The play’s context includes:
the cultural, historical and artistic context in which the play was written
The cultural, historical and/or artistic context which the play is about
The cultural, historical, artistic and personal context of the playwright
EXAMPLE: Context of No Exit:If you were to research the context of No Exit, you would research:
When and where No Exit was written, including historical, cultural and artistic factors in that time in place.
No Exit was written in the eary 1940s in France during the Nazi occupation.
No Exit was performed in 1944 during the time of the occupation in WWII
No Exit was written when German censors had to approve plays before they were performed
No Exit was written during the time that the philosophy of existentialism was developing in France (you would research and explain existentialism)