Name:………………………………………..

Date:……………………MYP3…………………………………

UNIT 3 Modeling tools Global Context: Personal and Cultural Expression

Artistry
Key concept: Identity Related concept: Composition
Statement of inquiry: The artistry of composition ATL: Affective skills
could raise awareness about our identities.

Dramatic devices examples

Now that we have established the major dramatic devices, we can consider
some examples of how they can be used to great effect.

Dramatic devices in literature

It is important to look at how great dramatists have inventively used these
same conventions as part of their craft to elevate and enhance their writing.

'To be or not to be'

Perhaps the most famous playwright in history, William Shakespeare (1564-
1616), expertly deployed dramatic devices in his plays, cleverly using each to
create unforgettable characters, stories and action.
The most widely known soliloquy in all literature is largely agreed
as Hamlet's 'To be or not to be' from Act 3, Scene 1 of the
play Hamlet (1599-1601). Hamlet's speech explores his deepest thoughts,
contemplating suicide and the nature of death.
What makes this soliloquy so culturally impactful is the vulnerability
exhibited by the titular character, Hamlet, who shares his innermost thoughts
with the audience. There is an honesty conveyed through the soliloquy that
can resonate with anyone, creating a feeling of intimacy on stage, especially
poignant when considering the critical position that Hamlet finds himself in.

Another dramatic device used by Shakespeare in this scene is dramatic irony.

Unbeknownst to Hamlet, his treacherous uncle, King Claudius, and his
advisor, Polonius, are eavesdropping in secret. The audience is aware of this
and understands the critical repercussions that might occur as a result,
creating a sense of foreboding and anticipation.

Asides in Othello
Shakespeare's 1603 play Othello is a play largely concerned with deception
and manipulation, particularly by its antagonist, Iago.

Throughout the play, Iago speaks to the audience through various asides,
underscoring his treachery and deceit.

Even from his first aside, he cements his position:

With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio.

(Act II Scene I)
The dramatic device is quickly associated with Iago's villainy, creating in the
audience a sense of dramatic irony of his true nature that is not understood by
the rest of the characters.

What forms, therefore, is an inevitable fate that makes the ultimate tragedy of
the play even more distressing: the audience is Iago's witness (and perhaps
even corroborator) throughout, watching his plan unfold, also helpless to his
evil nature. (https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/, n.d.)

https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/. (n.d.). Retrieved from Dramatic Devices:

https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english-literature/literary-devices/dramatic-devices/