Messenger report
The messenger report is a technical stylistic device in plays . Its purpose is to make the audience aware of events that are important for the plot, but which cannot or should not be shown directly on the stage (e.g. an execution ) or should (e.g. violent or pornographic events). One person on the stage gives an account of these events to another; This speech then gives the audience the knowledge they need to understand the progress of the action. The messenger report is of particular importance in Greek tragedy , as it is tied to the three units of place, time and action.
Examples of the messenger report can be found in numerous plays by Shakespeare such as Macbeth , Antonius and Cleopatra or Much Ado About Nothing .