The Use of Props in Master Harold... And the Boys and Death of a Salesman Noah David Perry 12th Grade

Playwrights, unlike the authors of novels and other forms of literature, employ the use of production elements and stage designs in the development of their works. These additional aspects present within the creation of theatre grant playwrights with the opportunity to support and develop the various themes and ideas of a work through supplemental stimuli, be it visual or auditory. Props are an aspect of set design that are used by actors during performances to replicate and materialize certain elements of reality on stage. As a result, the effectiveness of the play and the subsequent impact on the audience is defined through the use and value given to a character’s props. Both Athol Fugard’s Master Harold and the Boys and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman incorporate the use of various theatrical properties to enrich and enhance the development of characters and create tension, emotion, and atmosphere in a performance.
In Master Harold and the Boys, Fugard includes meaningful props such as: comic books and a bottle of whiskey to define characters and establish their developments throughout the play. Due to the fact that this play takes place within one setting for the entirety of the performance, many of the props...