The Unities

• In classical Drama there were 3 unites, The unity of time, The unity of place and the unity of action
• the unity of time demanded that the action of the play was to take place within 24 hours
• the unity of place said that a single setting throughout the play should be used
• the unity of action, slightly less defined, said a play should focus on the main characters without sub plots, and that action should have a satisfying ending
• The 3 unities since the 15th century has been discussed by critics, aheared to and broken by dramatists, most notably by Shakespeare
• Streetcar takes place only in the Kowalski's apartment, conforming to the unity of place, giving the play a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere
• Streetcars spans over a couple of months and so brokes the unity of time, however scene 7-10 does happen within 24 hours