Analysis of Count of Ten by Simon Kyle

Count of Ten by Simon Kyle Parker is one of the recommended scripts that you must read. If you want to feel a mix of feelings, this is the way you can try. It happened to me when I read the script. The dialogues that playwright write can make me angry, surprised, and so more. This script can confound my feeling. If you want to read more about this script, you can download it here.

This script tells about a boy named Scott who always forced to do boxing exercises every day with his father, Hugo until he must stop his study. His father is really hard treating him. Hugo is too ambitious to make his boy win every match. Besides, he's also rude to Scott's friends. I don't know what makes Hugo traiting like that. Actually, it causes Scott being very emotional at the end of the script.

In this script, the playwright uses androgynous method. Because the playwright is a man, so he will use andro method. It's proven by the presence of main character that's a man. After that, we can know more about this method from doing analysis the dialogues and narrations.

We can see tendency at Scott, such as in this narration. Scott, 15, muscular and handsome works a punching bag. Author describes Scott as a cool boy. Another tendency is in this dialogue, "I've just got to think. Whoever I'm fighting. They're probably training just as hard. But if they're training harder than me. I've got no chance of winning." It states that Scott wants to win, so he trains as hard as he can. Same with a man's trait, if he wants something, exactly he will do the best to get it.

We can also infer tendency in Scott's friends, Luke and Joe. When they're worried about him, they try to entertain Scott by saying that Nicky whom I think she is Scott's crush misses him. They try to change the atmosphere in their conversation.

Then, we can look tendency at Nicky's dialogue. When her arm is squeezed by Hugo, she says, "you're hurting me." Whereas she should fight back, not just surrender to Hugo's trait. I infer that she also wants to get Scott's attention. She wants him to help her.

There is also explicit meaning in this script when the characters use the sentence "what the hell". Such as in Nicky and Scott dialogues, "Hey, what the hell?", "You didn't have to do that. What the hell is wrong with you?". "What the hell" usually uses when you don't like something and you want to know what's going on. It means that when Nicky and Scott say that, they're in an uncomfortable moment. They're angry with someone.

After we talk about andro method and explicit meaning in the script, then we move to dialogue analysis of the characters.

In this dialogue, Hugo says to Scott, "Come on, don't quit on me now. Keep going. Hit it!." We know Hugo thinks that Scott is a weak, hopeless person, and Scott thinks that Hugo is ambitious person.

We can also see in this dialogue, when Hugo says to Scott, "Come on. Hit me. You’re never going to land a single punch on anyone moving like that. Your grandmother has better footwork. And she’s in a wheelchair. This isn’t impressing me at all!". Hugo assumes Scott as a weak person, while Scott assumes Hugo as a rough person.

When Hugo sees Joe and Luke, he says, "Hey. Can I help you guys? Is there a reason you're here? You want to talk to Scott? Well, then you come to me first, yeah?"

In that dialogue, we can know that Hugo assumes Joe and Luke as bothering persons. While Joe and Luke assume Hugo as a grumpy person.

Then, let see part of this scene.

Hugo grabs Nicky by the arm and drags her over towards the door.

NICKY

"Hey what the hell?"

 HUGO

"He’s busy. Can’t you see that?"

Hugo gets rough and nasty with her. Squeezes her arm and forces her out. 

... 

NICKY 

"You’re hurting me." 

Hugo throws her out and slams the door shut behind her.

From these dialogues, if we use binary opposition, we will know the difference between Hugo and Nicky's characters. Hugo is a rough and nasty man, while Nicky is a weak girl.

Next, we go to the characters' tone. In this script, the main character is Scott. The secondary characters are Hugo, Luke, Joe, and Nicky. The subordinate character is grandmother.

First, Scott's tones are dominant in negative. They are persistent, tired, tormented, shy, bored, angry, regretting, motivated, calm.

PERSISTENT

Scott has little to no energy left. But still he digs down deep and tries to go faster and harder.

TIRED

It can be inferred from these narrations and dialogue.

Scott sits on a bench. Takes a break. Leans back against the wall. His bare chest heaves.

"This isn’t so great. I’m up at six am. Here. Work out all day. Go home and straight to bed. Before I’m up again at six. This  place. My Dad’s car. And my bed. That’s all I see. These past two months, I’ve never been so lonely."

Scott lets out a long sigh.

TORMENTED

He pours a bottle of water all over his head. Coughs and splutters. He finds it hard to breathe normally. As if his lungs could explode.

Scoot sits on the bench. Ice park on his shoulder. He's in hurt and in pain...

HOPELESS

Scott gives up. Out off breathe. His arms flop down. He can't do it.

ANGRY

Scott snaps. He slams his hands hard into the middle of Hugo's chest.

"Then you fight me. A real boxing match this time. No sticks. Put some gloves on and face me. Or are you too much of a coward."

"Dad don't. Let go of her."

"You didn't have to do that. What the hell is wrong with you?".

REGRETTING

Scott stares down at his dad's lifeless body. Struggles to come to terms with what he just done.

MOTIVATED

"I’ve just got to think. Whoever I’m fighting. They’re probably training just as hard. But if they’re training harder than me. I’ve got no chance of winning."

CALM

Scott relaxes and smiles.

Second, we will discuss Hugo's traits. Same with Scott's tones, Hugo is also dominant in negative tones. There are ambitious, grumpy, angry, underrated, and cruel.

AMBITIOUS

"You want to be a champion don’t you. Well I want you to be a champion too. And I always get what I want. Come on! Show me you want it! Show me!"

GRUMPY

"Hey. Can I help you guys. Is there a reason you’re here? You want to talk to Scott? Well then you come to me first, yeah?"

They don’t argue. Or even wait to say goodbye. Frightened by Hugo they both hurry away and exit the gym.

ANGRY

Hugo eyes him up angrily.

UNDERRATE

"Come on. Aren’t you embarrassed? What if the man you’re fighting can lift this. Are you really so weak?"

"Are you even trying? Is this what 110% looks like. Who are you kidding."

CRUEL

Hugo follows it up with another hit. Red marks swell all over Scott’s body. Hugo simply doesn’t care about hurting him.

Tones of Joe and Luke are care and frightened.

CARE

Luke and Joe stand in front of him. They look across at one another. A shared worried glance.

FRIGHTENED

They don’t argue. Or even wait to say goodbye. Frightened by Hugo they both hurry away and exit the gym.

The last is Nicky's tones. Her tones are happy, considerate, shy, surprised, and weak.

HAPPY

Scott relaxes and smiles. Nicky smiles back at him once she sees him on the bench.She leaves the door open behind her and hurries over to him.

CONSIDERATE

"Come to see if you were still alive. Nobodies really heard from you or seen you since you lift school."

SHY

She blushes red embarrassed. Nods. She has.

SURPRISED

Hugo grabs Nicky by the arm and drags her over towards the door. 

NICKY
"Hey what the hell?"

WEAK

Hugo gets rough and nasty with her. Squeezes her arm and forces her out.
"You're hurting me!"

Why the tone is weak, as I explained before, Nicky should be able to defend herself, not just surrender to Hugo's trait.

The issue that's discussed in this script is about family problem. Hugo, Scott's father, that's too ambitious forces his boy to realize father's goal without asking first to the boy what he wants to do it or not. Hugo also forces Scott to stop his study. Exactly it violates Scott's right to get education. This case often happens around us. Parents who don't understand the goals of their children. They just want the children to be a person that they want to be. Honestly, I don't agree with parents who do it to their children. They must be free to choose what they want to be. Parents should encourage them as far as it will be good for their children. And one more, parents don't be selfish people. It's not fair to take away children's rights to obey the will of parents.

At the end of the script, I'm so sorry with Scott's trait that's being so uncontrollable. Begun with Scott that's very angry with Hugo when he hurts Nicky. Scott asks for competing one by one in the round. Finally, Scott hits Hugo all out until he doesn't empower anymore. Then, Hugo is dead caused blow from Scott. After that, Scott is aware of what he does to his father. From here, I'm so disappointed with Scott's trait. Why does he do that?. Although his father is cruel, he's inappropriate to kill his father.