Drama: Insights and Uniqueness Explored
The Least You
Should Know
About Drama
Drama Background
Notes
Mr. Holley
What is Drama?
Mystery writer and
movie director
Alfred Hitchcock
once said,
“Drama is life with
the dull bits cut.”
What Makes Drama Unique?
Drama has one characteristic peculiar to
itself—it is written primarily to be
performed
, not read. It is a presentation of
action a. through
actors
(the impact is
direct and immediate), b. on a
stage
(a
captive audience), and c. before an
audience
(suggesting a communal
experience).
Uniqueness of drama continued…
Of the four major points of view, the dramatist is
limited to only one—the objective or dramatic.
The playwright cannot directly comment on the
action or the character and cannot directly enter
the minds of characters and tell us what is going
on there. But there are ways to get around this
limitation through the use of 1.
soliloquy
(a
character speaking directly to the audience), 2.
chorus
(a group on stage commenting on
characters and actions), and 3. one character
commenting on another.
The Power of Drama
•
Originally, drama had
religious
purpose
. The first theaters were
sacred spaces.
•
Actors must pretend to become
their characters. Spectators must
pretend to accept stage illusions
and identify with the characters
(“suspend their belief in
reality”).
•
Drama is a collective experience
because
the event is shared
live between actors and
audience.
Live Theater Vs. TV and Film
Film and TV
•
Performances are
“frozen”—performers are
not affected by the
reactions of those who are
watching.
•
Editing actors’
performances constructs
an “artificial reality.”
•
Camera’s “eye” controls
spectator’s point of view.
Live Theater
•
Actors respond to the
reactions of their
audience.
•
Stage actors perform
continuously, in “real time”.
•
Spectator is freer and can
choose what to look for.
Reading Plays Vs. Reading Fiction
Reading Plays
•
“Economical”—it must tell
its story in a short time,
with relatively few words
and little description.
•
Little description in a play.
You need to use your own
imagination to create the
scene and character
voices.
Reading Fiction
•
Writers can use
description, switch easily
from scene to scene, and
use a narrator to help
interpret the action for the
reader.
Drama Literary Terms
•
Conflict
•
Character
•
Setting
•
Plot
•
Play Structure
•
Points of View
•
Dialogue
•
Imagery and Symbolism
•
Irony
•
Themes and Ideas
Conflict
•
Conflict is the “skeleton”
on
which the rest of the play is
constructed.
•
Three types of conflict:
1.
Conflict between characters.
2.
Conflict between a character
and outside forces.
3.
Conflict within an individual
character.
•
If the central conflict involves
characters who are not evenly
matched,
audiences tend to
side with the “underdog.”
(Audience is drawn into caring
about the outcome of the
conflict)
Character
•
Definition of plot: “character in
action.”
•
Playwright communicates
character through the way a
character looks, talks, and
behaves.
•
Just as people do in real life, well-
drawn stage characters make
conflicting choices because they
have conflicting—and sometimes
hidden—feelings, beliefs, needs,
and desires.
•
Hidden aspects are interesting
because the audience gets to see
deeper aspects of characters only
as the play unfolds.
Types of Characters
•
Flat character—is known by one or two traits
•
Round character—is complex and many
sided
•
Stock character—is a stereotyped character
(i.e. mad scientist; absent minded-professor)
•
Static character—remains the same from the
beginning of the plot to the end
•
Dynamic character—undergoes permanent
change
Setting
•
By setting the play in a specific
space and time,
the actions of
the characters and reactions of
the audience are rooted in a
specific culture and
environment.
•
Setting affects mood
by
establishing the “feel” of an
environment through the
senses: lighting, temperature,
sounds, and so on.
•
Setting affects the psychology of
the characters
by shaping their
backgrounds, attitudes, goals,
and emotions.
•
In modern plays, setting reflects
the inner thoughts and feelings of
the characters
.
Plot
•
Plot is story—the structure of
important events that occur during
the course of the play.
•
Good plot:…
1.
Has “dramatic unity
”—all the
actions of the play relate to the
central conflict.
2.
Follows strict cause and effect.
3.
Involves change, action, and
movement.
•
Three kinds of dramatic changes:
1.
Physical changes in the characters.
2.
Changes in relationships between the
characters.
3.
Changes in attitude.
•
“Plot Manipulation
”—a good plot
should not have any unjustified or
unexpected turns or twists; no false
leads; no deliberate and misleading
information.
Play Structure
•
Exposition
: The means by which the playwright
communicates various background information to the
audience.
•
Point of attack:
The “point of no return” moment in the
plot when the chain of events that leads eventually to the
climax is set in motion.
•
Complication
:
Introduces a new plot element that affects
the course of action of the play.
•
Crisis:
The moment (or series of moments) when the
conflict comes to a head.
•
Resolution:
The moment or scene at the end of the play
which contains the final solution to the problem.
Points of View
•
Omniscient
—a story told by the
author, using the third person; her/his
knowledge, control, and prerogatives
are unlimited; authorial subjectivity.
•
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.
•
First Person
—the author identifies
with or disappears in a major or minor
character; the story is told using the
first person “I”
•
Objective or Dramatic
—the opposite
of omniscient; displays authorial
objectivity; compared to a roving
sound camera. Very little of the past
or the future is given; the story is set
in the present.
Dialogue
•
Dialogue is the foundation on which
drama is built.
•
There are four main functions of
dialogue:
1.
To allow playwrights to portray characters
to the audience.
2.
A character’s manner of speaking—
accent, rhythm, tone, choice of words—
gives important clues about his or her
background.
3.
How characters speak also reveals their
present inner thoughts and feelings.
4.
Allows the characters to communicate
with each other
—”personality in
action.”
•
Dialogue doesn’t always rely on words,
however. Silence can communicate, too.
•
Subtext
is the “real” or “true’ message—
when a character says one thing but is
really thinking or feeling something else.
Imagery and Symbolism
Imagery
•
A play is like a
poem
—it presents a
concentrated version of reality, using
only the most essential parts to
present the story.
•
An image can be understood on
two levels:
1.
Denotation:
the literal meaning.
2.
Connotation:
all the other ideas that
are associated with it.
•
Some playwrights use poetic
language as “word pictures” to
expand the scope and meaning of
what happens on the stage.
•
Playwrights use images that draw on
the audience’s emotional
associations to express more than
one idea at a time.
Symbolism
•
In many plays, certain objects on
stage also take on special meaning,
standing for more than themselves.
•
Real objects (i.e. ring, gun) take on
important symbolic meanings that
remind the audience of key ideas or
the characters associated with them.
•
Same images and symbolic objects
recur throughout the play, often
changing meaning as the play grows.
Irony
•
Irony should not be confused with “sarcasm
” which is simply language designed to
cause pain.
•
Irony is used to suggest the difference between appearance and reality, between
expectation and fulfillment.
•
Three types of irony:
1.
Verbal
irony
—the opposite is said from what is intended.
2.
Dramatic
irony
—the contrast between what a character says and what the reader
knows to be true.
3.
Irony of
situation
—discrepancy between appearance and reality, or between
expectation and fulfillment, or between what is and what would seem appropriate.
Themes and Ideas
•
Themes give drama structure and
focus.
Many themes help audiences
recognize universal ideas that relate
to their own lives.
•
A theme can be
:
1.
a revelation of human character
2.
may be stated briefly or at great length
3.
A theme is not the “moral” (lesson) of
the story
•
In some cases, plays are written solely
to communicate ideas rather than to
portray character or plot realistically.
Dramas of ideas
, such as political
theater or propaganda films, are
explicitly written to communicate a
message, to educate audiences about
an issue, and to change minds.
•
The most satisfying drama doesn’t take
sides because realistic drama is “three-
dimensional” and characters are
complete human beings—not totally
“good” or “bad”.
The Four Main Types of Drama
•
Tragedy
•
Comedy
•
Melodrama
•
Farce
Tragedy
•
Tragic drama
is one of the most powerful of all dramatic forms. It has
captured the imaginations of dramatists from the Greeks to Shakespeare to
contemporary playwrights.
•
There are may definitions of what makes a play a tragedy, but most
definitions share at least some common characteristics:
1.
Tragic drama deals with profound and universal problems, such as the nature
of fate or the meaning of life. It also involves powerful emotions, such as
ambition, jealousy, greed, or hate.
2.
Tragic drama often centers on a
tragic hero
who becomes caught in a
dramatic conflict that eventually leads to ruin or death. Usually the tragic hero
is at least partially responsible for his or her ruin.
3.
Some theorists blame the tragic hero’s downfall on a
tragic flaw,
such as pride
or blindness, which contributes to the tragic hero’s own destruction.
4.
Despite the fact that the play ends in disaster for the tragic hero, the effect of
tragedy on its audience is uplifting rather than depressing (a
catharsis
—
emotional release at the end). Our sympathy for tragic heroes allows us to
identify with their situations. The lessons they learn in the tragic ending
broaden our own understanding of life, causing us to feel noble emotions such
as awe, pity, and compassion.
Comedy
•
Comic drama has traditions that can be traced from the Greeks through
modern television comedy.
•
In contrast to the profound themes of tragedy, comedy deals with
smaller, everyday problems (i.e. rivalries, mistaken identities,
obstacles to love, and so on).
•
Comic characters have no tragic flaws.
In contrast to tragic heroes,
who must end in ruin to learn important lessons, comic heroes do not
suffer greatly and always survive, no matter how complicated the
situations they face.
•
The comic conflict always ends more happily than it began
. Just
as classical tragedy usually ends in ruin and death, classical comedy
often concludes symbolically, with a marriage celebration.
•
In contrast to tragedy,
the effect of comedy on the audience is more
entertaining than uplifting, but effective comedy can also deepen
our understanding or life
. Often the comic playwright’s intent is to
show us a mirror image of ourselves. By getting us to laugh at
humorous characters and situations, they encourage the comic side of
being human.
Melodrama and Farce
Not every play, film, or television drama fits the
definition of tragedy or comedy. Often dramas fall
into the category of two related dramatic forms:
melodrama
or
farce
.
Melodrama
Melodrama
—arouses pity and fear
through cruder means.
Good and
evil are clearly depicted in white
and black motifs.
Plot is
emphasized over character
development. The melodramatic
plot aims for thrills and theatrical
excitement. Many of today’s popular
dramatic forms—such as murder
mysteries, horror movies, soap
operas, and Westerns—fall into the
melodrama category. Unlike
tragedy, melodramas are very easy
to understand. It is very clear who
the “heroes” and “villains” are, and
how we should feel about them.
Farce
Farce
—aimed at arousing
explosive laughter using crude
means. Conflicts are violent,
practical jokes are common,
and the wit is coarse. The
plots of farces are often based
on complicated situations and
frenzied action (i.e. unlikely
coincidences, chase scenes,
mistaken identity). Farce
emphasizes physical humor
and rarely springs from
“character in action,” the basis
of more sophisticated comedy.
Delve into the essence of drama through this insightful exploration covering the definition of drama, its unique characteristics, the power it holds, comparison with live theater, TV, and film, and the differences between reading plays and fiction. Discover how drama is a form of art meant to be performed, engaging both actors and audience in a shared experience that transcends reality. Uncover the historical significance, creative techniques, and distinct features that make drama a compelling and enduring art form.
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The Least You Should Know About Drama Drama Background Notes Mr. Holley
What is Drama? Mystery writer and movie director Alfred Hitchcock once said, Drama is life with the dull bits cut.
What Makes Drama Unique? Drama has one characteristic peculiar to itself it is written primarily to be performed, not read. It is a presentation of action a. through actors (the impact is direct and immediate), b. on a stage (a captive audience), and c. before an audience (suggesting a communal experience).
Uniqueness of drama continued Of the four major points of view, the dramatist is limited to only one the objective or dramatic. The playwright cannot directly comment on the action or the character and cannot directly enter the minds of characters and tell us what is going on there. But there are ways to get around this limitation through the use of 1. soliloquy (a character speaking directly to the audience), 2. chorus (a group on stage commenting on characters and actions), and 3. one character commenting on another.
The Power of Drama Originally, drama had religious purpose. The first theaters were sacred spaces. Actors must pretend to become their characters. Spectators must pretend to accept stage illusions and identify with the characters ( suspend their belief in reality ). Drama is a collective experience because the event is shared live between actors and audience.
Live Theater Vs. TV and Film Film and TV Live Theater Performances are frozen performers are not affected by the reactions of those who are watching. Editing actors performances constructs an artificial reality. Camera s eye controls spectator s point of view. Actors respond to the reactions of their audience. Stage actors perform continuously, in real time . Spectator is freer and can choose what to look for.
Reading Plays Vs. Reading Fiction Reading Plays Reading Fiction Writers can use description, switch easily from scene to scene, and use a narrator to help interpret the action for the reader. Economical it must tell its story in a short time, with relatively few words and little description. Little description in a play. You need to use your own imagination to create the scene and character voices.
Drama Literary Terms Conflict Character Setting Plot Play Structure Points of View Dialogue Imagery and Symbolism Irony Themes and Ideas
Conflict Conflict is the skeleton on which the rest of the play is constructed. Three types of conflict: 1. Conflict between characters. 2. Conflict between a character and outside forces. 3. Conflict within an individual character. If the central conflict involves characters who are not evenly matched, audiences tend to side with the underdog. (Audience is drawn into caring about the outcome of the conflict)
Character Definition of plot: character in action. Playwright communicates character through the way a character looks, talks, and behaves. Just as people do in real life, well- drawn stage characters make conflicting choices because they have conflicting and sometimes hidden feelings, beliefs, needs, and desires. Hidden aspects are interesting because the audience gets to see deeper aspects of characters only as the play unfolds.
Types of Characters Flat character is known by one or two traits Round character is complex and many sided Stock character is a stereotyped character (i.e. mad scientist; absent minded-professor) Static character remains the same from the beginning of the plot to the end Dynamic character undergoes permanent change
Setting By setting the play in a specific space and time, the actions of the characters and reactions of the audience are rooted in a specific culture and environment. Setting affects mood by establishing the feel of an environment through the senses: lighting, temperature, sounds, and so on. Setting affects the psychology of the characters by shaping their backgrounds, attitudes, goals, and emotions. In modern plays, setting reflects the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters.
Plot Plot is story the structure of important events that occur during the course of the play. Good plot: 1. Has dramatic unity all the actions of the play relate to the central conflict. 2. Follows strict cause and effect. 3. Involves change, action, and movement. Three kinds of dramatic changes: 1. Physical changes in the characters. 2. Changes in relationships between the characters. 3. Changes in attitude. Plot Manipulation a good plot should not have any unjustified or unexpected turns or twists; no false leads; no deliberate and misleading information.
Play Structure Exposition: The means by which the playwright communicates various background information to the audience. Point of attack:The point of no return moment in the plot when the chain of events that leads eventually to the climax is set in motion. Complication: Introduces a new plot element that affects the course of action of the play. Crisis: The moment (or series of moments) when the conflict comes to a head. Resolution: The moment or scene at the end of the play which contains the final solution to the problem.
Points of View Omniscient a story told by the author, using the third person; her/his knowledge, control, and prerogatives are unlimited; authorial subjectivity. LimitedOmniscient a story in which the author associates with a major or minor character; this character serves as the author s spokesperson or mouthpiece. First Person the author identifies with or disappears in a major or minor character; the story is told using the first person I Objective or Dramatic the opposite of omniscient; displays authorial objectivity; compared to a roving sound camera. Very little of the past or the future is given; the story is set in the present.
Dialogue Dialogue is the foundation on which drama is built. There are four main functions of dialogue: 1. To allow playwrights to portray characters to the audience. 2. A character s manner of speaking accent, rhythm, tone, choice of words gives important clues about his or her background. 3. How characters speak also reveals their present inner thoughts and feelings. 4. Allows the characters to communicate with each other personality in action. Dialogue doesn t always rely on words, however. Silence can communicate, too. Subtext is the real or true message when a character says one thing but is really thinking or feeling something else.
Imagery and Symbolism Imagery Symbolism A play is like apoem it presents a concentrated version of reality, using only the most essential parts to present the story. An image can be understood on two levels: 1. Denotation: the literal meaning. 2. Connotation: all the other ideas that are associated with it. Some playwrights use poetic language as word pictures to expand the scope and meaning of what happens on the stage. Playwrights use images that draw on the audience s emotional associations to express more than one idea at a time. In many plays, certain objects on stage also take on special meaning, standing for more than themselves. Real objects (i.e. ring, gun) take on important symbolic meanings that remind the audience of key ideas or the characters associated with them. Same images and symbolic objects recur throughout the play, often changing meaning as the play grows.
Irony Irony should not be confused with sarcasm which is simply language designed to cause pain. Irony is used to suggest the difference between appearance and reality, between expectation and fulfillment. Three types of irony: 1.Verbalirony the opposite is said from what is intended. 2.Dramaticirony the contrast between what a character says and what the reader knows to be true. 3.Irony ofsituation discrepancy between appearance and reality, or between expectation and fulfillment, or between what is and what would seem appropriate.
Themes and Ideas Themes give drama structure and focus.Many themes help audiences recognize universal ideas that relate to their own lives. A theme can be: 1. a revelation of human character 2. may be stated briefly or at great length 3. A theme is not the moral (lesson) of the story In some cases, plays are written solely to communicate ideas rather than to portray character or plot realistically. Dramas of ideas, such as political theater or propaganda films, are explicitly written to communicate a message, to educate audiences about an issue, and to change minds. The most satisfying drama doesn t take sides because realistic drama is three- dimensional and characters are complete human beings not totally good or bad .
The Four Main Types of Drama Tragedy Comedy Melodrama Farce
Tragedy Tragic drama is one of the most powerful of all dramatic forms. It has captured the imaginations of dramatists from the Greeks to Shakespeare to contemporary playwrights. There are may definitions of what makes a play a tragedy, but most definitions share at least some common characteristics: 1. Tragic drama deals with profound and universal problems, such as the nature of fate or the meaning of life. It also involves powerful emotions, such as ambition, jealousy, greed, or hate. 2. Tragic drama often centers on a tragic hero who becomes caught in a dramatic conflict that eventually leads to ruin or death. Usually the tragic hero is at least partially responsible for his or her ruin. 3. Some theorists blame the tragic hero s downfall on a tragic flaw, such as pride or blindness, which contributes to the tragic hero s own destruction. 4. Despite the fact that the play ends in disaster for the tragic hero, the effect of tragedy on its audience is uplifting rather than depressing (a catharsis emotional release at the end). Our sympathy for tragic heroes allows us to identify with their situations. The lessons they learn in the tragic ending broaden our own understanding of life, causing us to feel noble emotions such as awe, pity, and compassion.
Comedy Comic drama has traditions that can be traced from the Greeks through modern television comedy. In contrast to the profound themes of tragedy, comedy deals with smaller, everyday problems (i.e. rivalries, mistaken identities, obstacles to love, and so on). Comic characters have no tragic flaws. In contrast to tragic heroes, who must end in ruin to learn important lessons, comic heroes do not suffer greatly and always survive, no matter how complicated the situations they face. The comic conflict always ends more happily than it began. Just as classical tragedy usually ends in ruin and death, classical comedy often concludes symbolically, with a marriage celebration. In contrast to tragedy, the effect of comedy on the audience is more entertaining than uplifting, but effective comedy can also deepen our understanding or life. Often the comic playwright s intent is to show us a mirror image of ourselves. By getting us to laugh at humorous characters and situations, they encourage the comic side of being human.
Melodrama and Farce Not every play, film, or television drama fits the definition of tragedy or comedy. Often dramas fall into the category of two related dramatic forms: melodrama or farce.
Melodrama Melodrama arouses pity and fear through cruder means. Good and evil are clearly depicted in white and black motifs. Plot is emphasized over character development. The melodramatic plot aims for thrills and theatrical excitement. Many of today s popular dramatic forms such as murder mysteries, horror movies, soap operas, and Westerns fall into the melodrama category. Unlike tragedy, melodramas are very easy to understand. It is very clear who the heroes and villains are, and how we should feel about them.
Farce Farce aimed at arousing explosive laughter using crude means. Conflicts are violent, practical jokes are common, and the wit is coarse. The plots of farces are often based on complicated situations and frenzied action (i.e. unlikely coincidences, chase scenes, mistaken identity). Farce emphasizes physical humor and rarely springs from character in action, the basis of more sophisticated comedy.
