POINT EVIDENCE TECHNIQUE EXPLANATION READER

Dorfman uses set Page 3 “Paulina Symbolism: using the This implies that This prop is then used
props to illicit hides the gun gun prop as a whoever is to convey emotions to
violence and away” recurring motif of holding the gun is the reader. Such as
danger Page 22 violence as well as in complete fear and adrenaline of
automatically “Threatening him who might be in control of the what might happen to
giving out the idea with the gun” control of the scene others showing certain characters.
that the different This act of violence
characters are in fluctuations of also gets the reader to
danger or will be power over each reflect on what is
in danger other. It also happening in the play.
shows us the This then gets him/her
wrath of Paulina to create an opinion on
and her whether what is
aggressive happening is morally
nature. right or wrong.

The author uses Page 4 - “(Trying Dorfman is using From this All of this is then used
emotions and in to not seem imagery to illustrate Dorfman is to create tension in the
this case signs of agitated)” how Paulina is creating tension play and on the reader.
dishonesty to Page 3 - behaving around her by giving out a Showing us how
create “Paulina hidden husband Gerardo. mood of unstable and dishonest
tension/stress in behind the Altering the mood dishonesty and Paulina is, gets the
the relationship of curtain” with Paulina’s stage deceit as Paulina reader to question
the characters as Page 10 - directions. is lying to her what actions Paulina
well as the reader. “Paulina begins husband which might take later on in
to laugh softly later creates the play.
but with tension between
increasing their relationship.
hysteria” This also implies
 how unstable
Paulina really is.

Dorfman creates Page 1 - “...the The author uses The way in which There is a clear
further tension by lights blasting visual and kinesthetic the lights invade parallelism between
manipulating the her”; “The car imagery, creating a Paulina’s and the sense of intrusion,
lighting, creating a drives off, the sense of worry, Gerardo’s house danger instated in the
sense of fear and lights sweeping danger and feels intrusive, couple’s house, with
uncertainty the room again” uneasiness. which how dictatorships
Page 13 - “By complements with make it’s citizen’s
the light of the how the darkness beloved country a
moon she can be later makes their place of constant
seen going to the home, a danger. Dorfman uses
drawer and supposed place Paulina’s and
taking out the of comfort, seem Gerardo’s situation as
gun”; “In the half- cold and an allegory for his
light we see her unsettling. concerns regarding his
come out of the country’s sociopolitical
room”; “When state.
the car’s
headlights are
turned on, they
sweep the scene
and that stark
brutal shot of
light clearly
reveals
Roberto…”

The action Page 13 - “The The action is made The sudden Once again, Dorfman
becomes hair- sound of the sea cinematic by the use crescendos uses all the senses
raising by using grows, then of auditory imagery, appeal to the fact available to
sounds and recedes. in which crescendos that something is dramatically portray
moments of Silence”; “We and decrescendos going to happen the emotions
silence to queue hear a confusing, lead the scene to it’s in the next few associated with living
moments of muffled sound, moments of high moments, whilst through a dictatorship,
climax. followed by a intensity and the gradual in which any sound
sort of cry” significance. decrescendos can trigger a survival
allow for the response in the
expectation to be individual.
built until the plot Furthermore, the
unfolds, providing careful selection of
a moment of sound effects coupled
 climax and with the name of the
intensity. play (Death And The
Maiden, a song by
Franz Schubert) adds
a slight musicality to
the action, making it
even more intense and
stimulating.

How does Dorfman build up tension through the use

Throughout the play “Death and the Maiden”, Dorfman successfully builds up tension by using stage

directions and making effective use of set props in the opening, utilizing suggestive/symbolic objects to

convey danger and violence and for example creating tension in-between the Escobar couple which can

be seen in the stage directions on the opening scene.

Dorfman uses set props to elicit violence and danger automatically giving out the idea that the characters

are in danger or will be in danger. Page 3 “Paulina hides the gun away” Page 22 “Threatening him with

the gun”. Symbolisation: using the gun prop as a recurring motif of violence as well as who might be in

control of the scene. This implies that whoever is holding the gun is in complete control of the others

showing different fluctuations of power over each other. It also shows us the wrath of Paulina and her

aggressive nature. This prop is then used to convey emotions to the reader. Such as fear and adrenaline of

what might happen to certain characters. This act of violence also gets the reader to reflect on what is

happening in the play. This then gets him/her to create an opinion on whether what is happening is

morally right or wrong.

the characters as well as the reader. Page 4 - “(Trying to not seem agitated)” Page 3 - “Paulina hidden

behind the curtain”. Page 10 - “Paulina begins to laugh softly but with increasing hysteria”. Dorfman is

using imagery to illustrate how Paulina is behaving around her husband Gerardo. Altering the mood with

Paulina’s stage directions. From this Dorfman is creating tension by giving out a mood of dishonesty and

deceit as Paulina is lying to her husband which later creates tension between their relationship. This also

implies how unstable Paulina really is. All of this is then used to create tension in the play and on the

reader. Showing us how unstable and dishonest Paulina is, gets the reader to question what actions

Paulina might take later on in the play.

Dorfman creates further tension by manipulating the lighting on set to create fear and discomfort in the

characters. Page 13 - “In the half-light we see her come out of the room”; “When the car’s headlights are

turned on, they sweep the scene and that stark brutal shot of light clearly reveals Roberto…”. Here, visual

and kinesthetic imagery are used to create a sense of worry, danger and uneasiness to the play. This

mood is achieved due to the way in which the lights invade Paulina’s and Gerardo’s house, which feels

intrusive, complemented later by how the darkness later makes their home, a supposed place of comfort,

seem cold and untrustable. There is a clear parallelism between the sense of intrusion and danger instated

in the couple’s house, with how dictatorships make its citizen’s beloved country a place of constant worry

and second guessing. Dorfman uses Paulina’s and Gerardo’s situation as an allegory for his concerns

regarding his country’s socio-political state.

The action becomes hair-raising by using sounds and moments of silence to queue moments of climax.

Page 13 - “The sound of the sea grows, then recedes. Silence”; “We hear a confusing, muffled sound,

followed by a sort of cry”. The corresponding action is made cinematic by the use of auditory imagery, in

which crescendos and decrescendos lead the scene to it’s moments of high intensity and significance. The

sudden crescendos appeal to the fact that something is going to happen in the next few moments, whilst
the gradual decrescendos allow for the expectation to be built until the plot unfolds, providing a moment

of climax and intensity; in this case, these sound effects precede Roberto Miranda being taken hostage by

Paulina. Once again, Dorfman uses all the senses available to dramatically portray the emotions

associated with living through a dictatorship, in which any stimulus can trigger a survival response in the

individual, making for a stressful state of living. Furthermore, the careful selection of sound effects

coupled with the name of the play (Death And The Maiden, a song by Franz Schubert) adds a slight

musicality to the action, making it even more intense and stimulating, but also adding dimension and

depth to the plot of the play.

To summarize, Dorfman effectively uses stage directions in Death and the Maiden as a tool to create

tension through props, emotions, lighting, sounds. Moreover, the author stimulates the reader in order to

convey certain emotions, making them reflect on the situation that the characters are in and therefore

effectively communicating the social and psychological concerns that motivate this play.