Think about the experiences you've had with dramatic texts, including seeing live performances or film adaptations. how does the era in which a play was written affect your ability to enjoy it or understand it? how is it different to read or see a play written more than two millennia ago (such as tragedies and comedies from ancient greece) compared to a few centuries ago (for example, shakespeare or others from the renaissance) or one produced in the last 100 years? is there something like a modern sensibility to more recently written dramatic works that you connect better to them than to works from past centuries? are there traits in older forms of drama that engage you because they are not modern? describe the traits of drama that keep you engaged as well as characteristics that make it challenging to do so.

Read this excerpt from through the looking-glass by lewis carroll. "you might make a joke on that,” said the little voice close to her ear: "something about ‘you would if you could,’ you know.” "don't tease so,” said alice, looking about in vain to see where the voice came from; "if you're so anxious to have a joke made, why don't you make one yourself? ” the little voice sighed deeply: it was very unhappy, evidently, and alice would have said something pitying to comfort it, "if it would only sigh like other people! ” she thought. but this was such a wonderfully small sigh, that she wouldn't have heard it at all, if it hadn't come quite close to her ear. the consequence of this was that it tickled her ear very much, and quite took off her thoughts from the unhappiness of the poor little creature. what question should a reader ask to clarify what is happening in the story? who or what is the voice speaking to alice? when will alice attempt to share a joke? what secret will alice share with the new character? why do whispers tickle the listener?