period in their lives, seriously or humorously.The speech and action of a play recreate theflow of human life. A play comes fully to life onlyon the stage. On the stage it combines manyarts those of the author, director, actor,designer, and others. Dramatic performanceinvolves an intricate process of rehearsal basedupon imagery inherent in the dramatic text. Aplaywright first invents a drama out of mentalimagery. The dramatic text presents the dramaas a range of verbal imagery. The language of drama can range between great extremes: onthe one hand, an intensely theatrical andritualistic manner; and on the other, an almostexact reproduction of real life. A dramaticmonologue is a type of lyrical poem or narrativepiece that has a person speaking to a selectlistener and revealing his character in adramatic situation.
Classification of Dramatic Plays
In a strict sense, plays are classified as beingeither
or
. The broaddifference between the two is in the ending.Comedies end happily. Tragedies end on anunhappy note. The tragedy acts as a purge. Itarouses our pity for the stricken one and our terror that we ourselves may be struck down. Asthe play closes we are washed clean of theseemotions and we feel better for the experience.A classical tragedy tells of a high and nobleperson who falls because of a "tragic flaw," aweakness in his own character. A domestictragedy concerns the lives of ordinary peoplebrought low by circumstances beyond their control. Domestic tragedy may be realisticseemingly true to life or naturalistic realistic andon the seamy side of life. A romantic comedy isa love story. The main characters are lovers; thesecondary characters are comic. In the end thelovers are always united. Farce is comedy at itsbroadest. Much fun and horseplay enliven theaction. The comedy of manners, or artificialcomedy, is subtle, witty, and often mocking.Sentimental comedy mixes sentimental emotionwith its humor. Melodrama has a plot filled withpathos and menacing threats by a villain, but itdoes include comic relief and has a happyending. It depends upon physical action rather than upon character probing. Tragic or comic,the action of the play comes from conflict of characters how the stage people react to eachother. These reactions make the play.
Elements of Drama
by: Christina Sheryl L. Sianghio
Character
Most simply a character is one of the personswho appears in the play, one of the dramatispersonae (literally, the persons of the play). Inanother sense of the term, the treatment of thecharacter is the basic part of the playwright'swork. Conventions of the period and theauthor's personal vision will affect the treatmentof character.Most plays contain major characters and minor characters. The delineation and development of major characters is essential to the play; theconflict between Hamlet and Claudius dependsupon the character of each. A minor character like Marcellus serves a specific function, toinform Hamlet of the appearance of his father'sghost. Once, that is done, he can depart inpeace, for we need not know what sort of person he is or what happens to him. Thedistinction between major and minor charactersis one of degree, as the character of Horatiomight illustrate.
Plot
by: Eduardo M. Tajonera Jr.The interest generated by the plot varies for different kinds of plays. (See fiction elements onplot for more information regarding plot.) Theplot is usually structured with acts and scenes.Open conflict plays: rely on the suspense of astruggle in which the hero, through perhapsfight against all odds, is not doomed. Dramaticthesis: foreshadowing, in the form of ominoushints or symbolic incidents, conditions theaudience to expect certain logicaldevelopments. Coincidence: sudden reversal of fortune plays depict climatic ironies or misunderstandings. Dramatic irony: thefulfillment of a plan, action, or expectation in asurprising way, often opposite of what wasintended.
Theme
The plot has been called the body of a play andthe theme has been called its soul. Most playshave a conflict of some kind betweenindividuals, between man and society, man andsome superior force or man and h imself. Theevents that this conflict provokes make up theplot. One of the first items of interest is theplaywright\rquote s treatment of the plot and
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