DRAMA

WHAT IS DRAMA?
 Drama is a fictional representation
 It is the performance of written dialogue
and stage action
 It is one of the literary genres that allows
actors to act out a writer's words directly
to an audience
 Creators are called playwrights or
dramatists.
 TYPES OF DRAMA
 COMEDY
Humorous plays, light-hearted tone, clever play of words,
serious topics addressed humorously, silly characters) eg.
Shakespeares’s Much ado about Nothing.

 MELODRAMA
Tells a story in a serious way, character types such as
heroes, villains, mentors are found in them. Its topics
include romance or other serious situations or happenings. It
has clear literary themes, flawed characters and an
uncertain ending (neither happy nor sad)
 TYPES OF DRAMA contd’
 TRAGEDY
It is a play or drama that ends sadly. The protagonist or tragic hero
has a tragic flaw. Circumstances quickly gets out of hand. It is
filled with dark themes such as human suffering, hatred or
poverty. It has the downfall of a previously heroic/well-liked
character. The ending can result in the death of one or more
characters. (eg. Hamlet and Oedipus Rex)
Two important things worth noting is the Hamartia and Carthasis.
 TRAGICOMEDY
It is a combination of comedy and tragedy. It has serious storylines
told in a humorous way. It has tragically flawed characters who do
not die. It has ambiguous themes and neither a happy or comic
ending.
 ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

 PLOT

 SUBJECT MATTER/THEME

 CHARACTER/CHARACTERISATION
 PLOT
 It is the sequence of interconnected events
 The events affect each other through the principle of cause and
effect.
 The plot differs from the story (thus, it highlights a specific and
purposeful cause and effect relation.
 The plot structure is made up of five plot points
i. Exposition or Introduction
ii. Rising Action
iii. Climax
iv. Falling Action
v. Resolution or Denouement
THE PLOT STRUCTURE
UNDERSTANDING THE PLOT STRUCTURE
 Exposition/Introduction
It establishes the main characters/protagonist and setting. We get to
know everybody at the introduction. The conflict/tension in the play is
normally introduced here to set the course of event for the rest of the
narration.
 Rising Action
The action in the play is introduced if hasn’t been and developed here.
The conflict may affect one or more characters. It sets the rest of the
story in motion.
 Climax
This is the biggest plot point. It is at this point that we ask what the
characters will do. The tension is highest here, instilling in the reader a
sense of excitement, dread and urgency.
 UNDERSTANDING THE PLOT
STRUCTURE contd’
 Falling Action
We start to see the results of the climax here.
We get the sense of the main character’s actions here

 Resolution
It is the final plot point when everything has been wrapped
up.
 SUBJECT MATTER/THEME

 Subject matter is what something is about. (what the

author is writing about) it is like the general topic of a
play.

 The theme is the message the author wishes to put across.

It is the specific topic.
CHARACTER/CHARACTERISATION
 Character is a performer of an action in a drama/play
 Characterisation is the literary tool that is used to explain and
highlight details of a character in a story. It is also a process through
which an author reveals a character’s personality. It can be done
analyzing the character’s
i. Thoughts
ii. Words
iii. Appearance
iv. Deeds
v. Actions
vi. Speech
vii. Deeds‘
viii. Costume
WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THIS
CHARACTER?
WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THIS
CHARACTER?