Facing the

Elements of
DRAMA
 Introduction
In literature, drama is the portrayal of fictional or non-fictional events through the
performance of written dialogue (either prose or poetry). Typically, dramas are
performed on a THEATER STAGE or using media such as TELEVISION, FILM or
RADIO.
Etymologically, drama is derived from the Greek words dran” (which means act or a
play) For centuries, the two iconic and traditional symbols of drama have been used
to represent the genre. The sad and mournful mask represents tragedy while the
happy and joyful face indicates tragedy.
⊳ 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.
⊳ COMEDY, is a form of drama that has a happy ending. Humor comes from the
dialogue and situations.
 Literary Devices in Drama
⊳ Literary Elements are inherent to all literary piece; writers
extensively employ these elements to develop a literary piece.
Among these inherent elements are plot, setting, narrative
structure, characters, mood, theme and moral .

⊳ Literary Techniques, are structures usually a word or phrases in

literary texts that writers employ to achieve not merely artistic ends
but also to give readers a greater understanding and appreciation
of their literary works. Examples are the use of figurative
language, imagery, sensory details, or the use of diction.
 Elements of Drama
1. Plot- this is what happens to the play; the plot refers to the action; the basic storyline of
the play.
2. Theme- theme refers to the meaning of the play. Theme is the main idea or lesson to be
learned from the play.
3. Characters- are the people sometimes animals portrayed by the actors in the play.
4. Dramatic Speech- refers to the words written by the playwright and spoken by the
characters in the play.
*Dialogue-two or more people talking
*Monologue-one person talking
*Soliloquy-one character speaking out his thoughts aloud for the audience
5. Music / Rhythm- while music is often featured in drama, in this case it refers to the
rhythm of the actors’ voices as they speak.
6. Spectacle- this refers to the visual elements of a play: sets, costumes, special effects,
etc. Spectacle is everything that the audience sees as they watch the play.
 Elements of Drama
7. Script- is the written page of a play. It is divided into acts and scenes. Scripts for
stage and screen have strict elements of drama.
8. 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.
9. Scenes: Shorter sections of a play, usually each scene occurs in one location at a
specific time. Multiple scenes make up an act.
10.Characterization: Is the playwright’s technique for revealing the PERSONALITY of
a character
A. Direct- When the playwright TELLS the audience what the personality of a
character is. Usually found in character description under “Cast of Characters”
B. Indirect Characterization-When the playwright SHOWS events that reveal the
personality of the character . It can be described by the STEAL method
•Speech •Thoughts •Effect on others •Actions •Looks
SPICING THINGS UP WITH TWISTS
Twist endings are the result of a sudden reversal that prevents the outcome a character has
been working towards. There are 2 common types, it depends on a surprising revelation and
depends on the intervention of a surprising event.

REVELATION TWISTS
1. Mistaken Identity: A woman plans her revenge on the man who cheated her. She crashes
her car into him only to discover it was the man’s twin brother who was responsible.
2. Deceit: A man thinks he is buying an elixir of life but has been lied to buy actually a poison.
3. Misperception: An old man, 55-60 in age, wants a final look at the world around him only to
discover the environment he roams each day is actually a pen in an alien zoo.

EVENT TWISTS
1. Accident: A bookworm succeeds in a plot to get locked in a special collection of books at
the library for one night and breaks his glasses.
2. Competing goals: A couple are unhappily married and wished a divorce. Each wants to get
the bulk of the assets so they rather want to kill each other. The woman tries to kill her
husband with poison, while he turned on the light switch to produce a fatal shock. He dies
first but when she goes in to check on the body she turns on the light and kills herself.