Action is Captivating in The Illusion by Tony Kushner

The Illusion by Tony Kushner illustrates the journey of a lawyer, Pridamant, in search of his son, Clindor. Pridamant ventures off to the cave of the magician, Alcandre, in the hopes that Alcandre will help him find his son. Throughout the play, Alcandre reveals three scenes to Pridamant which show the life of his son. Each scene reveals the same characters. However, in each scene the characters have different names. Pridamant must helplessly watch the perils his son undergoes throughout his life. Although the playwright presents different components in the play, action is the most compelling. The actions that Kushner depict throughout the play compel the reader to continue reading to find out what happens to the characters.

Of the different aspects the playwright provides, action is the most compelling. Action is an intriguing part of the play because it is what moves the play. Motivation of fulfilling a task is what drives the character to keep going. Action is more compelling than theme in that the actions made by the characters display the theme to the audience. The actions convince the audience that the message of the play is significant. Additionally, action is more riveting than conflict. Although conflict is enthralling, a play cannot start out in conflict. The audience is interested to see all the events that occur in a play, not just the conflict. Robert Cohen argues, in Theatre, that starting a play with conflict will confuse the audience (33). Actions must occur and increase intensity in order for a conflict to occur. Likewise, conflict is resolved through action. The audience is enticed to see what the characters will do to rectify the conflict. Although characters are an essential component to have in a play, the ac...

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...or is an actor. In those moments, Pridamant’s actions of tearing down the curtain and crying reveal more to the audience than his dialogue would. It proves that Pridamant feels remorse over mistreating his son and he wishes that he could have his son back.

The playwright provides many aspects to create a play and to make it interesting. The actions and dialogue the characters make must be fluid and have a purpose. The playwright entices the audience with the different aspects to captivate their attention and keep it throughout the play. In The Illusion, Tony Kushner provides vivid details of the characters’ actions through dialogue. The actions characters perform absorbs the audience’s attention and leaves them wanting to see more of what will happen next to the characters. Although all aspects provided by the playwright are essential, action is the most riveting.