DNA Dennis Kelly - Characters

Description

From Leah and Phil to Jan and Mark, all the characters of Dennis Kelly's disturbing play, DNA, covered in this character analysis.
Jacob Mullins
Mind Map by Jacob Mullins, updated more than 1 year ago
Jacob Mullins
Created by Jacob Mullins over 5 years ago
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Resource summary

DNA Dennis Kelly - Characters
  1. Leah
    1. Leah lacks in self confidence, but her many monologues show her to be intelligent and thoughtful. Like Cassandra, from Greek mythology, Leah speaks without anyone really listening to her. Leah is usually seen with Phil. At the beginning, this pairing presents a comic irony, because Phil almost never speaks. Leah's endless entreaties for Phil's attention fall on deaf ears. Over the course of the play, Leah interrogates her own conscience about human behaviour, instinctual aggression and our place in the Universe. When, near the end, Phil refuses to listen as Leah pleads for Adam's life, she decides he place in the Universe is no longer with Phil, or the gang. She leaves the group, changes schools and is not seen again.
    2. Phil
      1. For much of the play, Phil remains silent, chomping down a succession of sweets and waffles. Leah begs him to speak to no avail. When John Tate finally calls upon his intelligence, the group is shocked by the ease in which he concocts the most horrific plan to protect themselves. In fact, the only times Phil speaks, what comes out is pure evil genius. Leah, at one point, admires Phil, but ultimately leaves him when she sees him for what he really is. Leah's departure is the only event that seems to emotionally affect Phil.
      2. Adam
        1. Adam is the focus of the play, though he is absent for much of it. He is a weak minded character who has been bullied, betrayed and murdered by his so-called friends. The cruelest twist comes later on when they find him alive, suffering from a head trauma and subsisting off insects in the forest. The gang decide to kill him again, to protect their lie.
        2. Brian
          1. Brian is also a follower within the group. Brian is sensitive and spends much of the time crying or in fear. When Phil's plan calls for Brian to lie to the police, he concedes. When Phil threatens him a second time, Brian frames an innocent postman. He is placed on strong anti-depressants and his behaviour is warped in the final act. He, unaware of his actions, helps Cathy in the 'game' that kills Adam a second time.
          2. John Tate
            1. John Tate is a school bully and, in the beginning, leader of the group. Apparently, he is new to the school. He has trouble coping with stress. Following Phil's dastardly plan to cover their involvement, Phil leaves the group and remains indoors. By the end of the play, we hear that he has found God, handing out leaflets in shopping centres.
            2. Mark and Jan
              1. Mark and Jan are never seen apart and function as heralds within the play, passing messages to the audience and between the characters. They show little remorse about their own role in Adam's death and are said to be talented shop-lifters by the end.
              2. Richard
                1. When we first meet Richard, he seems to be one of the stronger characters. Lou says he is the only one she is afraid of, other than John Tate. Following this, John Tate quickly asserts his power. Richard therefore demonstrates the complex hierarchies with a group structure. At the end of the play, he informs the audience about the others as he seeks to replace Leah in Phil's attention. Ironically, he succeeds.
                2. Cathy
                  1. Cathy is a minor character with major sociopathic tendancies. She is excited by Adam's initial death and is recruited, by Phil, to finish the job later in the play. At the end, we hear she is the gang leader and has chopped off the finger of a first-year.
                  2. Lou
                    1. Lou is a minor character and very much a follower within the group. She is often placed with John Tate and Danny. At the end of the play, she is said to be part of Cathy's gang and her best friend. 'A dangerous game', says Richard, 'Ifeel sorry for Lou'.
                    2. Danny
                      1. Danny is a minor character and follows the will of the group. he is less concerned with the moral outcome of murder, than the damage to his reputation. He wants to go to study dentistry. When he finally gets an internship, he hates the work. The cavities are a reminder of the hole which Adam dropped into.
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