INTRODUCTION

TO DRAMA
 What is
drama?

The word drama comes from the Greek word for

“action.” Drama is written to be performed by
actors and watched by an audience.
 DRAMA

Can be
Consists of
presented
two types
in two
of writing
ways

The stage
directions that As
The dialogue
tell the actors As literature, performance,
that the how to move and the text of the the production
characters speak, describing play itself of the play in a
speak the sets and theater
props
 Two Types of Drama

2. Comedy

• often shows a conflict

1. Tragedy between opposite age
• shows the downfall or groups , genders, or
death of a tragic hero, or personality types.
main character. In ancient • typical comedies involve
Greek plays, the hero was a confusion, jokes, and a
good person brought down happy ending.
by a tragic flaw, or defect
• stresses human
in character. In a modern
weaknesses.
plays, the hero can be an
normal person destroyed
by an evil in society.
• emphasizes human
greatness.
The Story • The two theater masks
represent the two types of
of the drama: the tragedy and the
“Theater comedy.

masks” • The comedy and tragedy masks

serve to show us the two
aspects of human emotions―
the comedy mask shows us how
foolish human beings can be,
while the tragedy mask portrays
dark emotions, such as fear,
sadness, and loss.
• The tragedy mask represents
the Greek muse Melpomene.
• The comedy mask represents
the Greek muse Thalia.
 Dialogue

• Dialogue is what the characters say, and it is used

to reveal their personalities = Character Traits-
Characterization

• The name of the character who is to speak is listed

usually in bold at the start of a line, followed by a
colon.

• Every time the speaker changes, a new line is

started. Dialogue is necessary in order to
develop conflict and advance the plot.
Staging a • Drama is more than just
the words on a page. The
play production of a play
involves directing the way
the characters move, what
they wear, the lighting,
and the scenery.
• Staging is the practice of
putting on the play. Some
of the details of staging
may be included in the
stage directions, however,
the director and the
producer take what the
playwright has described
 Stage • Stage directions are notes
in the script usually
directions written in italics and
enclosed in
parentheses. They
usually describe where and
when a scene takes place
(setting), how the
characters should say their
lines, and how the
characters should move
onstage. They may explain
the character’s mood or
how the character is
feeling.
 How is a play divided?
• A play is largely divided up into parts, or acts. The
number of acts in a production can range from one to five,
depending on how a writer structures the outline of the
story. The length of time for an act to be performed can
range from 30 to 90 minutes.
• Acts may be further divided into scenes; in classical theatre
each regrouping between entrances and exits of actors is a
scene, while today it describes a quick change of
setting.
The Lighthouse
Keeper’s Wife
 - There are 6 acts to this
How we play. You will separate
will be yourself into groups of 5-
6 people.
learning - Each group will be
about this allocated an act.
- You will have 3 lessons to
play: plan your performance of
the play.
- Each group will present
their act in to the class.
After each Act, we will
analyse what has
happened so far.
- You have questions at the
back of your books and
you are expected to
answer them after the
 Research/Complete the
For following:
Homework 1. What is Plot?
: 2. What is the difference
between character and
characterization?
3. Draw an A4 size version
of Freytag’s Pyramid.
4. Why are stage directions
important?
5. How does a character’s
dialect give us
information about that
character?
Characters
Characters There are 4 characters:
Stella Lamprecht
Adriaan Lamprecht
Plaatjes
Barney

Dedicate 1 page to each character.

 Robben Island was initially
Robben used by ships that were
travelling from Europe to the
(Dutch for East Indies. Many did not want
seal) to stop on the mainland and
instead preferred to stop on the
Island island to get fresh food and
water. There were plenty of
seals, tortoises and penguins
for hunting. The Dutch also
began to use the island as a
grazing station for sheep and
cattle.
• However, in about 1671 the Dutch began to place their
convicted criminals and political prisoners upon Robben
Island. In fact the Dutch government sent kings, princes and
religious leaders from the East Indies to Robben Island as
prisoners because they did not agree with the Dutch rule in
their country.
• When the British took over the Cape, they continued to use
Robben Island as a prison. The British sent many Xhosa and
Khoi- Khoi prisoners to the island.
 Robben
Island as a
location
for “The
Infirmary”
Leprosy
Discuss • What does it mean to be
insane? What does it mean to
be normal?
• How do we treat people who
are different to us?
• What does it mean to be free?
• Do all people deserve to be
free?

• Make notes throughout the reading of

the play when people do abnormal
things.
 Robben
Island
Lighthouse

http://www
.robben-
island.org.
za/map
 Pg. 27
Seven Seals When the world ends,
seven seals will be
opened up

Reference Seven Angels They will pour seven

plagues on the world

to the Seven trumpets They will bring God’s

anger upon the earth

Book of Four riders The four horsemen of

the apocalypse are the

Revelation
four forces of
humankind’s destruction
White Horse Conquest
s Red Horse War

Black Horse Pestilence

Sun burns black When the sixth seal iis

broken there is an
earthquake and the sun
turns black
Themes • Imprisonment and freedom
• Jealously, fear and isolation
• Sanity and Insanity
• Human rights; autonomy;
dignity
• Love
 Imprisonment and freedom

1. The longing for freedom is felt most

intensely by those who suffer under terrible
conditions.
2. A sense of freedom arises when one is
overcoming a challenge without any
assistance or interference.
3. Being controlled by someone restricts your
freedom.
4. A belief in freedom can survive on very
little. Only though self-delusion, can a
prisoner keep alive their vision of freedom.
 Jealousy, fear and isolation.
1. Jealousy and controlling behaviour arises
from the fear of losing someone.
2. Jealousy is obvious to outsiders; it can’t be
hidden.
3. A jealous person seeks security in isolation.
4. Jealousy can cause someone to lose all self-
control and become violent.
5. Fear is always destructive, even when it
has no obvious cause.
 Sanity and Insanity

1. It is possible to resist the onset of

insanity- to control it.
2. Opinions are subjective, especially it
someone else's insanity are subjective,
especially if the sanity of the judge is
suspect.
3. What seems like poetry to one person,
might seem like nonsense to someone
else.
Obsessive
love and
obsessive
compulsiv
e disorder.
 Love
1. Plaatjes’ love for his wife was genuine.
2. Barney’s love for his niece was one=-
sided.
3. Love and possessiveness are not the
same thing.
4. Fear (jealousy) destroys the feeling of
love in both parties.
5. Too much of anything is by definition,
not a good thing.
 Human rights; autonomy; dignity.

1. The power relations between various

people leads itself to the abuse of
human rights.
2. Adriaan believes that he has the right to
control what Stella does and treat
people who are attracted to her with no
respect.
3. Seeing people as “other” makes it easier
to treat them with no respect for their
dignity or human rights.
Stella’s 1. They act as a
letters connection between
Stella and her husband.
2. She write them to the
old him even though he
cant read.
3. She’s in love with the
idea of who her
husband used to be and
this is her way of
rebelling against his
current character.
Stella
Questions: I will give you the
extracts and you
must write your own
assertions about
Stella’s character.
Read the extracts and
in one or two
sentences, tell me
what this says about
Stella as a person.
Adriaan
Questions: There are four aspects of Adriaan’s
character that are important in the
play. You only need to give a brief
description of where in the play
the aspects are displayed.

The four aspects of this

character are:
1. His insane jealousy
2. He is controlling and
possessive
3. He can be both social and
anti-social.
4. He longs to reclaim the
lost love of their early
Plaatjes
 Questions:
1. There are 5 assertions about Plaatjes. Identify the
quotes on each page to support the assertion:
a. Plaatjes sees himself as a prophet and a savior. He
makes prophecies and has premonitions, not all of which
come true. (pg17- 27)
b. Plaatjes longs for freedom, both to escape the conditions
and treatments he receives in the Kraal and to return to
the life he knew on the mainland. (12, 14, 27)
c. Plaatjes is aware of his own madness and tries to exert
some control over it. (pg12)
d. Through his boat building, Plaatjes shows that he is
resourceful, resilient and optimistic in the face of
hardship (pg28)
e. Plaatjes is imaginative and poetic. (pg 12, 14, 28, 29)
Barney
Question: 1. Write a short
character description in
which you describe who
he is, what work he does
on the island, and his
relationship with
Plaatjes. Ensure to
discuss his personality
and use evidence from
the play to support your
claims.
 The Literary Essay
POINT EVIDENCE EXPLAIN: SO LINK
WHAT?

IT IS QUOTATIONS BECAUSE OF BETWEEN

SUGGESTED THIS... PARAGRAPHS...
THAT..
THE GENERAL NEVERTHELESS.
BELIEF IS ... ..

TOPIC THE RESULT

SENTENCES.. IS...
RETELL
THE
STORY AT
YOUR
OWN
 Begin with the basics
• READ THE BOOK
• Ask relevant questions like:
– Why did the author write this?
– What is the theme? (central/universal idea)
– What are some symbols? (objects,
characters, figures used to represent abstract
ideas/concepts)
– How are the characters developed?
– How is the style relevant to the content?
– What do the characters learn?
– What literary terms are addressed and why?
 Look for • What are the themes?
(fundamental and often universal
connection ideas/central idea – usually 1 word)

s – How are the characters

connected to the themes?
and (Love – forcefulness of love, insanity in
Adriaan)
patterns – How are the themes,
characters, and symbols
connected? (Insanity- those who are
not insane are treated as if they are)

– What does the format and

style suggest about the
story?
– What are my connections to
the story?
 (Do some • Maybe. Not all the time.
research.) – Find out about the author.
– What do other critics say
about the book?
– Has the author published
anything about the book?
– What do other authors
say about the book?
– What is the historical
context?
 Develop a • Thesis statements are
thesis not questions.
statement. • Thesis statements are
not mere observations.
• Thesis statements
function in two ways:
– They introduce the main
idea that will be developed
in the text of the essay.
– They analyze or illuminate
the text, often in terms of
literary elements.
 EXAMPLE: COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE
REASONS WHY THE NORTH AND SOUTH
FOUGHT THE CIVIL WAR (AMERICA 19TH
CENTURY).
Weak: The North and South fought the
Civil War for many reasons, some of
which were the same and some
different.

While both sides fought the Civil

War over the issue of slavery, the
North fought for moral reasons
while the South fought to
preserve its own institutions.
 EXAMPLE: IN THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER’S WIFE,
IT WOULD MAKE BETTER SENSE IF BARNEY AND
ADRIAAN WERE PUT INTO STRAITJACKETS
INSTEAD OF PLAATJES AND STELLA.
While all four characters behave normally at times,
Barney and Adriaan are presented in a way that
makes then seem insane. This essay aims to
explain why Adriaan and Barney should be
classified as insane over Stella and Plaatjes.
Barney’s treatment of Plaatjes shows just how
absolute power corrupts. Adriaan’s obsession with
his wife drives him to do things out of the ordinary
for normal individuals. Stella and Plaatjes on the
other hand, are victims of their situation and any
“insane” things they do are as a result of their
attempt to escape.
Analysing • Questions are usually set
according to: THEME, SYMBOL,
the CHARACTER.
question • THEME-CHARACTER/ THEME-
SYMBOL, CHARACTER-
CHARACTER
• You should be able to evaluate
WHAT is being questioned about
WHOM.
 • Read the topic carefully.
Unpack • Identify key words.
the • Find synonyms for key words.
question • Instruction keywords - tell you HOW
to answer
• Knowledge keywords - tell you
WHAT to include (content)
• Restriction keywords - LIMIT the
content / narrow the focus
• Be sure in your own mind that you
UNDERSTAND the question, and
therefore that you understand what
is REQUIRED from you in your
response!
 Some • THEMES – Insanity, love ,
things that human rights, jealousy

could • CHARACTERS – Stella, Plaatjes,

Adriaan and Barney
come up in • SYMBOLS – Light house,
the flowers

question
In The lighthouse keeper’s wife, it would
make better sense if Barney and Adriaan
were put into straitjackets instead of
Plaatjes
Character- and Stella
Theme

WHAT IS BEING QUESTIONED ABOUT

WHOM?

WHAT: Who should be considered insane?

WHO: Barney and Adriaan or Stella and Plaatjes?

 Helpful • Use action verbs

hints for • When applicable, use three

examples to support your main
developing idea.

thesis • Find quotations that support

your thesis statement.
statement
s:
 PLANNING: MIND MAP
• This is an essential start to the writing of a literary essay!
• Jot down BRIEFLY, every single thought that comes to
mind when you consider the essay topic, including
QUOTES from the text.
• You don’t need your thoughts to be specific at this stage.
• Once you have FILLED your page with all the necessary
information, you can begin to organise it:
• Get rid of anything that is IRRELEVANT, by asking:
"Does this answer the question?"
• You should now have a good general idea of what this
essay will include, which will allow you to work out a
THESIS STATEMENT. Write down in one sentence the
central concern (theme) or the main argument of
your essay.
PLANNING: • This theme statement gives
your essay DIRECTION and
MIND MAP keeps you FOCUSSED on the
topic. (Try to avoid allowing this
sentence to become too long
and cumbersome. It must be
useful as an essay reference, to
keep you on track.)
• Any information from your mind
map which does not fit in with
your theme statement will be
irrelevant and should not be
included in your linear plan.
 • Mind maps are documents in rough, and they usually get
complicated and messy. Once you have decided on the

LINEAR order of your information, STRUCTURE a brief outline of your

essay by transposing the information from your mind map

PLAN – into a LINEAR plan. (Linear = in line, one point underneath

the other.)

ESSAY • Write down, in POINT FORM and in the CORRECT ORDER,

the pieces of information that you will include in a single

SKELET
paragraph. It is in this process that you can STRUCTURE
your paragraphs:

ON
• (I) first write down the key concept, that will form the TOPIC
SENTENCE, and then
• write down the information which will explain, elaborate on
or illustrate the key concept;
• include SUPPORTING EVIDENCE and/or QUOTES from the
text, at the points where
• they best fit into your explanation, elaboration or
illustration.
• Jot down the skeletons of each paragraph in the exact
SEQUENCE in which you intend to use the paragraphs in the
essay.
• While you are putting together your linear plan, you
probably will not have a ready-made introduction and
conclusion. These two specialised paragraphs will be
composed when you draft the essay.
• and
• include SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
and/or QUOTES from the text, at the
points where
• they best fit into your explanation,
elaboration or illustration.
• Jot down the skeletons of each
paragraph in the exact SEQUENCE in
which you intend to use the
paragraphs in the essay.
• REMEMBER:
While you are putting together your
linear plan, you probably will not have
a ready-made introduction and
conclusion. These two specialised
paragraphs will be composed when you
draft the essay.
 Planning 1. Introduction: Restate the
question and give a broad
the answer. (the broad answer
skeleton of will structure how you
your essay write the rest of the essay)
2. The best way to write an
argumentative essay is to
acknowledge the other
sides argument. Here you
explain why Barney and
Adriaan appear sane.
Because there are two
character, you can handle
them in their own
paragraphs. Remember to
3. Now is the time to explain why they are actually
insane. Once again, you can give them separate
paragraphs.
Use words that compare and contrast- this will link
it to your previous paragraphs.
4. Now you can focus on Stella and Plaatjes- follow
the logic from before and explain the counter
argument first: why would they be considered
insane?
5. Explain why they really are sane.
6. Conclusion- here you summarise everything that
you have said so far and restate your point. You
may want to add what can be learnt from this play.
Since the question is asking about sanity and who
 Writing an • An introduction may be more
than one paragraph, though in a
introductio short essay, it is typically only
n. one.
• The thesis statement usually is
placed at the very end of the
introduction, or right after your
hook statement at the start.
• NOT IN THE MIDDLE
WRITE THE • STYLE:

ESSAY • Register is high: do not use

colloquialisms, &, avoid
verbosity, clichés, abbreviations.
• Tone should be authoritative,
you should sound like expert.
• Never use first person!
• Underline the title of the book.
• This is an analytical exercise – do not
retell/summarise the plot/story!
• Avoid repetitive writing. Vary the length of
sentences and paragraphs.
• Quotes from the text, used in support of your
argument, should be INTEGRATED into the
paragraph, using introductory and explanatory
comments. Quotes are almost never Self-
explanatory and very seldom can stand in support
of your contentions without being explained.
• eg. There is a dreadful irony in the words uttered by
Duncan as he views the castle in which he is soon
to be murdered: "This castle hath a pleasant 'seat;
the air I Nimbly and sweetly commends itself!”
• FORMAT of your PARAGRAPHS must be correct Write
all the way to the right-hand margin. Always leave
ONE line between paragraphs.
 All • They may introduce background.

sentences • They may introduce new

concepts and/or definitions.
should • They may provide transitions.
have • They may introduce quotations.
weight and • They may provide facts and
support.
meaning.
 An effectively-written
and well-organized
introductory paragraph
should act as a signpost
for the rest of the paper.
 A good introduction
essentially writes the
rest of the
essay for you.
• To build each paragraph, convert -the points in
your linear plan into grammatical sentences.
Make sure that every "sentence" has a MAIN
CLAUSE. Students generally get into trouble with
sentence construction by trying to be highly
sophisticated in their Writing. Unless you have
advanced writing skills, it is usually better to
keep it simple.
• Ensure every paragraph has topic sentence.
• Always use present tense
• Use textual substantiation (quote, relate event,
character analysis)
STEPS: • Read the topic carefully.
• Underline keywords and
write synonyms. Answer
the question: What is
being asked about whom?
• Plan using the PEEL
method (POINT, EXPLAIN,
EVIDENCE, LINK)
• Write the essay
• Proofread (make sure it
makes sense, no dumb
mistakes)
Try this by To what extent does Plaatjes
imprisonment on Robben Island
yourself serve as a metaphor for the
now. isolation experienced by each
other three characters?