Why might an Island be a good setting for a play?

Answer 1

Because an island is a "closed" limited space, with limited opportunities for contact with the outside world, the playwright might feel freer to imagine a society quite different from any that already exists. Think about the novel Lord of the Flies where a group of schoolboys are stranded on a desert island and begin to revert to a much more brutal way of life where the unpopular child, can be killed, not just bullied. The same would apply to a play. The smaller and more isolated the island, the greater the chance of the society "going its own way"!

Answer 2

An island can provide a sense of isolation and seclusion, creating a unique and enclosed environment for characters to interact and develop. The limited space can intensify conflicts and relationships among characters, leading to heightened drama and tension. Additionally, the physical isolation of an island can serve as a metaphor for emotional or psychological isolation experienced by the characters.