subject vs. theme: what your play is about vs. what it’s actually saying

In playwriting, subject and theme are closely related but not the same.  Understanding the difference helps you clarify what your play is about versus what it is saying.

Subject

The subject is the literal topic or situation of the play.

It answers:

• What happens?

• Who is involved?

• What is the dramatic situation?

Think of the subject as the surface material of the story.

Examples of subjects:

• A family fighting over an inheritance

• A teacher accused of misconduct

• Soldiers waiting for a war that never comes

• A marriage falling apart

• Two people trapped in an elevator

A play can often be summarized by its subject in a sentence or two.

Theme

The theme is the underlying idea, argument or question the play explores through the subject.

It answers:

• What does this story mean?

• What is the playwright saying about life, people, or society?

• What human truth is being examined?

Theme is abstract, interpretive and often arguable.

Examples of themes:

• Power corrupts even well-intentioned people

• Love requires sacrifice

• Truth is dangerous but necessary

• Identity is shaped by social pressure

• Moral certainty leads to cruelty

Key Differences (at a glance)

Subject	Theme
Concrete	Abstract
What the play is about	What the play is saying
Events, people, situation	Ideas, meaning, worldview
Easy to summarize	Revealed through conflict and choices

How Subject and Theme Work Together

The subject is the vehicle; the theme is the destination.

You don’t state the theme outright.  Instead, it emerges through:

• Character choices

• Conflict

• Consequences

• Repetition of images or actions

• The ending

For example:

• Subject: A courtroom trial

• Theme: Justice is shaped more by power than truth

Practical Advice for Playwrights

• Start with a subject that excites you.

• Ask yourself what question or tension keeps pulling you back to it.

• Phrase your theme as a statement or question, not a moral:

  • Weak: “Love”

  • Strong: “Love demands vulnerability, which people fear more than loneliness.”