The Elements of Drama

Drama

 Comes from the Greek Word,

“Dran”
 Means “To do” or “To Act”

 The Doing/Acting Makes Drama

Drama…

 …is a story told in front of an

audience
Elements of Drama
 Playwright-the
author of a play
 Actors-the people
who perform
 Acts-the units of
action
 Scenes-parts of
the acts
Elements of Drama

 Characterization-
playwright‟s
technique for
making
believable
characters
Dramatic Speech
 Dialogue-
conversation
between or among
characters
 Monologue-long
speech by one
single character
(private thoughts)
Stage Directions
 Found in brackets [ ]
 Describe scenery and
how characters speak
Theater

 Where a play
takes place
Set
 Construction on
the stage that
shows time/place
 Could be called
Scenery
CHARACTERISTICS OF DRAMA
 Aristotle, who laid the foundations for the
critical study of drama, divided the
elements of drama into plot, character,
thought, language, and spectacle.
 Plot: the main storyline.
Theme: the basic idea of the play.
Character: person, animal or thing in the story.
Language: dramatic speech.
Dialogue: conversation between two or more characters.
Monologue: one person speaking.
Spectacle: time and place of events.
 KINDS OF DRAMA
 The most widespread subdivision of drama are comedy and
tragedy, a division established by the Greeks.
 Definition of tragedy
character is confronted with a difficult moral choice and usually ends in
his or her death.

 Definition of comedy
a humorous entertaining performance with a happy ending.

 Definition of tragicomedy
 A MIXTURE OF TRAGIC AND COMIC EVENTS
PURPOSES OF DRAMA
 Drama is designed „ to delight and
instruct‟
DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES
 Dramatic Dialogue
 Stage Directions
 Dramatic Irony
 A Side
 Soliloquy
 Flashback
 Retrospection
 Contrast
HISTORY OF DRAMA
 Drama began in ancient Greece dating
back to 543 B.C.
 It started as choral performances of
dancing and singing honoring the Greek
god, Dionysus, the god of wine.
The Greeks held their dramas in outdoor
theaters called amphitheaters, the largest
seating 14,000 people.