Introductory acts are normally a very crucial part of plays. They serve as a foundation, introducing the main characters and plot, and also capture the audience's attention, allowing them to anticipate what will happen in later acts. An effective introduction is one that presents its main features, such as characters, plot, and themes, in a compelling way that makes an impact on the audience. Although the plays Othello and Long Day's Journey into Night have very different introductory acts, they are nonetheless effective.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay To begin, the introductory act of Long Day's Journey into Night serves as an effective foundation for the play, engagingly introducing the main aspects. The four family members and the main characters are introduced to the audience, just like in Othello, the main characters, as well as a few supporting characters, are revealed in the first act. At the beginning of A Long Day's Journey into Night, it almost seems as if the play is centered around a happy, normal family. It starts right after family breakfast, which is an important daily ritual when families come together to connect. However, as the first act progresses, the audience begins to realize that this is not the case, especially after the big feud between James Tyrone and his son Jamie. This argument introduces one of the main themes of the play, namely James Tyrone's greed and its effects on his family. Jamie and his father have a very strained relationship and often argue, with Jamie blaming his father for most of the problems that arise in the family, such as Edmund's illness: "That might never have happened if you had sent him in a real doctor when he first got sick", and the beginning of Mary's morphine addiction "...he was another cheap charlatan like Hardy! You wouldn’t pay for a first order…”. The family seems to be in a downward spiral and so Mary falls back into her old ways, revealing another major theme, that the characters are stuck and unwilling to move forward. Much like Long Day's Journey into Night, the first play in Othello effectively captures the audience's attention with a compelling introduction. This play begins in the middle of a conversation between Iago and Rodrigo which quickly reveals the first plot of the play. We learn that Iago is the antagonist, willing to do anything to get revenge on Othello for choosing Cassio for promotion over him: "I know my price, I'm not worth a worse place." Shortly after, we meet Barbantio, Desdemona's father, who has just learned of his daughter's escape to Othello and is enraged. Although Othello is a respected man in Venice, the marriage is unacceptable due to his different racial background. This brings out the overarching theme of racism in the play and betrayal in the play. Murray Carlin says: “Othello is about color, and nothing but color. » Although Othello, as the protagonist, is not introduced in this first act, his importance is made clear. The playwright of Othello introduces the main characters and themes, as well as the plot in the introductory act, just as the playwright of Long Day's Journey into Night does. It's done effectively, even though the two playwrights have different writing styles. Additionally, the introductory acts of both plays proved effective due to the impact..