‘Mugged’ by Andrew Payne: Analysis Essay

The script ‘Mugged’, by Andrew Payne, follows a group of teenagers and how they each react differently to the medias â€Å"made-up† viewpoints after one of their friends in murdered. The script effectively manipulates the dramatic elements of tension, language, place and symbolism to invoke change upon its audience, making them reassess their views/opinions on how adolescent youth are portrayed by the media. Tension of relationships was created throughout the text of ‘Mugged’. The script demonstrated an advanced use of tension of relationships (intimacy) in the first two scenes between Marky and Dig. The script establishes the intimate relationship between the two boys as they share their stolen goods, their bond grows as they share food and swap their goods. Their relationship develops even further when Dig tells Marky he has a crush on Soph and Marky then gives him relationship advice. This reveals the bond between the two and establishes the intimacy of their friendship. Tension of relationships (intimacy) was successfully created through the friendship of Marky and Dig as they share the secret of what they have stolen, and discuss Dig’s feelings for Soph. Relationships in the script where used to create language. In the text of ‘Mugged’ language was used to help create a didactic dramatic meaning. In the script verbal language is effectively used when Taylor refers to a man as â€Å"some old geezer† and when Leon calls Sophie a â€Å"skank† this reveals Leon’s and Taylor’s lack of respect for other people. Body language is also effectively used in the script after Marky is murdered and Dig is found â€Å"Sitting on the right-hand bench. Hunched over looking at the ground in front of him.† This shows that Dig was in great mourning and shutting everyone out. The language used in the text was successful because it demonstrated Leon and Taylor’s lack of respect towards others and how Dig became depressed after the death of his friend. Language and place can often be associated together. Place was established in the script of â€Å"Mugged† when certain characters described the environment surrounding them. This was evident when the  teenagers where describing what was happening when Marky was approaching the muggers, by having the teens describe what they saw, example: â€Å"He’s going up to the playground† â€Å"They’re standing by the fence† â€Å"Get away form the benches†, this successfully establishes a place because the description created by the characters creates a picture of where the scene is taking place. The place can have an effect on the symbolism created in the text. The symbolism used in the script of ‘Mugged’ helped create a deeper meaning to the script. The park benches demonstrates a successful use of symbolism within the script. The benches represented a sense of diversity. When Marky and Dig where siting on the bench, once Leon and Taylor arrived they had to move to the other bench because of the diverseness between the groups, after Marky is murdered all the teenagers are seated on the same bench, while the media sits on the other, this showed how Marky’s death brought the group of youths together and that the media and teenagers had a sense of diversity between them. The benches are an example of successful symbolism in the script because they represent a deeper meaning beyond their physical appearance. Symbolism can play a main role in invoking change upon the audience. Invoking change forces the audience to rethink their viewpoints on a certain subject, in â€Å"Mugged† the script makes the audience reassess their views on how adolescent youths are portrayed in the media. The script achieves this by showing how the media portrays an innocent teen, into a violent gang member within a day of his death, this makes the audience rethink what to believe the media tells them. Through its effective and successful use of the dramatic elements of tension, language, place and symbolism, â€Å"Mugged†, by Andrew Payne, successfully invokes change upon its audience, making them reassess their views/opinions on how adolescent youth are portrayed by the media.