CREATIVE WRITING

Quarter 2 – Module 1:
Various Elements, Techniques
and Literary Devices of Drama

OBJECTIVES:
In this module, you will be able to
• identify the various elements, techniques and literary device of a drama

Specifically, you are expected to:

1. describe drama
2. recall the types of drama
3. analyze the elements, techniques and literary device used in a drama
4. use the various elements, techniques and literary device of a drama to
compose a draft of at least one-scene for a one-act play.
WARMING UP
Let me see how depth your knowledge is about this lesson. Are you ready? You can begin now.

A. Directions: Write True if the statement is correct and False if it is incorrect.

__________ 1. A drama is a type of literature that is written for the purpose of being read in front of an
audience.
__________ 2. Scene is a single situation or unit of dialogue in a play.
__________ 3. Act is composed of many scenes.
__________ 4. Comedy is a form of drama in which there is a display of human suffering and catharsis for
the audience
__________ 5. Tragedy is a form of entertainment meant to be humorous.

B. Directions: Read the statements. Determine the letter of the correct answer.
__________ 6. Someone who writes plays and also known as a dramatist.
A. Actors B. Author C. Playwright D. Characters
__________ 7. It is a piece of writing in the form of drama composed of dialogue, stage directions and
instructions to the actors and director.
A. Comedy B. Drama C. Script D. Playwright
__________ 8. The conversation between two or more characters in a literary work.
A. Drama B. Dialogue C. Script D. Playwright
__________ 9. The form of live theatre in which the plot, characters and dialogue of a game, scene or story
are made up in the moment.
A. Comedy B. Drama C. Theatre D. Improvisation
__________ 10. The main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which may be stated directly or
indirectly.
A. Conflict B. Drama C. Theme D. Theatre
__________ 11. The person who portrays a character in a performance.
A. Actors B. Author C. Playwright D. Scriptwriter
__________ 12. The audience knows something the characters don’t.
A. Drama B. Improvisation C. Dramatic Irony D. Tragic Irony
__________ 13. It is a literary element that involves a struggle between two opposing forces, usually a
protagonist and an antagonist.
A. Actors B. Conflict C. Problem D. Theme
__________ 14. A drama or literary work that depicts calamitous events and has an unhappy but
meaningful ending.
A. Drama B. Comedy C. Dialogue D. Tragedy
__________ 15. It is a device in which an object, person or situation is given another meaning beyond its
literal one.
A. Act B. Audience C. Improvisation D. Symbolism

LESSON 1:
Elements, Techniques and Literary Devices of
Drama
 Drama also known as a play, is a form of literature written intentionally for theatrical performance. It is
usually fictional and most of its parts are consisted of scripted dialogues, or only the acting in some cases,
between characters intended to be performed. It is one of the first forms of storytelling in human history.
Also, drama was popular in many other parts of the world. Drama examples have continued to be significant
in different areas of the world and throughout different time periods.

One of the reasons that drama has continued to have such an important place in literature is its unique way
of presenting a narrative in real time.

Did you know that there are various elements, techniques and literary devices in drama? This module will
help you learn the various elements, techniques and literary devices in drama. This is your Lesson 1 for
Quarter 2.

What is Drama?
Drama comes from the Greek Word, “Dran” which means “To do” or “To Act”.
Doing/Acting makes drama. It is the presentation of actions on a stage through actors/actress before an
audience. Like a short story or novel, it has a setting, characters, plot, and even symbolism.

But What Makes Drama Unique?

Drama has one characteristic peculiar to itself—it is written primarily to be performed, not read.

Two Types of Drama

1. Tragedy - is a form of drama in which events lead to the downfall of the main character, often a person
of great significance, like a king or hero.
Example: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

2. Comedy - is a form of drama that has a happy ending. Humor comes from the dialogue and situations.
Example: The Knaves of Shakespeare

Elements of Drama
Categories
1. Literary Elements
Aristotle’s Six Elements
1.1 Plot refers to the action; the basic storyline of the play.

1.2 Theme refers to the message that is intended to be expressed through the story. In other words,
it is the main idea or the lesson to be learned from the play.

1.3 Characters and Actors- the people (sometimes animals or ideas) portrayed by the actors.
Typically, each character, both major and minor, is listed alongside a brief
description of the character's role in the story. Below, you can see that Troy is the main character,
and each character is described in relation to him.

Example
 Characters
TROY MAXSON GABRIEL, Troy's brother
JIM BONO, Troy's friend CORY, Troy and Rose's son
ROSE, Troy's wife RAYNELL, Troy's daughter
LYONS, Troy's oldest son by previous marriage

Characterization is the way the playwright/author presents a character

Types of Character
1. Protagonist is the main character of a story.
2. Antagonist is the opposite of a Protagonist. Usually the villain or opponent of the main character
3. Round character are complex and undergo development.
4. Flat character are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the whole story.
1.4 Dialogue refers to words written by the playwright and spoken by the characters in the
play.

Forms of Dialogue:
It is the conversation between two or more characters is referred to as dialogue (usually the
majority of speech in plays consists of dialogue).
A monologue is when one character delivers a speech to convey his or her thoughts,
although other characters may remain on stage in scene. Similar to a monologue, a soliloquy
is a speech made by one character but delivered when he or she is alone on stage.

1.5 Music/Rhythm referring to the rhythm of the actors’ voice as they speak

1.6 Spectacle – refers to the visual elements of a play: Set, Costumes, special
effects

Elements of Drama in the Modern Theater

2. Technical Elements
2.1 Scene (Set) refers to the theatrical equipment
2.2 Costumes refers to clothing and accessories used by actors to portray characters
2.3 Properties any movable object that appears on stage
2.4 Sound refers to the effects an audience hears during the performance
2.5 Lights
2.6 Makeup includes costumes, wigs, and body paints used to transform characters

Other Elements:
1. Playwright- the author of a play (script)
2. Script- the written pages of a play. Scripts are divided into Acts and Scenes.
 Acts- long sections of a play, made up of multiple scenes, usually designed to separate the play
into its main parts and to give the audience a “break” from the performance.
Scenes- shorter sections of a play, usually each scene occurs in one location at a specific time.
Multiple scenes make up an act. It is often signaled by the entrance or exit of a character or change
in setting or focus of the action

Example from August Wilson's Fences

Act I
Scene 2
The LIGHTS come up on ROSE hanging up clothes.
SHE hums and sings softly to herself.
It is the following morning.
ROSE. (Sings.)
Jesus, be a fence all around me every day
Jesus, I want you to protect me as I travel on my way.
Jesus, be a fence all around me every day.
(TROY enters from the house)

3. Setting - the place, together with other conditions, such as time and the environment, involved in which
the events occur. The setting in the drama can be presented through the visual element deals with the
scenes, costumes and special effects used in it. The setting can as well be enhanced by using viewable
elements, sound effects, and music.
4. Conflict - the internal or external struggle that creates dramatic tension.
Internal Conflict
▪ Person vs Self
External Conflict
▪ Person vs Society
▪ Person vs. Nature
▪ Person vs. Supernatural
▪ Person vs. Technology
▪ Person vs. Fate/God
Person vs. Person

Techniques in Drama
1. Vocal Dynamics – actors need to expand their vocal toolbox and learn about the ways that range, pitch,
and pronunciation which affect performance
2. Body Language and Mannerisms - actors bring their characters to life by moving, reacting, and even
standing in nuanced ways that are natural for their character.
3. Use and Awareness of Space - actors need to be aware not just of your “marks” on stage, but also of
the actors who must interact with or move past you.
4. Improvisational Techniques refers to the on-the-spot creativity of the actors.

Common Literary Devices Used in Drama

 Figures of speech – words that goes its literal meaning
 Metaphor - are one of the most extensively used literary devices. A metaphor refers to a meaning or
identity ascribed to one subject by way of another. In a metaphor, one subject is implied to be another
so as to draw a comparison between their similarities and shared traits.
For example:
A rose (object) is substituted for love (feeling)
“Henry was a lion on the battlefield.”
 Similes are one of the most commonly used literary devices; referring to the practice of drawing
parallels or comparisons between two unrelated and dissimilar things, people, beings, places and
concepts. Similes are marked by the use of the words ‘as’ or ‘such as’ or ‘like’
For example:
He is like a mouse in front of the teacher.
 Imagery - the author’s attempt to create a mental picture in the mind of the reader. It appeals to the
senses.
For example:
Visual imagery - It was dark in the forest…
Olfactory Imagery (smell) – She whiffed the sweet aroma of his drink
Tactile Imagery (touch) - She held it with her rough hand the soft pillow.
 Symbolism - when an object is meant to be representative of something or an idea greater than the
object itself or it is the frequent use of words, places, characters, or objects that mean something
beyond what they are on a literal level.
For example: a writer uses the word ‘blood’ once its meaning will be confined to that instance in
which it is used. But if the word is used repeatedly, as it is in plays like Macbeth and Romeo and
Juliet it expresses some profound ideas. By using a word repeatedly in different contexts, it
expresses several interlocking themes. In Romeo and Juliet ‘blood’ refers to all the following and
more themes: violence, youth, passion, family ties.
 Dramatic Irony – involves the reader (or audience) knowing something about what's happening in the
plot, about which the character(s) have no knowledge.
For example:
From Romeo and Juliet
“Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye / Than twenty of their swords! Look thou but sweet, / And I
am proof against their enmity”
(act 2, scene 2).
Romeo tries to reassure Juliet by claiming he is invincible to her family's hostility, but the audience
knows that the young lovers are doomed to die as a result of the feud.
 Foreshadowing refers to the use of indicative words/phrases and hints that set the stage for a story to
unfold and give the reader a hint of something that is going to happen without revealing the story or
spoiling the suspense. Foreshadowing is used to suggest an upcoming outcome to the story.
Example:
“He had no idea of the disastrous chain of events to follow.”

ACTIVITY 1 (Individual)
Real-Life-Extension
Directions:
• Interview someone about their favorite drama or play; or
• Recall a recent drama/play that you have read, watch or heard.
• Asks him/her the reasons why he/she likes the drama or play.
• Look/Ask for a copy of the drama.
• Choose a part of the drama.
• Identify the various elements, techniques, and literary devices used in that particular scene chosen.
• Use the spaces provided below or you may use an additional sheet of paper.

Title: ___________________________________________________
Author: _________________________________________________
Reasons:
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Analysis:

Elements Techniques Literary Devices

ACTIVITY 2 (By Group with 8-10 Members)
Directions: Write your own one-scene for a one-act play considering the various elements, techniques,
and literary devices of drama. You may write a common scenario at home. Use the spaces below. You may
also use a separate sheet of paper if necessary. The rubric below shall be used for evaluating your work.
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