Introduction to Drama

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Introduction to Drama
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What is Drama?

• Drama is a type of literature that is primarily
  written to be performed for an audience. When
  reading a play, it is important to keep certain
  features of drama in mind. Some of these
  features relate to drama as literature others
  reflect its character as a performance.

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History

• Greek Drama 500-400 B.C.
• Medieval The Middle Ages 1200-1500 AD
• Elizabethan Jacobean 1500-1642
• Restoration 18th Cent. Drama 1660-1800
• Romantic Era 1800-1880
• Modern Era 1850-Present

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Types of Drama- Tragedy

• Tragedy A play in which the main character
  experiences disaster, but faces this downfall in
  such a way as to attain heroic stature.
• Even though Tragedies are gloomy they are
  triumphant, because they inspire exaltation at
  the greatness human beings can attain even in
  defeat.

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Comedy

• Comedy closes with a peaceful resolution of the
  main conflict.
• High Comedy The humor arises from subtle
  characterization, social satire, and
  sophisticated wit.
• Low Comedy Emphasizes absurd dialogue, bawdy
  jokes, visual gags, and physical humor.

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Types of Comedy

• Romantic Comedy The main characters are lovers,
  and the plot tends to follow the pattern of boy
  gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again.
• Satiric Comedy Uses humor to ridicule foolish
  ideas or customs with the purpose of improving
  society.
• Comedy of Manners Satirizes the vices and
  follies of the upper class.

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Additional Forms of Drama

• Farce Relies on exaggeration, absurdity, and
  slapstick
• Straight Drama or Drama Deal with serious
  subjects, but do not always end in disaster.

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Elements of Drama

• External Conflict Pits a character against
  nature or fate, society, or another character
• Internal conflict Between opposing forces
  within a character.
• Protagonist The central character of the play
  and often undergoes radical changes as the action
  progresses.
• Antagonist The character who opposes the main
  character

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• Foil A minor character whose traits contrast
  sharply with those of the protagonist
• Dialogue Conversations between characters
• Monologue A long speech spoken by a single
  character to himself or herself, or to the
  audience
• Soliloquy A monologue in which a character
  speaks his or her private thoughts aloud and
  appears to be unaware of the audience.

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• Aside a short speech or comment delivered by a
  character to the audience, but unheard by the
  other characters who are present.

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Conventions of Drama

• Cast of Characters listed in the beginning of
  the play, before the action starts.
• Act a major division of a play
• Scenes Major division of an act
• Stage Directions a dramatists instructions for
  performing a play.

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Protagonist
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Antagonist
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