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Types and Elements of Drama

This document defines and describes various types and elements of drama. It discusses genres like comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy, and satire. It also outlines conventions such as monologues, dialogues, soliloquies, asides, and stages. Additionally, it covers literary devices, elements, and structural components of drama, including acts, scenes, main plots, and subplots.

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268 views

Types and Elements of Drama

This document defines and describes various types and elements of drama. It discusses genres like comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy, and satire. It also outlines conventions such as monologues, dialogues, soliloquies, asides, and stages. Additionally, it covers literary devices, elements, and structural components of drama, including acts, scenes, main plots, and subplots.

Uploaded by

henderson30
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DRAMA

Types of Drama

A Comedy is a play that is amusing and ends happily. It often ends with a marriage(s).

A History play is a play in which past events are related to a particular thing.

Tragedy – a dramatic presentation of serious actions in which the chief character has a
disastrous fate. The chief character is often presented with a tragic flaw. This often leads
him/her to his/her death.

Tragic-comedy – a drama in which aspects of both tragedy and comedy are found.

Theatre of the Absurd – A form of drama that emphasizes the absurdity of human existence
by employing disjointed, repetitious, and meaningless dialogue, purposeless and confusing
situations, and plots that lack realistic or logical development. This theatrical style originated
in France in the late 1940’s.

Satire – A kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the weaknesses and
wrongdoing of individuals, groups, institution, or humanity in general.

Farce – A type of comedy based on a farfetched humorous situation, often with ridiculous or
stereotyped characters

Modern Drama – Modern drama is the Western development of drama beginning in the late
19th century

Melodrama – a dramatic work which exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to
the emotions.

Conventions/ Features of Drama

Monologue is a speech in a play that is giving by one character. The character often stands on
the stage and speaks – in this speech the audience is able to understand the character’s plans,
actions and intentions. Monologues often help to create dramatic irony because the audience
is aware of the character’s plans; however, the other characters are oblivious to this
information.

Dialogue is the conversation between characters in a drama or narrative.


Soliloquy – A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or
herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener. The soliloquy also helps to
create dramatic irony.

Aside – an actor’s speech, directed to the audience,  that is not supposed to be heard by other
actors on stage. This is seen in Shakespeare plays.

Set – The time, place, physical details, and circumstances in which a situation occurs.

Stage directions  are a playwright’s descriptive or interpretive comments that provide readers
(and actors) with information about the dialogue, setting, and action of a play.

Stage Conventions – Certain devices used within a performance that are accepted as
portraying an event or style without necessarily being realistic. (eg costumes)

Chorus – A group of characters who comment on the action of a play without participation in
it.

Dramatic Unites – the three unities of time, place and action observed in a classical drama.

Disguise – To modify the manner or appearance of in order to prevent recognition.

Literary Devices

Imagery – the author’s attempt to create a mental picture in the mind of the reader.

Motif – Recurring theme in a literary work

Symbolism – when an object is meant to be representative of something or an idea greater


than the object itself.

Dramatic Irony – involves the reader (or audience) knowing something about what’s
happening in the plot, about which the character(s) have no knowledge.

Tragic Irony – a character’s actions lead to consequences that are both tragic, and contrary to
the character’s desire and intentions.

Juxtaposition – The arrangement of two or more ideas, characters, actions, settings, phrases,
or words side-by-side or in similar narrative moments for the purpose of comparison,
contrast, rhetorical effect, suspense, or character development.
Elements of Drama

Drama is a written script that is meant to be performed.

A play is divided into a number of sections. These include Acts and scenes.

An Act is a major division of a play.

A scene is the place where some act or event occurs. An Act is divided into a number of
scenes.

A play can have two plots. These are a main plot and a sub plot. This is often seen in William
Shakespeare’s plays.

The Main plot is the main action in a play. This action is what the play is mainly about and
all the major events surround the main plot.

The Subplot  is the secondary action that is interwoven with the main action of the play.

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