In 30 Seconds
- The objective is what the character wants to achieve in a given scene — it is the fundamental engine of dramatic action.
- Objectives should be formulated as active, transitive verbs: “I want to convince,” “I want to seduce,” “I want to escape.”
- Without a clear objective, a performance has no direction, no urgency, and no conflict.
Key Takeaways
- Definition: The objective is the character’s specific want or goal in a scene — the answer to the question “What do I want?”
- Active verbs: Always formulate objectives using verbs that require another person: convince, seduce, intimidate, comfort, provoke. This ensures the objective drives action toward the partner.
- Obstacle creates drama: Every objective must meet an obstacle. Without obstacles, there is no conflict, and without conflict, there is no drama.
- Multiple levels: Objectives operate moment-to-moment, scene-by-scene, and across the entire arc of the play (super-objective).
- First question in rehearsal: “What does my character want?” is the most important question an actor can ask — and it must be answered before anything else.
What Is an Objective in Acting?
The objective is what the character wants to achieve in a given scene or in a single dramatic moment. It is the fundamental engine of stage action in the Stanislavski system and in all acting techniques derived from it. Without an objective, the actor has no reason to speak, move, or react — the performance becomes a sequence of words and gestures without direction or purpose.
The objective is typically formulated as an active, transitive verb: “I want to convince,” “I want to seduce,” “I want to intimidate,” “I want to obtain forgiveness.” This formulation is crucial because it orients the actor toward action and toward the other characters on stage. A passive objective like “I want to be happy” gives the actor nothing to do. An active objective like “I want to win my father’s approval” creates a clear target and a specific set of behaviors.
How Objectives Work in Practice
In every scene, the actor must identify their objective and also the obstacle that stands in the way of achieving it. It is from the conflict between objective and obstacle that drama is born. If one character wants to confess their love and the obstacle is the other person’s indifference, the scene writes itself — every line becomes an attempt to break through that wall.
Objectives operate on several levels. The moment-to-moment objective is what the character wants right now — in this particular beat of the scene. The scene objective is the broader goal they pursue over the course of an entire scene. And the super-objective is the overarching desire that drives the character throughout the whole play. All three levels should be aligned: the moment-to-moment choices should serve the scene objective, which should serve the super-objective.
A practical example: In a scene where a character is interviewing for a job, the super-objective might be “I want to rebuild my life after a failure.” The scene objective might be “I want to convince this interviewer to hire me.” And the moment-to-moment objectives shift constantly: “I want to appear confident,” “I want to deflect the question about my past,” “I want to connect with them personally.”
How to Identify and Test Your Objectives
For the actor, working on objectives is as much an exercise in text analysis as it is in imagination. Start by asking: “What does my character want?” Then test your choice by asking three follow-up questions:
Is it specific? “I want something” is too vague. “I want her to admit she was wrong” is specific and playable.
Is it active? Can you pursue it through concrete behavior? If not, reformulate. “I want to feel better” is passive. “I want to make him laugh so I forget my pain” is active.
Is it strong enough? The stakes matter. If the character does not care deeply about achieving the objective, neither will the audience. Raise the stakes: what happens if they fail?
Common Mistakes
Choosing weak objectives. “I want to have a conversation” is not a dramatic objective. “I want to find out if she’s been lying to me” is. Always choose the strongest, most urgent version.
Changing objectives too often. In general, a character has one clear objective per scene. The tactics (how they pursue it) change constantly, but the underlying want stays consistent until something forces a genuine shift.
Playing the result instead of the objective. An actor who decides “my character is angry” is playing a result, not an objective. The objective should be what causes the anger — “I want justice” — and the anger emerges from the frustration of that pursuit.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between an objective and a motivation?
A: The objective is what the character wants. The motivation is why they want it. Both are important, but the objective is what drives moment-to-moment behavior on stage.
Q: Can a character have multiple objectives in one scene?
A: Generally, one main objective per scene, but the tactics and sub-objectives shift constantly. If the main objective changes, it usually signals a major dramatic turning point.
Q: How do objectives relate to tactics?
A: The objective is the goal; tactics are the methods used to achieve it. If “I want to convince you” is the objective, the tactics might include flattery, logic, emotional appeal, or threat — and they shift based on what works.
Q: Do I need to formulate objectives consciously for every scene?
A: Yes, especially in training and early rehearsals. With experience, the process becomes more intuitive, but even seasoned actors return to this fundamental question when a scene is not working.
Q: What happens if the character achieves their objective?
A: Either a new objective emerges, or the scene ends. In well-written drama, objectives are rarely fully achieved — obstacles keep the conflict alive.
Further Reading
For deeper exploration: