Aristotle's Six Elements of Theatre and the film, Chicago
The six elements of theatre proposed by the classical worldÆs great thinker, Aristotle, are essentially a way of organizing the various factors which make up a dramatic stage performance. AristotleÆs model also gives us a means of making meaningful evaluations of the aesthetic success of a piece of drama, usually tragedy, by providing a hierarchy of criteria which while distinct, remain inter-related. This can be seen in all types of tragic drama through the ages, from classical world pieces to contemporary drama, and also in screen productions which rely upon the creation of dramatic impact upon an audience through a performance.
AristotleÆs model of analysis places plot at the top of the hierarchy of factors crucial to the powerful delivery of impact from a performance piece. Rob MarshallÆs film musical ôChicagoö appears to conform to AristotleÆs model quite neatly, as the live-action style of the film reveals that its impact is predominantly plot-driven. The film has been called a ôsong and dance comedyö and certainly does not fit into the genre of tragedy, AristotleÆs modelÆs primary focus. ôChicagoö does contain elements of pathos, featured through some of the minor characters who form an interesting background for the show-stopping performances of the lead actors, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere. The driving force for the showÆs engaging impact is the plot, peppered with murder, mayhem and bawdy incidents which are reminiscent of the Burlesque genre.
To apply AristotleÆs model to ôChicagoö one would need to reorganize the hierarchy a little. Aristotle held that the order of importance of dramatic elements in a theatrical performance were Plot û Character û Thought û Diction û Music û Spectacle. The pattern of ôChicagoö however, seems to resonate particularly with the elements of Plot, Music and plot is certain...