ABSTRACT
The use of analogy in drama teaching is widely seen in the literature as a technique for distancing events which might otherwise be too sensitive to treat directly. The analysis here indicates that analogy can also be used to highlight more general themes of the drama. The examples given by Jonothan Neelands and J. O’Toole quite rightly emphasise the distancing effect of the use of analogy to allow the treatment of sensitive issues, while Heathcote draws attention to the pragmatic reasons for using the technique. The chapter suggests that analogy can also be important as a way of gaining understanding of how drama works as an art form. Analogy relies on the ability to create a scene which parallels the original focus of interest. Analogy is the specific and deliberate use of one context to parallel another but it also helps to highlight the more general theme.
