Paper –I Drama, B.A. II Yr.

Unit I

MODULE- 5

UNIT-I

DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES IN LITERATURE

Literary techniques are used in literature for a variety of purposes. Certain literary techniques are
used to increase the dramatic tension in a novel or short story. This can be done by placing the
characters in time-sensitive situations, diverting the reader's attention or appealing directly to the
reader's emotion to elicit sympathy for the main character.

1. Foreshadowing- Foreshadowing, also referred to as Chekhov's gun or formal patterning,

is a literary technique in which a reference is made to something that will play an
important role in future events of the story. Foreshadowing can be as subtle as an
unrelated reference to a loaded gun on the wall or occur through the use of an oracle, as
in Sophocles' oracles in "Oedipus the King."

2. Pathos- Pathos is a literary technique in which the author directly appeals to the emotion
and imagination of the reader to elicit sympathy for a character in the story or the writer's
perspective. For instance, Charlotte Bronte uses pathos in "Jane Eyre" when the
protagonist must leave her lover for moral reasons as soon as their affair begins.

3. Plot Twist- A plot twist occurs when a sudden, unexpected change happens that has a
direct impact on the outcome of the story. A plot twist can occur during any portion of
the narrative, but it also frequently happens as a surprise ending.

4. Ticking Clock Scenario- The ticking clock scenario elicits dramatic tension by placing a
character in a dangerous, or otherwise intense situation, in which time is of the essence.
As time passes, the stakes of the outcome of the story are raised, increasing dramatic
tension.

5. Red Herring- A red herring is a literary technique in which the reader's attention is
drawn to insignificant details in order to divert attention from what is actually occurring
in the plot. The red herring is commonly used in mystery fiction and can lead to a plot
twist at the end of the work of literature.

6. Monologues- long, uninterrupted speeches given in the presence of other characters on

stage — help characters get their innermost thoughts and feelings across.

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Paper –I Drama, B.A. II Yr. Unit I

7. Aside

It sees a character "breaking the fourth wall" and directly addressing the audience, often to
provide insight or humor. Finally, musical theater, or plays that incorporate song and dance, can
often prove to be a more effective means of conveying certain stories.

8. Catharsis

Catharsis meaning ("purification" or "cleansing" ) is the purification and purgation of

emotions—particularly pity and fear—through art or any extreme change in emotion that results
in renewal and restoration. It is a metaphor originally used by Aristotle in the Poetics, comparing
the effects of tragedy on the mind of a spectator to the effect of catharsis on the body. OR
Catharsis is a term in dramatic art that describes the effect of tragedy (or comedy and quite
possibly other artistic forms) principally on the audience (although some have speculated on
characters in the drama as well). Nowhere does Aristotle explain the meaning of "catharsis" as he
is using that term in the definition of tragedy in the Poetics. G. F. Else argues that traditional,
widely held interpretations of catharsis as "purification" or "purgation" have no basis in the text
of the Poetics, but are derived from the use of catharsis in other Aristotelian and non-Aristotelian
contexts. For this reason, a number of diverse interpretations of the meaning of this term have
arisen. The term is often discussed along with Aristotle's concept of anagnorisis.

9. Anagnorisis

Anagnorisis refers to a moment of insight in a story’s plot in which a character, usually the
protagonist, shifts from ignorance to awareness. The moment of anagnorisis may be a realization
about the character’s self, their situation, or something about a different character. This may
include revelation of a character’s true identity, their actual relationship with another character,
or their misinterpretation of something important. As a literary device, anagnorisis is often
utilized as a turning point in the plot of a story or play that leads to a resolution. Anagnorisis is a
literary device commonly used in tragedy. However, anagnorisis can also be a source of humor
for an audience and produce a comedic effect. For example, there is a clever moment of
anagnorisis in the animated short film Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. In the film,
Wallace takes in a boarder, a penguin, for extra income. In the meantime, there is news of a
wanted criminal, a character disguised as a chicken, named Feathers McGraw who is committing
burglaries. Gromit comes across Feathers McGraw, but realizes once the “chicken” removes his
“hat” that the criminal is actually the penguin boarder. This anagnorisis on the part of Gromit as
to the penguin’s identity is a moment of humor for the audience, who is aware the entire time of
the penguin’s criminal alter ego.

Anagnorisis, for a literary narrative’s protagonist, is a literary device that allows for a moment of
illumination. This is generally when the protagonist is made aware of their own or another

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Paper –I Drama, B.A. II Yr. Unit I

character’s true identity. Anagnorisis also refers to the moment in which the protagonist
understands their situation in a more complete or new way. Once anagnorisis takes place for the
protagonist in a literary work, the resolution of the story often begins. Here are some famous
examples of literary characters that experience anagnorisis:

 Oedipus (Oedipus Rex by Sophocles)

 Iphigenia (Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripedes)

 Macbeth (Macbeth by William Shakespeare)

 Othello (Othello by William Shakespeare)

 Perdita (The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare)

 Pip (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)

 Jack Worthing (The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde)

 Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë)

 The governess (The Turn of the Screw by Henry James)

 Celie (The Color Purple by Alice Walker)

10. Peripetia

Peripeteia is a sudden change in a story which results in a negative reversal of circumstances.

Peripeteia is also known as the turning point, the place in which the tragic protagonist’s fortune
changes from good to bad. This literary device is meant to surprise the audience, but is also
meant to follow as a result of a character’s previous actions or mistakes.

11. Pathos

Pathos is a literary device that is designed to inspire emotions from readers. Pathos, Greek for
“suffering” or “experience,” originated as a conceptual mode of persuasion with the Greek
philosopher, Aristotle. Aristotle believed that utilizing pathos as a means of stirring people’s
emotions is effective in turning their opinion towards the speaker. This is due in part because
emotions and passion can be engulfing and compelling, even going against a sense of logic or
reason.Pathos, as an appeal to an audience’s emotions, is a valuable device in literature as well as
rhetoric and other forms of writing. Like all art, literature is intended to evoke feeling in a reader
and, when done effectively, generate greater meaning and understanding of existence.

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Paper –I Drama, B.A. II Yr. Unit I

12. Soliloquy

A soliloquy is a literary device in the form of a speech or monologue spoken by a single

character in a theatrical play or drama. The purpose of a soliloquy is for the character to express
their inner thoughts and feelings that are not intended to be heard or known by other characters
in the play or the audience members. Essentially, during a soliloquy, the action of the play stops,
as if time has paused for the audience to be “inside” the speaker’s head for a moment while they
articulate what they are thinking. This is effective as a literary device in terms of providing
insight into a character’s emotions and reflections.One of the most famous soliloquies in
literature is Hamlet’s private monologue beginning with “To be, or not to be…” Hamlet’s
soliloquy allows the reader/viewer to know his thoughts and feelings about whether to remain
alive and face human suffering or end his life and face the unknown experience of death. By
incorporating this soliloquy into Hamlet, Shakespeare allows his audience to understand
Hamlet’s inner conflict and confront their own feelings about his situation.

13. Black Humor

Black humor is a literary device used in novels and plays to discuss taboo subjects while adding
an element of comedy. Cambridge dictionary defines it as a non-serious way of treating or
dealing with serious subjects. It is often used to present any serious, gruesome or painful
incidents lightly. The writers use it as a tool to explore serious issues, inciting serious thoughts
and discomfort in the audience.In literature, this term is often associated with tragedies and is
sometimes equated with tragic farce. In this sense, it makes the serious incident or event bit
lighter in intensity. Although it is often inserted to induce laughter, it plays a significant role in
advancing the action of the play or novel. Etymologically, black humor is a phrase of two words
black and humor. The meanings are clear that it is a humorous way of treating something that is
serious. It is also called black comedy, dark comedy or gallows humor.

14. Catharsis

Catastrophe is a final resolution that appears in a narrative plot or a long poem. It unravels the
mystery or intrigue, and brings the story toward a logical end. In a tragedy, it could be the death
of a protagonist or other character; and in a comedy, it could be the union of major characters.
Catastrophe is a synonym of denouement. It is, in fact, the final part following protasis, epitasis,
and catatasis. Catastrophe wraps up the messy and noisy beginning, such as in Arthur Miller’s
play, Death of a Salesman, in which catastrophe is brought on when the main character, Willy
Loman, dies in a car wreck, ostensibly committing suicide, so that his family could collect his
life insurance. His widow says at his funeral that “Willy, I can’t cry … I made the last payment
on the house today…”

Example- Shakespeare’s- Macbeth, Eugene O Neil’s- Mourning Becomes Electra, Shakespeare’s

Romeo & Juliet, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

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Paper –I Drama, B.A. II Yr. Unit I

15. Hamartia

Hamartia is a literary device that reflects a character’s tragic or fatal flaw, or mistake in
judgment, that ultimately leads to their downfall. This term originated with Aristotle as a means
of describing an error or frailty that brings about misfortune for a tragic hero. Hamartia, as a
concept, is closely related to and interchangeable with the term tragic flaw, as they both lead to
the downfall of a protagonist in a tragedy. However, hamartia can also be interpreted as a
mistake based on outside circumstances rather than a character’s personal frailty. For example, in
Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus is considered a classic tragic hero and his hamartia is
complex. Most people agree that Oedipus displays the tragic flaw of hubris, and that his stubborn,
impulsive, and arrogant nature cause him to make wrong decisions that lead to his downfall.
However, it is also a lack of knowledge and information about his identity and that of other
characters that leads Oedipus to his tragic fate. Therefore, the outside circumstances that cause
errors in judgment have as much to do with Oedipus’s tragedy as any flaw in his character.

Example-

Hamlet–fear of direct confrontation, Macbeth–violent ambition, Romeo and Juliet–impatience,

adolescent passion, Othello–extreme jealousy, King Lear–stubborn pride, anger, Julius Caesar–
excessive pride, quest for power, Brutus–blind idealism, poor judgment, Coriolanus–egocentric,
inability to connect with others, Cressida–unfaithfulness, Timon–inability to recognize true
natures of his friends.

Compiled & edited by Dr. Sana Farooqui