Shakespeare for Screenwriters by J. M. Evenson

Author:J. M. Evenson [Evenson, J. M.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions
Published: 2013-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

When Harry Met Sally . . . , © 1989 MGM, All Rights Reserved.

Shakespeare’s work famously includes few stage directions. Characters enter and exit, but rarely does Shakespeare stop to tell us more than that. As a result, Shakespeare’s scenes contain almost no busywork activity. The characters never sip drinks, shuffle papers, or grab coats. In fact, the only time Shakespeare adds a line of stage directions is when there is a piece of true action the audience absolutely must know in order to understand the plot.

This is certainly true in Richard III. In one scene after the next, Richard is either in the process of killing someone, or he’s just about to. Not a single thought or movement is wasted in these scenes: every action leads directly to the accomplishment of Richard’s one goal of taking over the throne of England. When Richard betrays his cousin Hastings with the words “off with his head!,” the next line of stage direction we get is: “Enter Lovel and Ratcliff with Hastings’ head.” Absolutely none of the stage directions include superfluous activity — it’s all true action. The result is a story that bristles with dramatic energy.

DUKE IT OUT

At the end of every story, the audience expects a climax. The best climaxes are riveting, exhilarating, and above all, active. This doesn’t mean that every good climax involves the clash of sword and bone, but letting your characters duke it out — in whatever way is right for them — keeps your climaxes taut with dramatic conflict.

The final scene of Richard III is the epitome of a thrilling climax. Richard is surrounded by enemies. Though he knows thousands of soldiers will die, he demands the last true measure of devotion as he leads the charge. His crazed fury reaches a fever pitch as he devolves from battling for power to battling for his life. Bloodied and bruised, and about to die, he screams out: “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” The ending sequence grips us with non-stop action from start to finish. When Richard is defeated, it is in combat, not with words. Shakespeare doesn’t tell us about Richard’s demise; he lets us watch it unfold in all its gruesome glory.

In the thrilling final scene of The Departed (2006), Staff Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) materializes in the apartment of bad guy Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). There’s no long, drawn-out dinner conversation about why Colin did it or how Dignam is going to make him pay. Colin says only one word — “okay” — before Dignam shoots him in the head with a silencer. Yet, the scene is incredibly satisfying because we saw the climactic finale. The audience doesn’t need to hear talking around the action; the action is all that is necessary — proving, yet again, the first rule of writing: show me, don’t tell me.

KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

† Rather than having your characters tell us their goals, use decisive actions to show it.

† Add true action, rather than activity, to your scenes.

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