Magic 8 Ball

Character analysis

Elizabeth Spano is one of the actors in the play Magic 8 Ball by Kimberly Pau. The play reveals various aspects of this character. The audience learns that Elizabeth is in love with Bradley. The question depicts this, ‘…am I going to have 4 children with
Bradley?’ (Mercado, 2012, p. 126). The character goes forth and asks the Magic 8 Ball whether Bradley is in love with her. When the Magic 8 Ball responds in the affirmative to the latter, Elizabeth is excited. She then asks about the likelihood of a proposal and receives a positive answer. The sequence and types of questions that Elizabeth asks display her curiosity to know about the future. The other character, Melissa, confirms Elizabeth’s hopeless desire for love as she cautions her that the Magic 8 Ball is leading her on. This implies that Elizabeth could be building the future on false hopes.

However, Elizabeth is not excited about Melissa’s lack of belief in the Magic 8 Ball’s ability to predict the future (Horoscope.com, Inc., 2022). She even provokes Melissa to ask about her relationship. Melissa’s question regarding sexual interactions between their romantic partners upsets Elizabeth. Any responses that negate Elizabeth’s belief that she and Bradley are in love are vehemently denied. This shows a lack of growth in Elizabeth throughout the play. The character’s language and conversations reveal that Elizabeth is in an unstable emotional state that bars her from considering the possibility of failing to live as life partners with her lover, Bradley. The likelihood of taking a drastic self-harm action is revealed by one of the last questions that Elizabeth asks. ‘Is Melissa going to be sad when I fling myself from the roof and fall splat on the asphalt?’ (Mercado, 2012, p. 129). This question confirms Elizabeth’s unstable emotions because of love.

References

Horoscope.com, Inc. (2022). Magic 8-Ball Fortune Telling.

Mercado, E. (Director). (2012, November). Magic 8 Ball [Motion Picture].

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Prompt: Choose ONE PLAY to discuss. Then, choose ONE CHARACTER to discuss. In a well-developed paragraph, discuss the character, analyzing elements such as the person’s actions, conflicts, and motivations. Include examples and at least one quotation from the play as supporting evidence.

Magic 8 Ball

Tips: Remember to provide evidence for your claims in the form of examples and at least one quoted passage from the play. Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries should be cited according to APA style, including in-text and reference citations. Check grammar and spelling before posting. Post directly to the discussion; do not attach a document.

Resource: Refresher on Character
A reader or viewer of a play can learn about a character in a number of ways. Here are some questions to think about before drafting your response:

Dialogue/monologue – How do the words the character says reveal information about who they are? Does the surface have a noticeable speech pattern? Does the character’s use of language reveal their emotional state? What is revealed through what others say about the character?
Action – What is shown through the character’s actions or lack of action?
Stage directions/movement/props – What is revealed through the character’s placement on the stage, movements, and use of props?
Relationships/interactions – What is understood about the character through relationships and interactions with other characters?
Development – Does the character grow and change during the play, or is the character static and unchanged? How developed or round is the character?
Role – Is this character the narrator? If so, are they reliable or unreliable?