Do theatrical performances create truth despite artistic liberties?