DRAMA

Comes from the Greek word

which means “to do” or “to act”.
Aristotle’s Poetics
 drama is an imitation of life
 that humankind learns through imitation
 that learning something is the greatest pleasure
of life
 pointed out that all human happiness or misery
takes the form of action
 therefore, he places plot first in his list of the
parts of a play, which include plot, character,
diction (language), thought, spectacle, and
melody.
 ELEMENTS OF REALISTIC
DRAMA

Conflict

Character

Plot
Conflict

 The essence of drama, without it, there

is no drama but a mere disclosure of
information about people & their
activities, or the pointless unraveling of
events
 To effect the conflict, we need the
interaction of the protagonist and the
antagonist
Conflict

Protagonist vs. Antagonist

 The major or pivotal character of the play who
needs or wants something but he is opposed
by the antagonist (may be a person, a group
of people or a force)
– One who creates conflict and makes the play
move forward
– Must not only want something, must want it so
badly that he will destroy or be destroyed in the
effort to attain his goal
– When the protagonists needs are defined, set and
then opposed, conflict starts
Conflict

Objectives
 Apart from the protagonist, all the other
characters in the play have particular
objectives which motivate a character to
think and speak the way she does
 Propel characters to action
 At the core of every dramatic or acting
unit lies the character’s objective
Conflict

Unit
 In drama and playwriting, we are
interested in thought, action and
emotional units.
 A unit of thought, emotion, or action,
which – although a part of a bigger
thought, bigger emotion or bigger action
– conveys a complete idea.
3 KINDS OF CONFLICT

 Man vs. man

– Love problem, sibling rivalry
 Man vs. nature
– Fire, storm, catastrophe
 Man vs. himself
– Change in philosophy, religion,
objective in life
FORMS OF CONFLICT

Physical conflict
Verbal conflict

Hidden conflict /
subtext
Subtext

 Hidden conflict
 When conflict is not evident in the words
spoken or in the actions taken yet just
the same the air is filled with tension
 For example, “I love you” may be
uttered with sincerity, indifference or
sarcasm, depending on the character’s
attitudes and objectives
Subtext Exercise

 A: Hi
 B: Hello
 A: Kamusta?
 B: Okay lang
 A: Kumain ka na?
 B: Hindi pa
 A: Tara kain tayo
Conflict Classification

 According to development (how it develops)

– Static
– Jumping
– Rising
 According to resolution (how it is solved)
– Victory/defeat
– Compromise
– Stalemate
Static Conflict

 When the characters fail to develop a

unit & go on to another
 Characterized by the characters or
actors simply beating around the bush
 Actors sometimes raise their voices to
give the impression of development in
the scene or dialogue where there is
none
Jumping Conflict

 Character by sudden and abrupt leaps

or shifts in a character’s reaction or
emotion
 Usually, this is due to lack of transition
from one unit to another
– Transition refers to the link between units,
objectives and attitudes of the characters
effecting a smooth flow from one to the
other
Rising Conflict

 When the attacks and counterattacks of

characters in the play are clearly laid
out slowly developing into a heightened
intensity and emotion, attitude or
thought
 There is proper motivation of action and
clear transition from one unit to another
“In a play, each conflict causes the
one after it… Each is more intense
that the one before. The play moves,
propelled by the conflict created by
the characters in their desire to
reach their goal: the proof of the
premise.”
- Lajos Egri, The Art of Dramatic Writing
Character

 In creating a character, it is imperative to

understand the nature of a human being
 Not enough to portray what a man is or show
what he does, must also make the audience
understand the whys
– Why a character is the way he is
– Why he acts as he does
– Why he utters the words he says
– Must be three-dimensional
The Physical Dimension

 Refers to how the senses perceive him:

– Short or tall?
– Thin or stout?
– Does he smell good?
– How has he walk, talk, stand?
– Does he have any physical deformity?
The Sociological Dimension

 Refers to his status in society and his

relationship with other people such as
his parents, relatives, friends, enemies,
neighbors:
– Is he rich or poor
– Are his parents living or is he an orphan?
– Has he reached high school or is he
unschooled?
The Psychological Dimension

 Is influenced by the first two dimension

 Is he inferior? Ambitious?
 Sex life, moral standards
 Attitude toward life: resigned, militant,
defeatist
 Complexes: obsessions, inhibitions,
traumas, phobias, superstitions etc
Plot
 In a well written play, the protagonist moves
towards the accomplishment of his main
objective
 The sequential and causal presentation of the
actions involved is called plotting
 Everything that is significant and necessary
for the understanding of the play should be
shown and explained within the limited
playing time, through the interaction of a
limited number of characters situated in
limited settings
Plot

Point of Attack
 Refers to the incident chosen by the
playwright to set off the action of the
play
 At this point, the equilibrium of forces is
initially is upset thus tipping off the
balance
 The plot begins to build
Plot

Rising Action
 The gradual build up of tension or the
intensification of the struggle between
the protagonist and the antagonist that
leads to the crisis or climax
 The explosion point or the highest
moment of the plot when the irrevocable
action that will determine the outcome
of the play occurs
Plot

Exposition
 Occurs throughout the play
 Carefully planned disclosure of
information, chiefly about facets and
aspects of the major character’s
personalities and circumstances that
help in the understanding of their
motivations and actions.