Elements of DramaElements of Drama

Subgenre - TragedySubgenre - Tragedy

A play with an unhappy ending.A play with an unhappy ending.– People are vulnerable and invincible, as People are vulnerable and invincible, as

capable of defeat as they are of capable of defeat as they are of greatness.greatness.

– Some tragedies are concerned with Some tragedies are concerned with seeking meaning and justice in an ordered seeking meaning and justice in an ordered world, others with humanity’s helpless world, others with humanity’s helpless protest against an irrational universe.protest against an irrational universe.

– The hero, alone and willful asserts his or The hero, alone and willful asserts his or her intellect and energy against the world.her intellect and energy against the world.

Tragic RealizationTragic Realization We learn from tragedy that eitherWe learn from tragedy that either 1. Despite human suffering and 1. Despite human suffering and

calamity, a world order and eternal laws calamity, a world order and eternal laws exist and that people can learn from exist and that people can learn from suffering. Or,suffering. Or,

2. We learn of the futility of human 2. We learn of the futility of human acts and suffering in an indifferent and acts and suffering in an indifferent and capricious universe. Sometimes we capricious universe. Sometimes we celebrate the hero’s efforts against this celebrate the hero’s efforts against this futility.futility.

Subgenre -- ComedySubgenre -- Comedy

Walpole -- “The world is a comedy Walpole -- “The world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.those that feel.

Comedies examine the social Comedies examine the social world, social values and people as world, social values and people as social beings.social beings.

Patterns of ComedyPatterns of Comedy Comic action shows the social disorder Comic action shows the social disorder

created by an eccentric character who created by an eccentric character who deviates from reasonable values.deviates from reasonable values.

Writer of comedy calls for sanity, Writer of comedy calls for sanity, reason, and moderation in human reason, and moderation in human behavior.behavior.

At the end of comedy, the life flow is At the end of comedy, the life flow is reestablished in a wedding or banquet reestablished in a wedding or banquet celebrating the harmonious celebrating the harmonious reconciliation of opposing forces. reconciliation of opposing forces.

Subgenre -- TragicomedySubgenre -- Tragicomedy

Tragedy=movement from good fortune Tragedy=movement from good fortune to bad.to bad.

Comedy=movement from bad fortune Comedy=movement from bad fortune to good.to good.

Up until the end of the 19th cent. Up until the end of the 19th cent. Tragicomedies were serious and Tragicomedies were serious and potentially tragic plays with happy potentially tragic plays with happy endings, or at least with averted endings, or at least with averted catastrophes.catastrophes.

Modern TragicomedyModern Tragicomedy

Not so much about how a play Not so much about how a play ends, but about how people relate ends, but about how people relate to each other.to each other.– People laugh at their anxietiesPeople laugh at their anxieties– People laugh at life’s contradictionsPeople laugh at life’s contradictions– But, nothing changes. But, nothing changes. – Sort of like real life . . . .Sort of like real life . . . .

Staging and Stage Staging and Stage MetaphorsMetaphors

What’s on the stage and why is it What’s on the stage and why is it there?there?

What’s outside the stage and how What’s outside the stage and how do we know it?do we know it?

How does the play refer to itself as How does the play refer to itself as a work of art? How does it reflect a work of art? How does it reflect upon itself?upon itself?

Plot in DramaPlot in Drama

climactic -- cause to effect climactic -- cause to effect arrangement leading to climax and arrangement leading to climax and resolution. Begins late in the storyresolution. Begins late in the story– limited number of characterslimited number of characters– restricted localerestricted locale– restricted time framerestricted time frame– choices for the characters become more choices for the characters become more

and more limited until explosion forces and more limited until explosion forces actionaction

Plot in DramaPlot in Drama

Episodic Plots -- action is a journey Episodic Plots -- action is a journey of some kindof some kind– begins early in the storybegins early in the story– involves many characters and eventsinvolves many characters and events– moves from place to placemoves from place to place– covers lots of timecovers lots of time– many options open until the endmany options open until the end– characters aren’t forced into actioncharacters aren’t forced into action

Character in DramaCharacter in Drama

The author can’t tell you anything The author can’t tell you anything about the characters. Everything about the characters. Everything you know comes from the you know comes from the character’s words and actions. character’s words and actions.

Some conventions the playwrights Some conventions the playwrights use to construct character are the use to construct character are the following: confidant, foil, aside, following: confidant, foil, aside, soliloquy.soliloquy.

LanguageLanguage

As in poetry it changes with the As in poetry it changes with the times, the genre. times, the genre.

Unlike poetry, it all has to come Unlike poetry, it all has to come out of someone’s mouth. It has to out of someone’s mouth. It has to “fit” the character. It defines their “fit” the character. It defines their character.character.

ThemeTheme

““A central idea of a literary work A central idea of a literary work stated as a generalization about stated as a generalization about human experience.”human experience.”

But, as your text books points out, But, as your text books points out, it’s kind of silly to talk about this as it’s kind of silly to talk about this as a separate element. All the parts a separate element. All the parts work together to produce theme. work together to produce theme.