Jerusalem: form

Structure and Form in Jerusalem

Three-act structure: Jerusalem is composed in a traditional three-act structure as is typical in many theatrical works. This provides a framework for the narrative progression of the play.
Real-time progression: While the bulk of the story unfolds over a single day, the time of performance approximates real time. This allows the audience to feel a sense of immediacy and connection between the characters’ experiences and their own.
Epic Theatre influence: Engaging with Epic theatre style, many scenes in Jerusalem seem self-contained and can be analysed as episodic instances. This breaks down the illusions of continuous, seamless reality, pushing the audience to be more critical and questioning.

Character revelation: Monologues, especially Johnny’s, serve as the key method of providing insights into a character’s thoughts, experiences and backstory. It enriches the depth of characterisation.
Stylistic variation: The monologues in Jerusalem often vary stylistically from the rest of the dialogue, incorporating rhythmic and poetic language. This change in form emphasizes the importance of these speeches and their content.

Imagery and symbolism: The play uses powerful images and motifs such as the Mobile Home, the Flint Stone and Fairies to enrich its thematic depth. These elements are not only important to the plot, but also serve symbolic purposes within the broader context.
Dialogue-style: The naturalistic style of the dialogue, embedded with local dialect expressions, adds authenticity and depth to the character portrayals, making the world of the play more believable.
Stage Directions: The stage directions are often detailed, offering indications of physical space as well as glimpses into characters’ behaviours and emotions. It is beneficial to note these details as they can often offer something beyond the spoken words.