CHARACTERISTICS OF PROSE AND DRAMA

CHARACTERISTIC OF PROSE
Prose is a form of written /spoken language that follows the natural flow of speech, uses a language’s ordinary
grammatical structures, or follows the conventions of formal academic writing.
1. Prose is all form of writing and speech which have no structured meter. Prose does not need to contain any
rhyme or rhythmic language that you would find in poetry.
2. Prose is organized by grouping complete sentences into paragraphs. Prose does not contain poetic devices
such as stanzas or couplets and not measured by poetic forms such as measured lines.
3. Prose is performed in the shape of dramas and media broadcasts.
4. Prose is representative of several forms of communication. It is considered the ordinary language used in
speech or writing.
5. Most non-fiction texts are considered prose as they do not use poetry and do not contain dramatic stories
or fictional tales written in conformity to the characteristics of poetic text.
CHARACTERISTICS OF DRAMA
Drama is the portrayal of fictional or non-fictional events through the performance of written dialog (either prose
or poetry). Dramas can be performed on stage, on film, or the radio. Dramas are typically called plays, and their
creators are known as “playwrights” or “dramatists”.
1. Drama is meant to be acted on stage. Meant to be performed rather than read. Emphasis on dialogue,
character, and stage direction.
2. Action is involved in drama. May include elements of music, dance, art, poetry, and prose.
3. Drama is written in Acts and Scenes. Usually fictional, though may include nonfiction or be inspired by true
stories or historical events.
4. Drama is watched by audience.

CHARACTERS AND Characterization is the act of creating and describing characters in

CHARACTERIZATION literature. Characterization includes both descriptions of a character’s
physical attributes as well as the character’s personality. The way
that characters act, think, and speak also adds to their
characterization. A character can be a Protagonist or Antagonist

SETTING AND CONFLICT The time and location in which a story takes place is called setting.

Arguably the most important literary element is conflict, which is the

struggle between two forces. Without conflict, every story would be
very boring.

There are two types of conflict: external and internal. External

conflict is between two characters or between a character and a natural
force. Internal conflict occurs within one character.
POINT OF VIEW Point of view is the perspective from which a story is narrated. Every story
has a perspective, though there can be more than one type of point of view in
a work of literature.

First-person point of view – the character is telling the story.

Second-person point of view – the writer has the narrator speaking to the
reader.
Third-person point of view – has an external narrator telling the story.
PLOT Plot is the series of events in a story. Here are the five parts of the plot in the
order in which they occur.

Exposition - introduces the characters, setting, and conflict

Rising action - builds up suspense
Climax - turning point in the story
Falling action - the suspense lessens and the story is approaching the end
Resolution - the conflict is resolved and loose ends are tied
THEME Theme is defined as the main idea or an underlying meaning of a
literary work, which may be stated directly or indirectly.
PROSE AND DRAMATIC Prose and Dramatic Techniques
TECHNIQUES 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.

a. Cliff-hanger
Characters are left in precipitous situations, or have a revelation, as an The
cliff-hanger was popularized with serialized fiction and occurs when
episode of the serial ends.

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. 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.

e. 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.

f. 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.
THE WRITTEN DRAMA / Written Drama explores the mechanisms of dramatic story telling.
SCRIPT
A play or drama script is the story that has been written for actors to
perform, with the term 'play' relating to a theatrical performance.

People who write them are called Playwrights, and sometimes the physical
scripts might be called manuscripts, while some historical scripts are called
folios due to their format.