* Components of Drama

English 3 – American Literature

* A major unit of a drama, or play.A play may
be subdivided into several acts. Many modern
plays have one, two, or three acts. Older
dramas often have five acts. Acts may be
divided into one or more scenes.

*Act
* A type of drama that is humorous and often has
a happy ending.

*Comedy
* A play in which a main character suffers a
downfall. The downfall may result from
outside forces or from a weakness within the
character.

*Tragedy
* Conversation between characters in a literary
work. Dialogue can contribute to
characterization, create mood, advance the
plot and develop theme.

*Dialogue
* A subdivision of an act in a play. Each scene
usually takes place in a specific setting and
time.

*Scene
* The text of a drama (play), film or broadcast.

*Script
* Instructions written by a playwright to describe
the appearance and actions of characters as
well as the sets, props, costumes, sound
effects and lighting for a play.

*Stage directions
* A long speech by a character in a literary work,
especially a drama.

*Monologue
* In a drama, a long speech by a character who is
alone on stage (or is under the impression of
being alone). A soliloquy reveals the private
thoughts and emotions of that character.

*Soliloquy
* The sequence of events in a story, play, or
narrative poem. A plot revolves around a
central conflict faced by the main characters.

*Plot
* The problem faced by the main characters in a
play.

*Conflict
* This exists when a character struggles against
some outside force, such as another person,
nature, society, or fate.

*External Conflict
* This exists within the mind of a character who
is torn between opposing feelings or goals.

*Internal Conflict
* The beginning of a story, play or narrative
poem. It introduces the story’s conflict,
characters and setting.

*Exposition
* Builds suspense and adds complications to the
conflict in a story, play or narrative poem.

*Rising Action
* The point of highest emotional pitch in a story,
play or narrative poem.

*Climax
* The logical result of the climax falling as the
story, play or narrative poem begins to make
its way to a resolution.

*Falling Action
* Also called the denouement. It is the final
outcome of a story, play or narrative poem.

*Resolution
* The main character in a tragedy. Often he/she
is a person of dignified or heroic stature. The
weakness within this character is known as the
tragic flaw.

*Tragic Hero
* A theme which is expressed directly in a work
of literature.

*Stated Theme
* A theme that is revealed gradually through
elements such as plot, character, setting, point
of view, symbol and irony.

*Implied Theme
* The history beyond the specific words of a
literary work that are relevant to
understanding the meaning.
* ***The communist paranoia of the 1950s is part
of The Crucible’s historical context.

*Historical Context
* A variation of a language spoken within a
particular region or by a particular social or
ethnic group. Dialects may differ from the
standard form of language in vocabulary,
expressions, pronunciation and grammar.

*Dialect
* The Greek playwright, Sophocles, in the fifth
century B.C. identified the elements that must
be present in a play. These are largely
outlined within the stage notes by the
playwright.  The six elements involve:
Thought, Theme, Ideas; Action or Plot;
Characters; Language; Music; and Spectacle
(scenery, costumes and special effects).

*Technical
Components
* These are the way that the actor chooses to
deliver the lines. Remember, all plays are
meant to be performed, and through a play’s
performance the director and actors can
achieve a broad range of effects to encourage
particular interpretations of the work.

*Performance
Components