Dramatic Adventures in Rhetoric

Book excerpt: A practical, accessible and thorough guide to identifying and using rhetorical devices in drama, using examples from both classical and contemporary plays. An unprecedented reference and handbook for actors, directors, playwrights and teachers; written by practitioners for practitioners. Little has been written about how dramatists draw on rhetorical devices, and how a study of these can unlock a text for a performer or director, or indeed inspire contemporary playwrights. This book addresses in detail – yet in straightforward terms – the many different rhetorical forms used in drama, and enables the reader to identify and analyse them. Dramatic Adventures in Rhetoric may be read cover to cover, or it may be dipped into; it is both an analytic tool and a reference aid for use in the classroom or rehearsal room, revealing how careful study of language is one of the best ways of accessing the richness of texts both classical and contemporary.