Drama

What is Drama?

“Drama is a literature work that represents a dialogue which circulates around a conflict of a character or characters. It illustrates a story intended to be acted out."

Structural Elements of Drama

Lines of Dialogue - Drama in literature is written in the form of a script. The dialogue illustrates the characters conversation and speech.

Example: The conversation text between characters Boatswain and Antonio in the Tempest during Act 1, Scene 1-
Boatswain: I pray now, keep below.
Antonio: Where is the master, boatswain?
Boatswain: Do you not hear him? You mar our labor, keep your cabins: you do assist the storm.

Plot - The plot in Drama is typically broken down into Acts, divisions of the script, and Scenes, smaller divisions within the Acts. Like Fiction and prose, the acts follow a similar form of story telling structure.

Act 1: Exposition
Act 2: Rising Action
Act 3: Climax
Act 4: Falling Action
Act 5: Resolution.

Cast of Characters - Includes a list of the characters at the beginning of the piece and Acts to allow the audience to know who the actors are portraying along with their relationship with one and another. Actors are people who represent and interpret the character described in the play.

Example: In the very beginning of Oedipus the King, Sophocles lists the characters (Oedipus, The Priest of Zeus, Creon, Chorus of Theban Elders, Teiresias, Jocasta, Messanger, and Herd of
Lauis) in the scene to allow the audience to understand who will be interpreted.

Stage Directions - Notes that are typically in parentheses or italics that guide the actors and audience with visual and audio aspects. This can be anywhere from telling the actors what the stage should look like, to what kind of body language they should be portraying.

Example: In The Cuban Swimmer during Act 1 Scene 3, the text following Simon’s name in parentheses states (pointing ahead and to the right) to allow the actor a direction of what to do.

Narration - The commentary that directs the flow of the story; done by a narrator who typically leads the drama.

Example: A part of a play where only a god like figure can interpret the events to
shed light to the audience on the true nature to what is happening.