This book is part of a larger project which is intended to be a response to the need for a text that will help to improve students' confidence in Literatures in English and ultimately in the examination. Both students and teachers have on occasion complained of the challenges of finding student-friendly materials that can reinforce concepts and improve proficiency in responding to and writing about drama.
The format of this book has been arrived at based on my experience of teaching literature at the secondary and university levels. There are fourteen lessons of content and critical essays on theme and technique in four play-texts being studied on the CAPE Literatures in English syllabus effective in 2011. One text, Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale has not been included due to the pressures of deadlines but will be added in the reprint of this book. My own experience has taught me that these fourteen lessons are adequate to expose students to the required knowledge of elements and conventions of drama, dramatic techniques and the skills of critical analysis. Reinforcement activities have been included to strengthen skills and concepts taught.
These are by no means comprehensive and I fully expect teachers to generate and use their own materials for this purpose as they have always done. The sequencing of the content in this text represents my subjective opinion on how the skills and knowledge may be best taught so teachers should feel free to deliver this content in a manner that their professional opinion and class needs dictate. Teachers have always found creative ways to organize the sequencing of content and this book should aid in this practice by allowing the flexibility to teach the modules/lessons in whichever order is preferred
If students are able, with the help of this book, to take greater responsibility for their learning and if teachers are inspired to greater levels of confidence in the delivery of skills and knowledge set out in the syllabus, I shall be satisfied that this book has served its intended purpose.
I am appreciative of all suggestions and comments that will improve this text and I invite both teachers and students to exchange ideas with me by e-mail at harimac@cwjamaica.com.

Harold N. McDermott
2014