Recognising the meaning behind gestures
Look at the following images and think about what each gesture communicates. Then check your responses against the sample answer.
Question
The first image shows characters in a Victorian melodrama. In melodrama the gestures are bold and exaggerated. The woman on her knees is holding out her hands in a begging or pleading gesture. The man displays anguish and frustration through the gesture of holding his forehead with his hand, as if he can鈥檛 cope. His other hand is outstretched in a clear gesture of keeping distance, to be left alone.
The second image shows two people shaking hands, which is a clear gesture of friendship. It鈥檚 not a formal handshake so it doesn鈥檛 imply a business arrangement. The characters鈥 smiling faces suggest that they鈥檙e greeting one another warmly. As their bodies are close together they appear to be familiar to each other and of equal status. We know however that they aren鈥檛 in a romantic relationship as a handshake is more formal than a kiss.