Introduction to Drama

IB English HL 1

Drama as a Form of Prose Literature:

The major difference between other types of prose literature and drama is that drama very
rarely has a narrator and it is also written by a playwright with the intention of being
performed before an audience, as opposed to being read. This latter difference creates an
interesting problem when watching a play being performed, for much of the stage direction
and physical action of the performers is a director’s interpretation of the text. However,
when reading the play, the reader is the person who must interpret the stage directions and
decide how important they are in terms of identifying the playwright’s original intentions.
Beyond this, drama is also distinct, for a reader must rely solely on dialogue when analyzing
the traditional literary elements and the author’s techniques.
We also see how characters act as part of analyzation
The Structure of Drama:

As a starting point, drama traditionally follows a structure that consists of the following
components:

Opening Balance: the situation in the fictional world (also known as fabula) at the
beginning of the play; there is an existing status quo to which the characters have grown
accustomed, which might not always be positive.

Disturbance: something happens to upset the balance and that forces the characters to
deal with an unexpected problem.

Protagonist: the main character that has the plan for dealing with the disturbance; this
plan should have two important aspects: 1) an objective, which is the resolution of the
problem; 2) steps to be taken towards that objective.
Sometimes can be themselves or emotions/ideas
Antagonist: the character or element that is consciously working to stop the protagonist
from fulfilling his or her plan. Not every play has a clear antagonist.
can antagonists count as obstacles?
Obstacles: an obstacle is something that already exists in the fictional situation (or fabula),
which interferes with the protagonists’ ability to implement the plan; there may be one or
more obstacles throughout the drama.

Complications: a complication is something that arises as a result of the protagonists’

effort to implement the plan, and which interferes with the ability to employ the plan
effectively.
 Most emotionally charged moment

Climax: the climax is the final complication that determines if the plan is going to be
successful or not. If the climax can be dealt with effectively, then the plan will
succeed—which is usually why it contains the highest point of tension and suspense for the
reader.

Resolution: this is the outcome of the play that brings a new balance to the fictional world.
If the plan ultimately succeeds, then the audience may experience a happy ending; whereas,
tragedies in drama often result when the protagonist(s) is unable to successfully implement
the plan and the audience experiences an unfortunate ending.

Aristotle’s Unities:

Another way to consider the structure of drama is through the lens of Aristotle’s Unities
that originated from his Poetics in the fourth century B.C. These rules of unity require that
plays adhere to these three principles:
No B plot
Unity of Action: There should be only one main plot and all events in the play must
contribute to that plot. Nothing extraneous is allowed.

Unity of Place: There should be only one place in which the action occurs. The stage was
not expected to change locations, backgrounds, or settings.

Unity of Time: The action of the play should take no more than one 24-hour day. Extreme
adherents suggested that the action should take no longer than the play took to present.

*It is ultimately your goal to identify how a playwright has constructed action, place, and
time, and then to consider the effects of those choices on meaning.

Literary Elements:

· Plotline(s)
· Characterization
· Plot Structure (see above)
· Conflict(s)
· Tension and Suspense
· Themes
· Dialogue (including monologue, aside, soliloquy, etc.)
· Style & Syntax
· Genre
· Figurative Language
· Symbols
· Motifs
· Length and pacing
· Setting (set, scenery, costumes, et.)
· Stage Direction