DRAMA

Wesleyan Academy10th Grade English

Contents

1. What is Drama?2. Kinds of Drama3. Elements of

Drama4. Forms of Drama

DRAMADrama is a

composition in prose form that presents a story entirely told in dialogue and action and written with the

intention of its eventual performance before an audience.

The word drama comes from the Greek verb dran, which means “to do.” The earliest known

plays…–were written around

the fifth century B.C. – produced for festivals

to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility

Origins of Drama

DRAMA It is a prose or verse

composition, especially one telling a serious story that was intended for representation by actors impersonating the characters and performing the dialogue and action and a serious narrative work or program for television, radio, or the cinema.

DRAMADrama has a two-fold

nature: LITERATURE and THEATRE.

Kinds of Drama

1. Comedy2. Tragic3. Tragicomedy

Comedy

A universal form of expression and a major dramatic genre that is intended to amuse.

Often associated with humorous behavior, wordplay, pleasurable feeling, release of tension, and laughter. Imbued with a playful spirit, comic entertainment frequently exposes incongruous, ridiculous, or grotesque aspects of human nature.

It generally follows a fixed pattern of theatrical surprises that leads to a sense of exhilaration in the spectator. Of all dramatic genres, comedy is the most widely performed.

Tragic  Dramatic genre that presents the

heroic or moral struggle of an individual, culminating in his or her ultimate defeat, tragic plays appear chiefly in societies that maintain a fixed hierarchy of political and religious beliefs.

Only when spectators share with the playwright a particular social vision and system of class-based values can they empathize with the fall of the protagonist (central character) from an elevated position into bleak despair or annihilation.

Tragicomedy Drama that contains elements

of tragedy and comedy. One example of tragicomedies is English playwright William Shakespeare's so-called reconciliation plays, such as The Winter's Tale (1610), which reach a tragic climax but then lighten to a happy conclusion.

A tragicomedy is the usual form for plays in the tradition of the theater of the absurd.

TYPES OF DRAMA1. Comedy2. Tragedy3. Farce4. Melodrama5. Musical

Comedy Refer to plays that are light in tone, and

that typically have happy endings.  The intent of a comedic play is to make the audience laugh.

In modern theater, there are many different styles of comedy, ranging from realistic stories, where the humor is derived from real-life situations, to outrageous slapstick humor.

Tragedy Tragedy is one of the oldest forms of

drama; Tragedy usually involves serious

subject matter and the death of one or more main characters. These plays rarely have a happy ending.

Farce Farce is a sub-category of comedy,

characterized by greatly exaggerated characters and situations.

Characters tend to be one-dimensional and often follow stereotypical behavior.

Farces typically involve mistaken identities, lots of physical comedy and outrageous plot twists.

Melodrama Melodrama is another type of

exaggerated drama. As in farce, the characters tend to be simplified and one-dimensional.

The formulaic storyline of the classic melodrama typically involves a villain a heroine, and a hero who must rescue the heroine from the villain.

Musical In musical theater, the story is told not only

through dialogue and acting but through music and dance. Musicals are often comedic, although many do involve serious subject matter. Most involve a large cast and lavish sets and costumes.

As a student of drama it is important to be able recognize these different types of drama. Be aware that in modern theater, the lines between these types of drama are often quite blurred, with elements of comedy, drama and tragedy residing in the same play.

Forms of Drama

1. Opera2. Pantomime

Opera Opera is a dramatic art form,

which arose during the Renaissance.

Drama in which the text is set to music and staged.

The texts of operas are sung, with singing and stage action nearly always given instrumental accompaniment.

Pantomime Is an art of dramatic

representation by means of facial expressions and body movements rather than words. Pantomime, or mime, has always played a part in theater.

Pantomime, or dumb show, was essential to commedia dell'arte, an improvised comedy that arose in 16th-century Italy and spread throughout Europe.

ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

Conflict

Dialogu

eMonologu

e

Soliloquy

There are three types of Drama Elements. Literary Technical Performance or Visual

All the elements of drama combine to make a good production. They are all important. Some demonstrate more of one element than others.

Literary Elements(What is needed to write a script or story?)

Script Setting Plot Conflict Character Theme POV Dialogue Monologue /soliloquy/aside

Literary Elements

Script A script is the written words and

directions of a play. Style? Style refers to the mode of expression

or presentation of the play which points out the playwright’s position or viewpoint in life.

Script and Style:Major Dramatic Attitude

REALISM

Realism is an accurate detailed, and life-like description in a play where things are presented as real as can be set in actual life, with dialogues sounding like day-to-day conversation.

NON-REALISM

Non-realism is method of presentation identified as something stylized or theatricalzed whereby artist uses his feral imagination in projecting his ideas.

SETTING Setting identifies the time and place in

which the events occur. It consists of the historical period, the

moment, day and season in which the incidents take place.

It also includes the sceneries in the performance which are usually found in the preliminary descriptions.

PLOT Plot lays out the series of events that form

the entirety of the play. It serves as a structural framework which brings the events to a cohesive form and sense.

The plot is usually structured with acts and scenes.

Types of Plot

NATURAL PLOT

Natural Plot is a chronological sequence of events arrangement where actions continuously take place as an end result of the previous action

EPISODIC PLOT

Episodic Plot – each episode independently comprises a setting, climax, and resolution; therefore, a full story in itself is formed.

Like the plot of a story, the plot of a play involves characters who face a problem or conflict.

Exciting (or Inciting) Force

Exposition

Dramatic Structure

Rising Action

Climax or Turning Point

Falling Action

Moment of Final Suspense

Catastrophe

Denouement

Literary Elements: PLOT Exposition: The general atmosphere, time,

place, main characters, opening conditions of the play.

Inciting: Something happens that starts the action of the play moving, usually in the first act.

Rising Action: This is a series of actions usually covering more than an act. During this, the hero of the play (protagonist) is the active force, making things work out as he or she intended.

Literary Elements: PLOT Climax: The protagonist reaches the peak of his

or her power, and a distinct change occurs in him as well as in the direction of the action. Things begin to go against the protagonist, who seems to be following a downward path. This usually takes place in Act III or Act V.

Falling Action: This also covers several scenes and shows all the ways the main events are going against the protagonist. At this time, the antagonist begins to rise in power. The conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist becomes the essence of the play.

Literary Elements: PLOT Moment of Final Suspense: Usually found in the fifth

act of the play, the moment of final suspense has a particular function in the organization of the plot. Close to the end of the play, it is more significant to the protagonist that it is to the audience. It is the moment when things begin to look as if they will go the way of the protagonist again. He momentarily believes the tragedy is averted.

Catastrophe: This is the complete downfall of the protagonist, either through death or some other devastating circumstance. If the protagonist is a villain, then the catastrophe will be seen by the audience as a good thing.

Literary Elements: PLOT

Denouement: The final explanation or outcome of the plot

The afterword of any literary drama. Tells you the final outcome of any character(s).

Literary Elements

Conflict The internal or

external struggle between opposing forces, ideas, or interests that create dramatic tension.

The struggle that develops man vs. man man vs. himself man vs. society man vs. nature

CHARACTERS

PROTAGONIST AND ANTAGONIST

Protagonist - the main character in a drama or other literary work. 

Antagonist - principal rival in the conflict set forth in the play. represent a major threat or obstacle to the main character by their very existence, without necessarily deliberately targeting him or her. A person who is opposed to, struggle against, or competes with another; opponent; adversary.

Character Aspects

PSYCHOLOGICAL Psychological discloses the

inner mechanism of the mind of the character as exemplified by his habitual responses, attitudes, longings, purposes, likes and dislikes. It is considered as the most indispensable level of character categorization because routines and emotions, thoughts, attitude and behavior enable the readers to know the character intrinsically.

MORAL

Moral discloses the decisions of the characters, either socially acceptable or not, exposing their intentions, thus projecting what is upright or not.

The protagonist of most classical tragedies is a tragic hero. This hero: An essential good person

who, through some weakness of character or error in judgment, brings doom upon himself.

Admirable and noble in defeat than he was before; must gain stature through the way he meets catastrophe.

Must discover the truth of his wrong choice and accept responsibility.

Moves the audience to pity. Has a tragic flaw, a personal

failing that leads to a tragic end.

rebelliousness

jealousy

pride

CHARACTERS

Dramatic Foil

A character who provides a strong contrast to another character.

Function of Dramatic Foil Characters

A foil may emphasize another character’s distinctive traits or make a character look better by comparison.

Round Characters Characters who have many personality traits, like real people.

Flat Characters One-dimensional, embodying only a single traitShakespeare often uses them to provide comic relief even in a tragedy

Static Characters Characters within a story who remain the same. They do not change. They do not change their minds, opinions or character.

Dynamic Characters Characters that change somehow during the course of the plot. They generally change for the better.

THEME Theme is considered as the unifying

element that defines the dramatized idea of the play.

It is the over-all sense or implication of the action. It defines the problem, emphasizes the ethical judgment and suggest attitude or course of action that eliminates the crisis is an acceptable way.

Point of ViewA. Omniscient – a story told by the author, using the third person; her/his knowledge, control, and prerogatives are unlimited; authorial subjectivity.

B. Limited Omniscient – a story in which the author associates with a major or minor character; this character serves as the author’s spokesperson or mouthpiece.

Point of View

C. First Person – the author identifies with or disappears in a major or minor character; the story is told using the first person “I”.

Point of View

D. Objective or Dramatic – the opposite of the omniscient; displays authorial objectivity; compared a roving sound camera. Very little of the past or the future is given; the story is set in the present

Point of View

Dialogue Dialogue provides the

substance of a play. Each word uttered by the character furthers the business of the play, contributes to its effect as a whole.

Therefore, a sense of DECORUM must be established by the characters, ie., what is said is appropriate to the role and situation of a character.

Monologue One person speaking on stage - maybe other character on stage tooEx > the Prince of Verona commanding the Capulets and Montagues to cease feuding

Soliloquy Long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage. Ex: Hamlet’s “to be or not to be”

Aside Words spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be heard by all characters

Pun Shakespeare loved to use them!!!Humorous use of a word with two meanings > sometimes missed by the reader because of Elizabethan language and sexual innuendo

Dramatic Irony A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true

Verbal Irony Words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant

Situational Irony An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience

Comic Relief Use of comedy within literature that is NOT comedy, to provide “relief” from seriousness or sadness.

In R & J, look for moments of comic relief that help “relieve” the tragedy of the situation

Technical Elements (What is needed to produce a play?)

Scenery Costumes Props Sound and Music Make-up

Stage It is the most important

element and without it the drama is never performed.

It is the name of place where on the drama is acted.

Technical Elements

Scenery: The scenery is theatrical equipment

such as curtains, backdrops, and platforms to communicate the environment. An example might be trees to show a forest environment.

Technical Elements

Props: Props are any article other than

costumes or scenery used as part of a dramatic production. An example might be a table on the stage.

Technical ElementsSound and Music: Sound is the effect an audience

hears during a show, like the sound of rain. And music – well, you know what music is!

Technical Elements

Make-up: Make-up is the use of costumes, wigs

and body paint to transform an actor into a character.

Performance Elements (What do the actors do on stage to make a character come alive?)

Acting Speaking Non-verbal

Expression

Performance Elements

While the dialog and music constitute the audible aspect of drama, the visual element deals with the scenes, costumes and special effects used in it.

The visual element of drama, also known as the spectacle, renders a visual appeal to it. The costumes worn by the artists must suit the characters they are playing. Besides, it is important for the scenes to be dramatic enough to hold the audiences to their seats. The special effects used in a play add to the visual appeal. Thus, the spectacle forms an essential component of drama.

The use of symbols implies the use of indirect suggestions in a drama. Logically used symbols help in making a scene more effective. The use of contrast is about using stillness followed by activity or silence followed by noise.

It can also mean the use of contrasting colors to add to the visual appeal. It can mean the clever use of contrasting scenes following each other that enhance the dramatic element of a play.

Performance Elements

Acting: Acting is how speaking and moving

help to create characters.

Performance Elements

Non-Verbal Expression: Non-expression includes gestures,

facial expressions, and movement.

Performance Elements

Speaking: Speaking is vocal expression, projection,

speaking style and diction.

HOW TO READ A PLAY

1. Look for the conflict.2. Discover details and clues that are

important.3. Watch for any evidence that reveals

a change in the main character.4. Try to determine the theme.

HOW TO READ A PLAY

5. Look for the conflict.6. Discover details and clues that are

important.7. Watch for any evidence that reveals

a change in the main character.8. Try to determine the theme.