Point of View

Because plays are written from the point of view of their characters, the particular point of view of a particular play is closely linked with its themes (for analysis of the themes in this collection of plays, see "Themes," above). Theme, in turn, manifests as a result of what the characters say and do, and while this is also true of most other narrative fiction, in a play this is the ONLY means by which an author can reveal point of view. In other words, in a play there is generally no outright narrative (as there is in other sorts of fiction) through which s/he can reveal point of view, meaning that point of view in a play is generally as objective as it can possibly be.

It could be argued, however, that because a play is by definition drama, and because drama is by...