Final answer:
Plot summaries are essential for a critical study of a play as they set the foundational context for deeper analyses. They enable the understanding of characters, narrative arc, and help in the appreciation of the play's structure and its impact on the audience.
Step-by-step explanation:
True. Plot summaries are indeed essential to a critical study of a play. Understanding the plot is fundamental before delving into deeper analysis such as themes, motives, or diction. The plot provides the necessary context to understand the characters' development, actions, and the overarching narrative arc. Without a comprehensive grasp of the plot, any critical study would lack the foundation upon which more nuanced interpretations are built. Furthermore, while it can be tempting to focus solely on plot summary, a critical study should move beyond summary to engage with analysis and critique, examining how the elements of the play interact to create meaning.
It's important to distinguish between the story and the plot. The story encompasses everything that happens, while the plot is a curated sequence of events that drives the narrative forward. Considering the proper structure of a plot, as mentioned in Aristotle's principles on tragedy, it is the backbone of a theatrical work and shapes the audience's response. Plays typically follow a structured format of acts and scenes, which help in organizing the plot and contributing to its effectiveness. In a critical study, while summarizing the plot, one should be cautious of providing too much summary versus presenting an in-depth critique.
Thus, plot summaries serve as a guide to understanding the 'bigger picture', enabling a more comprehensive analysis of a play and how its structure elicits responses from its audience. This approach is essential to avoid getting sidetracked by just retelling the narrative without engaging with the material on a critical level.