The Study of Drama - Modle for Drama Club

8/8/2019 The Study of Drama - Modle for Drama Club

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THE STUDY OF DRAMAby Shaik Husseinudin b Babu Ali

INTRODUCTION

The first part of this topic will provide you with a basic understanding of the features

of this genre. It will also take you on a short historical tour of the evolution ofWestern drama so that you can have a clearer understanding ofhow this genre has

evolved to be what it is now. In addition to this, you might also find it useful to knowsome of the basic conventions of drama, where you will get to know about the various

types of Western drama performed around the world.The second part of this topicwill expose you briefly to the various elements in drama and dramatic devices used in

drama so that you'll be able to analyse drama which will in turn give you a more

comprehensive understanding of what you watch or read.

OBJECTIVES

By theend of this topic, you should be able to:y list and briefly explain the conventions of drama

y describe briefly thehistory of western drama

y define and explain the types of drama

y define and explain theelements in drama

y define and explain dramatic devices

TOPIC MIND MAP

Take a look at the mind-map below. It will give you a clearer understanding of what

this w

hole

topic is all about.

Introduction to Drama

y Conventions of Drama

y Historical Background

y Types of Drama

Elements in Dramay Plots & Sub-plots

y Characters &Relationships

y Point of View

y Setting

Dramatic Devisesy Dramatic Irony

y Soliloquy &Monologue

y Comic Relief

THE STUDY OFDRAMA


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1. DEFINITION OF DRAMA

Take a couple of minutes to ask yourself what you understand by the term

'Drama'. Compare your idea with the two definitions provided below. THINK

Drama is usually a literary work or story written in dialogue form for the purposeof being performed before an audience by actors on a stage.

(Morner, K.& Rausch, R. 1998:58)

Drama is a written script with stage directions, character parts, and divisions into

acts and scenes that is performed in front of an audience by actors who take on the

roles of characters and who present the story through dialogue and action.

(Kirszner, L & Mandell, S. 2004:595)

Were the definitions similar to your own?

Please note that these definitions might not be applicable to what is known as 'closet

drama', which is drama that is written only for the purpose of reading and not forperformance.

2. CONVENTIONS OF DRAMA

Brainstorm and list all the things that are needed for the production of a

Play. THINK

List of things I

need to put up a

Pla .....

Script


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Check your list with the list below. Did you manage to identity all of

them? Below are some of the basic essentials needed in producing a

play.SELF

CHECK

1. A script or a written play.

2. A theatre or a stage for the performance to take place. Please refer to the

sections below for a more detailed description of the various types of stages

that are available.

3. A director whose main role is to, 'establish the nature of the play, show,entertainment, opera etc. which is to be realised in production' (Banks,

1985:298). What is important is, 'the director's interpretation of a play andless on the playwright's intentions'.(Cook, 1983:155).

4. Actors who ideally capable of communicating the message of the play to the

audience and leave a lasting impression in the minds of the viewers.

5. The costume designer whose task is to design appropriate costumes

according to the setting presented.

6. The master carpenter and his workers, whose job is to design sets for theplay.

7. The sound operator, whose function is to manage and monitor the sound

effects or recorded music so that it matches the action on the stage.

8. The lighting operator, whose duty is to control and manage the relevant

lighting effects.

9. The stage manager whose job is to take charge of the stage and the people

involved and ensure the smooth running of the play.

10. The producer or the person who provides funding for the production.


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3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Take a look at the pictures below.

Have you ever seen them before? What do you think they are? Where do

you think they come from?

Read the section on Greek theatre and you will find out.

THINK

Figure 1: Stylised masks or Persona

3.1 GREEK THEATRE

The origins of western drama can be traced to Ancient Greece where the performance

of drama was a part of the Spring religious festival. People wrote plays and

performed them at religious gatherings where the plays had the dual function of acompetition as well as an offering for theentertainment of the gods and the people.

The plays were performed during the day, at an open-air, semi-circular theatre thatwas built on the slopes ofhills. It would have looked like our modern day sports

stadiums, but except for the bleachers, seats would have been carved out of the slopes.In the middle of the theatre, there was an area called the orchestra where a 'chorus'or

a group of men sang and chanted.Behind this place, there was a platform which wasraised a little from the ground where the actors, who were also all men, performed.

Rolling carts and cranes were used to move characters or to lower and lift things from

the roof.Behind this platform or stage was a 'skene'which was a building that was used as a

resting place, exit and entrance for the actors.

Figure 2


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In Greek theatre usually dealt with stories based on ancient Greek mythology orcomedies that satirized the religious and social issues of that time. There were only

about three main characters and the main character or the'protagonist' was the onewho had the most number of dialogue. The other actors had non-speaking roles. The

actors used stylised masks or'persona'to play various characters.

Classical greek theatre kept the place, action and time together in a very compact way.This is known as keeping to thethree unities.

Greek plays were divided into five parts. The first, the prologue or'prolagos'was

where an actor would give the background information about the story which would

enable the audience to keep up with the rest of the story. Then, came the second part

known as 'parados' the chorus would come in to comment or summarise what had

happen as well as predict what is to come.

The third part comprised the 'episodia' where the characters came on stage and

developed the conflict in the play. This part was alternated with choral odes and

comments called 'stasimon'. The play was ended with an 'exodus'or the last scene

where the conflicts were resolved.

Can you think of a traditional local drama that makes use of actors and achorus (traditionally all male) in which the actors present a sketch and the

chorus comments on the action and summarizes the theme for theaudience?

THINK

The answer? It is very popular in Pulau Pinang. It has five letters and

begins with a B . HINT

You can access the following website for a more detailed description

of Greek Drama.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_drama

WEBSITE

3.2 ELIZABETHAN THEATRE

Figure 3

Do you recognize these people above? Do you know why they werefamous? What do you think was the nature of their relationship?

Read the section on Elizabethan theatre to find out.YOUR

IDEA


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The origins of Elizabethan theatre, which was strongly influenced by Greek andRoman drama traditions, can be traced back to the 12th and 13th centuries. They

were usually performed during medieval festivals and they were known as mysteryplays or morality plays. Mystery plays were plays that depicted stories from the bible

which told the stories of the prophets from the Judeo-Christian tradition. Morality

plays, on the otherhand, were plays that portrayed an allegory of the Christian way of

life. They would often deal with the struggles of the common man in his attempts tofight against the forces or influences of good and evil both within him as well as those

that influencehim from the outside.

Around the 16th century, the appeal of mystery and morality drama was superceded

by more popular plays based on non-religious issues such as revenge, war, murder

and politics.

What is known as Shakespearean theatrehas its beginnings at the GlobeTheatre in

England.

Figure 4: Globe Theatre

Shakespearean plays were performed by an all male cast, during the daytime, in anopen air yard that could accommodate around 2000 people. It had a large stage that

extended out into the open air yard and had no curtains. Theextended stage allowedpeople to view the play from three sides. The back area of the stage had a room

behind that was covered with a curtain that also served as a backdrop. This place was

used by the actors to disappear behind the main stage and it was also used to arrange

props for the scenes. The roof of the stage was called 'the heavens'and it had pulleys

and ropes which were used to lift and lower props and actors. The area beneath themain stage was called the 'hell' that had a hollow room which allowed actors to

disappear or be buried. The area above the main stage, known as the 'chamber'

contained a room with windows which functioned as a balcony orenabled an actor tospeak or look out a window. Above the chamber was a balcony that housed themusicians who provided music for the play. The'hut'or large windows located above

the music gallery allowed actors to play guards or sentries. The plan of this type ofstage allowed several different actions to take part simultaneously during a single

scene.

The types of plays that were popular with the Elizabethan audience were tragedies

that were usually based on a historical background, comedies and tragicomedies. You

can learn more about these types of plays in section 4.


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Shakespearean plays flourished during this era partly due to the fact that QueenElizabeth I was an ardent fan and patron of theatre who provided the funding for

many plays to be staged.

Get a copy of the film, "Shakespeare in Love" and watch it for a very

detailed view of the Shakespearean theatre as it was during this era. EXTRA

Write a brief description for the following.

a. Mystery playsb. Morality plays

c. Shakespearean plays

TASK

Check the information in your brief description with the section on

Elizabethan theatre above to check your understanding. SELF

CHECK

You can access the following website for a more detailed descriptionof Elizabethan Drama.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethan_theatre

WEBSITE

Can you guess what sort of modern scientific discoveries made a big

difference in theatre in the modern era? Read the following section tofind out more.

THINK

3.3 MODERN THEATRE

The beginning of modern theatre can be traced back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Theseearly beautifully designed and decorated modern theatres were covered with a

roof and had lighting (lit with candles or gaslights) so that plays could be performed

at night. These theatres presented plays in a long hall where the audience sat andwatched the play performed in a picture-frame stage or a 'proscenium- arch stage'

which is 'a square or oblong opening in the wall' (Cook,1983:163) . This type of stagealso allowed for the use of moreelaborate types of props, sound effects and lighting

which gave room for more creativity.Then in the 20th century electricity further enhanced the lighting system and also

paved the way for the use of sound amplification with microphones and eventually

cordless microphones.Variations of the modern theatre would also include stages like the thrust or

promontory stage, where a part of the stage comes out into the area where the

audience is seated, arena staging (like a modern stadium) where the audience is seated

around the stage watching the action from all around , traverse staging where the

stage is in the middle of the auditorium and the audience sits on both sides of it, open

stage where a thrust stage or at least a convex shape curving out into the auditorium

(Cook, 1983:169) and totally variable of adjustable stage which can be adjusted to any

shape and size through mechanical means.


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Thrust stage Proscenium stage Traverse stage

Figure 5: Modern Stages

One of the innovations that appeared in modern theatre was the element of realism

where the sets and action were designed to represent reality that was accurate to thesmallest detail instead of simply using painted backdrops. The time frameemployed

in the plays were also realistic in nature as the followed the realistic passing of time.

Along with realism came a literary movement called naturalism which rejected

unrealistic plots and characters and the sentimentality of melodrama. There was a

focus on the ex ploration of the human condition where people were portrayed asbeings that are at constant struggle with their desires and fears against external forces

such as economic, social and biological forces that are beyond their control.

Can you list 3 innovations found in modern theatre that separates it from

Greek and Elizabethan theatre. You can scan the texts above again toconfirm the answers.

SELF

CHECK

Do not be too worried about all the new terminology. A little bit ofreading should take care of that. So, please access the website stated

below and key in the following headings in the search box: realism,

naturalism, surrealism, and expressionism to find out more about theliterary trends that influenced modern theatre.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

WEBSITE


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4. TYPES OF DRAMA

In this part of the module you will learn about the various types of

Western drama. But, before you begin, take a couple of minutes to tick

the types of drama with which you are familiarSELF

CHECK

Types of Drama I know it

well

I know a

little

I'm not

sure

Never

heard of it1 Tragedy

2 Comedy

3 Tragicomedy

4 Melodrama

5 Theatre of the Absurd

Well, how did you do on the activity above? Don't worry if you didn't do so well.You can read the following explanation for clarification about the types of drama that

can be found in the Western dramatic tradition.

4.1 TRAGEDY

A Tragedy is a serious type of drama that deals with the events in a character's life

that ends unhappily. It maintains a serious mood throughout except for a few scenes

of comic relief and the plot is focused and follows the pattern of 'cause-effect'

progression.The purpose of a tragedy is to arouse in the audience a feeling of pity,

admiration, dread and understanding about the downfall of the main character.Tragedy raises important questions about the meaning of mans existence, his moral

nature and his social or psychological relationships.

The tragic hero is usually a character who is great and noble, forexample, a king or

someone really important and has the respect and admiration of the people. Thereason for this is, if the tragic hero is to arouse pity, fear, compassion and awe in the

audience, he must 'fall' from a great 'height'. The impact is much greater.The fall ofthe tragic hero would come about as a result of some kind oftragic flaw that hehas,

for example, excessive pride or passion, inability to tell truth from lie, ambition,misplaced trust or someerror. Therefore, the fall of the tragic hero would be partially

his own fault and partially the fault ofhis surroundings orhis fate. The price that the

tragic hero pays forhis mistake would often be much greater than the nature ofhismistake. The audience might even feel that the hero does not deserve this sort of

punishment. The tragic hero at theend, even ifhe dies, will reach a new orhigher

level of self-awareness and understanding about himself and his flaws or mistakes,

which will be shared by the audience. Without this realization the tragedy will simply

be what is known as pathos that is the 'suffering that exists simply to satisfy the

sentimental or morbid sensibilities of the audience' (Kirzner & Mandell, 2004:605)

like what one might see in television soap operas. Instead of simply leaving the

audience totally depressed, the tragic ending produces a catharsis or an emotional


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release for the audience at the end, a common experience that is shared by theaudience.

The tragic hero portrayed in the Greek and Elizabethan traditions were strictly larger

than life, people who are very important in society, forexample kings and generals.

However, this portrayal lead to a change in trend in 20th century drama where middle

class and laboring-class characters were often portrayed as the victims of social,heredity, and environmental forces. Aristotle identified the emotional effect of

tragedy as the arousal of pity and fear. However, these basic emotions include a wide

range of response forexample understanding, pity admiration, dread and terror.

Take a few minutes to jot down some notes on tragedies according to the

list below to check if you have got all the key points. SELF

CHECK

1. Plot

2. Tragic hero

3. Tragic flaw

4. Mood of play

5. Ending of play

6. Feelings evoked in the audience

7. General themes

4.2 COMEDY

A Comedyis usually a light-hearted type of drama that has a happy ending. The main

aim is to amuse and make people laugh while at the same time provoke some thought

about human weakness and limitations. Comedies can be both critical and playful at

the same time. Instead of raising moral and philosophical issues like tragedies do,

comedies portray and examine human beings in social relationships. Instead of

portraying the noble aspects of thehuman condition as tragedies do, comedies portray

the weaknesses of human beings by showing them as 'selfish, hypocritical, vain,weak, irrational and capable of self-delusion' (Kirzner & Mandell, 2004:607)

The plot of comedies are usually more complicated that the plots of tragedies which

usually have a more straight-forward plot. The plot of comedies depend on theexperiences of its characters in over-coming all sorts of obstacles such as mistaken

identities, confusion, misinterpretation of events, objections from other characters,inappropriate disguises, coincidences and accidental discoveries and so forth.


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Before the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C, comedies often satirized religious and socialsituations of that time and contained a rather crude form of humour. This type of

comedy based on satire was called Old Comedy. After this era, a comedies that dealtwith romantic situations with outrageous plots and situations became more popular

and is known as New comedy. You might want to note that these terms are different

from High Comedy, which refers to a brand of comedy that appeals to the intellect

and Low Comedy whichhas very little intellectual appeal such as farce. Althoughfarce is considered as a distinct dramatic type, it is basically a type of comedy that is

aimed at getting people to laugh by using crude humour and ways such as violent

conflicts, pranks, physical actions and ridiculous situations. The old television show,

'TheThree Stooges' could be considered as an example of farce.

The black comedy or dark comedy is a product of the20th century. This form of

comedy relies on the portrayal of serious and tragic issues like death, war and poverty

in humourous or morbid situations. They deal with anti-heroes, who instead of

portraying a dignified and strong character, usually appear to be weak, void of any

moral fibre and lack intergrity.

Take a few minutes to jot down some notes on comedies according tothe list below to check if you have got all the key points. SELF

CHECK

1. Plot

2. Types of comedies

3. Mood of play

4. Ending of play

5. Feelings evoked in the audience

7. General themes

4.3 TRAGICOMEDY

Tragicomedy isanother type of drama about which you should know. As the term

suggests, tragicomedies share theelements of both tragedy and comedy. They 'have aserious theme appropriate for tragedy but it is usually potrayed in a lighter mood and

have a happy ending, usually because of a sudden turn ofevents' (Kirzner & Mandell,2004:606). The protagonist would usually resemble or possess some of the main

characteristics and virtues of the classical tragic hero and find himself in a similarpredicament but he would usually be spared the tragic ending that would often befall

the tragic hero. A good example of a tragicomedy would be, 'The Merchant of

Venice' by William Shakespeare in which a noble Venetian merchant is put in a

predicament by a loan which he is unable to pay to a money-lender who in turn


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demands that he settle his loan with a pound of his own flesh. The merchant,however, is saved eventually, by the clever antics ofhis beloved who is disguised as a

male lawyer.

Tick [/] the similar characteristics shared by tragicomedies with tragediesand comedies. TASK

Feature Tragedies Comedies

Theme

Main character

Mood

Ending

4.4 MELODRAMA

Melodramais a type of drama that arouses theemotions of fear, pity, excitement and

amusement through a rather simplistic manner. The plot is the most important

element in melodrama. Character development and themes are of less importance.

Melodramas portray a world and characters that are rather flat and clearly

distinguishable. For example, the hero will be all good, nice and proper and the

villains would be totally evil, diabolical and have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

The conflicts would be caused by the villain and thehero would have to deal with it.

In theend thehero would usually win and good will restored overevil. Forexample,

many films such as James Bond, Rambo and Superman and as such will fit verynicely into this form.

List 3 films that you have watched before that would qualify as

melodrama. YOUR

IDEA

i. ______________________________

ii. ______________________________

iii. ______________________________

4.5 THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

Theatre of the Absurd as the term suggests is a type of theater, which presents

characters are removed from any religious and philosophical roots and live in

meaningless isolation in a non-realistic world. The underlying assumption to this type

of drama is, 'thehuman condition is irrational' (Kirzner & Mandell, 2004:610). This


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type of drama presents the audience with a string of disjointed actions and exchangesthat do not really lead to anything. Hence, one might not be able to find any sort of

plot structure in it nor any type of a meaningful ending. The series of repeatedmeaningless events or ideas are meant to reinforce the idea that real life is

meaningless and the universe in which we live simply cannot be deciphered nor

understood. You might want to read, 'Waiting for Godot' by Samuel Beckett if you

would like to have a 'taste' of this type of drama.

What is your personal opinion on the underlying philosophy of the theatre

of the absurd which claims that thehuman condition is irrational? Please

provide a reason for your answer.

YOUR

IDEA

You can access the website stated below and key in theheadings ofthe various types of popular western drama in the search box to

further deepen your understanding.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

WEBSITE

5. ELEMENTS IN DRAMA

Now that you know some things about the types of drama, you will find it interesting

to know the elements of drama and how they all combine and function together to

make drama interesting. Go through the list below. You may have already come

across some of these terms in yourearlier chapters.

5.1 PLOT

Plot is the sequence ofevents or incidents of which the story is composed.The plot

structure of drama is quite similar to that of prose. It has an introduction or

exposition, rising action which is punctuated orescalated by conflict, a climax, falling

action and a resolution or dnouement. While the main plot is developing a sub-plot

could be introduced in a play. The function of the sub-plot is to reinforce the

elements and themes found in the main plot. It either parallels the main plot or serves

as a contrast to it. In addition to these, flashbacks (recalling past events) and

foreshadowing (hinting at what is to come) may also be incorporated into the plotand their function is similar to those found in prose. A good plot should haveArtisticUnity where the action and scenes are focused and well arranged and nothing

irrelevant to the plot is present. Another important aspect is calledPlot Manipulation where a good plot does not have any unjustified or unexpected turns or twists, no false

leads, no deliberate and misleading information that interferes or is irrelevant to the

story line.


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Write the corresponding number beside the description of a plot structure

in the table provided below. TASK

Description Number

Falling action

Climax

Exposition

Denouement

Rising action / conflict

5.2 DRAMATIC CONFLICT

Dramatic Conflict is a clash of actions, ideas, desires or wills. A conflict canoccur between:

a. person against another person or others

b. person against environment - external force, physical nature, society,

or fate or God.

c. person against him/herself - conflict with someelement in her/his

own nature; maybe physical,

psychological, emotional or moral.

1

2

3

4

5


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Provi e a real li e example for each t pe of dramatic conflict mentionedbelow. YOUR

.3 E I I

) P i , i il

The protagoni ti the central characterin a play. He or she could be a sympathetic orunsympathetic character. The forces working againstthe protagonist whetherthey are

persons, things, conventions of society, or personaltraits oftheir own character, arethe antagonists.

A foilis a characterthat shows contrasting characteristics from another characterin aplay. The contrast created by the foil helps to highlightthe charactertraits ofthe

other character.

) i l i l ?

Character is revealed primarily by what a character does and says. To getto know a

character we can examinethemotivation, obsta les, and whatthe person does or will

do to get around the obstacle.

Person VS

Environment:................

Person VS Others:....................

Person VS Self:....................

My Examples

are.........


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Characters in a play can be understood by the following ways.

i. Direct Presentation - the playwright tells us straight out in his stage directionsor through another character description.

ii. Indirect Presentation - the playwright shows us the character in action; the

reader or audience infers what a character is like from what she/he thinks, orsays, or does. These are also called dramatized characters and they are

generally consistent (in behavior), motivated (convincing), and plausible

(lifelike).

c Types of characters

The types of characters can be classified in the following manner. This is similar towhat you would have learnt in the chapter on prose.

y A flat character is known by one or two traits;

y A round character is complex and multi-sided;

y A stock character is a stereotyped character (a mad scientist, the absent-

minded professor, the cruel mother-in-law);

y A static character remains the same from the beginning of the plot to theend;

y A Dynamic (developing) character undergoes permanent change.This change

must be:

a. within the possibilities of the character;

b. sufficiently motivated;c. allowed sufficient time for change.

It is interesting to note that the best characters that have made an impression in plays

over time remain somewhat of a mystery. A character laid out clearly, rationally, andfully explained is not only impossible, but dull and implausible.

5.4 THEME

The theme of the play is the central unifying idea or the controlling idea about the

play that emerges from the overall components of the play such as the characters,action, images and so forth. It can account for all the major details of the story and not

be contradicted by any detail of the story.

A theme can be a revelation of human character; may be stated briefly or at greatlength it is not the "moral" of the story.


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'When you write about theme, you need to do more than tell what happens in thestory. The theme that you identify should be a general idea that extends beyond the

story and applies to the world outside fiction'. (Kirzner & Mandell, 2004:241)

Compare these two statements about, "An Inspector Calls" by J. Priestly.

Priestly's, "An Inspector Calls" is about an irresponsible, status conscious, wealthybusinessman's family that causes the suicide of a poor young working girl.

Priestly's, "An Inspector Calls" suggests that social irresponsibility and an

obsession with social class and status can bring ruin to the lives of many in a

society.

The first simply tells one what happened in the play or the plot while the secondidentifies the theme or the message of the play, which is a comment about thehuman

condition in general.

Re write the following statement about A Village by the Sea into atheme. TASK

A Village by the Sea is about a young boy called Hari who leaves his family to go

to the city and comes back with lots of ideas to help his family.

Anita Desais novel, A Village by the Sea suggests that..............

5.5 DRAMATIC OR OBJECTIVE POINT OF VIEW

The point of view in drama is known as the Objective or Dramatic Point of View.

Unlike points of view in prose, the point of view in drama displays authorial

objectivity. This can be compared to a movie camera capturing events and speech as

it happens. Very little of the past or the future is given and theevents unfold as they

happen.


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6 DRAMATIC DEVICES

6.1 DRAMATIC IRONY

This term that refers to some sort of a discrepancy or incongruity or contrast between

what the audience knows to be true and what a character in a play believes or says. It

should not be confused with sarcasm which is simply language designed to cause

ridicule and hurt. For example, when Little Red Riding Hood walks into her

"grandmother's" cottage, where the disguised wolf is waiting, announcing happily that

she has brought her some "goodies", the audience knows that in that situation the

"goodies" actually refer to Red Riding Hood, a fact that is not realised by the little girl

at that time.

6.2 MONOLOGUE

Sometimes in a play, 'in addition to speaking to others, characters sometimes talk to

an absent or unspeaking listener'(Standford,J. 2003:33). This is to let the audience

know the intentions or the thoughts of the character. It also helps to keep the

audience on the 'right tract' as well as to advance the plot.

6.3 SOLILOQUY

Another device that is quite similar to a monologue is a soliloquy where 'a charactermay directly address the audience, or a character might speak thoughts aloud without

any acknowledgement that an audience is there.This allows the audience a chance tohear the uncensored thoughts of the character, thoughts that are shaped by the

interaction with another character in the play. (Standford,J.2003:33)

6.4 COMIC RELIEF

Comic relief 'in tragedies or other serious work, is a humourous incident, action, or

remark that relieves emotional tension. The contrast offered by comic relief can

actually heighten the emotional impact of a dramatic scene or broaden its

implications'. (Morner,K. & Rausch, R., 1998: 40)


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Label the following descriptions of dramatic functions with the dramatic

devises listed below.

DRAMATIC IRONY, MONOLOGUE, SOLILOQUY, COMIC RELIEF

TASK

SUMMARY

In this topic we looked at a briefhistory of drama and its evolution over the years and

the factors affecting its growth as an art form that has diverisfied into the many forms

that we consider as drama today. Wehave also studied the basic elements involved in

the production and interpretation of drama as a literary form.

.

d

To allow the audience to knowthe intentions of a character and to

advance the plot

c

To allow the audience to infer ameaning beyond what a character

realizes or intends

b

To heighten the emotionalimpact of the dramatic scene

a

To allow the audience thechance to listen to the uncensoredthoughts of a character


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Documents

The Study of Drama - Modle for Drama Club