STRUCTURE OF DRAMA

Introduction to Theatre A

Tradition and Innovation in Drama

Aristotle (384-322 B.C) - Greek philosopher - He identified the basic principles of playwriting *description of tragedy was considered to be the key element of a successful play

Drama

It is an imitation of life, that we learned through imitation, and that learning something is the greatest pleasure in life

Human happiness or misery takes the form of action

Plot is the most important element in the play

Aristotle’s Key Elements

1. Spectacles - The visible part of a play2. Sound - The audible part of a play, especially a poetic play3. Diction – language4. Character – a person in the play5. Reasoning – the way speech is used to present all aspects

of the play, including the production of emotions such as pity, terror, and anger.

6. Plot – the action and events of a play

Action- must have unity (beginning, middle, and an end)- Must be in logical order- Must reach a plausible (appearing worthy of belief) solution

Protagonist should be “average or better” persons who experience happiness or misery as a result of their reactions to the situation of the plot

French and Italian neoclassicists - 16th century (1500s) - they set up rules requiring the use of three unities: time, action, and place - action must take place in one 24 hour period

Later, many disregarded the rules, but plays have a tradition

- plays are divided into 3 or 5 acts (sections) i.e. Othello

ACT ONE –Scene 1-3ACT TWO – Scene 1-3ACT THREE- Scene 1-4ACT FOUR- Scene 1-3ACT FIVE- Scene 1-2

- Climax: the climax comes at the end of the second act (II) in a 3 act play or at the end of the third (III) act in a 5 act play Structure did change over time which changed the

plot structure

Four Part Structure of DramaExposition- the information put before an

audience that gives the where, when, why, and who facts of a play - you must know what kind of play is being presented * Where and when its taking place * Who are the lead characters * What situation and conflicts they find themselves

Literarysetting

This section is often boring (Much like the beginning of a book)

Skillful writers make it brief and unobtrusive -they tell us all the necessary parts in a subtle way. - many times, this information is printed in a program - playwrights may have a character state the facts (Shakespeare : Romeo and Juliet – Prologue)

Prologue

Two households, both alike in dignity,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;Whose misadventured piteous overthrowsDo with their death bury their parents' strife.The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,And the continuance of their parents' rage,Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;The which if you with patient ears attend,What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Exposition establishes the atmosphere and mood

Atmosphere – the environment of the play, largely created by staging and lighting -tempo (speed) of speech and movement also contribute to the atmosphere - it helps bring out feelings that create mood, or emotional feelings *characters, setting, lighting, and dialogue all help bring out the mood * the audience should be able to identify the mood of a play at the beginning

Preliminary action (antecedent action)

- The most important part of the exposition - a clearly defined explanation of events that have occurred in the lives of the leading characters before the action of the play begins

Devices used for Preliminary Situation

1. Minor characters bring the audience up to date.

2. Prologues3. Telephone conversations4. Narrators5. Ingenious scenic effects

Plot

Plot – a series of related events that take place before the audience - the development and resolution of the major conflicts * the plot is usually a problem facing the protagonist and the antagonist

Types of Conflicts

1. Clash of will or wit can be a

2. Psychological struggle (internal) physical,

3. Battle between groups mental, or

emotional• The conflict must give rise to

suspense and then be resolved in some way

Plot Structure

4 Resolution

Complication 5 3

6

1 2 Situation- the predicament or problem the plot revolves around.

1. Preliminary Situation

2. Initial Incident

3. Rising Action

4. Falling action

5. Conclusion6. Conclusion

36 Dramatic Situations

1. Supplication19. Slaying of a kinship unrecognized2. Deliverance 20. Self-sacrificing for an ideal3. Crime pursued by vengeance 21. All sacrifice for kindred4. Vengeance taken for kindred upon kindred 22. All

sacrificed for a passion5. Pursuit 23. Necessity of sacrificing loved ones6. Disaster 24. Rivalry of superior and inferior7. Falling prey to cruelty 25. Adultery8. Revolt 26. Crimes of love9. Daring enterprise 27. Discovery of the dishonor of a loved

one10. Abduction 28. Obstacles to love11. The enigma 29. An enemy loved12. Obtaining 30. Ambition13. Enmity 31. Conflict with a god14. Rivalry of kinship 32. Mistaken jealousy15. Murderous adultery 33. Erroneous judgment16. Madness 34. Remorse17. Fatal imprudence 35. Recovery of a lost one18. Involuntary crimes of love 36. Loss of loved ones

Character

Should be people who can hold the audience’s interest throughout the play

In a well written play, minor characters have interesting, unique personalities

Must be vivid and varied in personality with their dominant traits made evident through their speeches and actions

They leave a lasting impression ever after we have seen or read a play

Dialogue – lines of the play - dramatists must make a character speak as the audience would expect the women and men to speak based on character’s time, social class, community, and experience - playwright must advance the plot, motivate the actions of the character, and place the characters in exciting or amusing situations - every word must serve a purpose in the development of the play

- playwrights use soliloquies to reveal character * speeches in which actors talk alone think aloud – about themselves and their motives or about other people and situations - it’s a simple way to reveal a character’s inner thoughts.

Most important phase of characterization is understanding your character’s motivation. Every action of a character must have a reason behind it, which in turn must be the result of both the character’s personality and the situation of the moment

Defining Character’s Motivation1. What does this character need or want?2. Who or what stands in the way of the

character’s needs or wants?3. What conditions affect the character’s

thoughts, words, and actions?4. Why does this character say or do certain

things?

Theme

Basic idea of a play, which the author dramatizes through the conflicts of characters.

- sometimes the playwright states the theme in words spoken by a character, but often it is left to the interpretation of the audience or the reader.- main theme is a specific idea that gives unity and purpose to everything that happens

- the main theme could be presented by the title (“Whose Life is it Anyway?”)

- it can be stated in a key line expressed/emphasized by

the leading character as a personal philosophy of

life, and then carried out in the situations resulting from this philosophyi.e. The theme in Romeo and Juliet is left to the audience to infer. It might be stated as “The depth and beauty of pure love go beyond the barriers of prejudice and revenge.”

Moral – a lesson or a principle contained within a play or taught by a play.

- many plays don’t have a particular moral,

but are written to show how a certain

type of individual would react under certain circumstances or simple to

portray an interesting phase of life