Components of Drama Notes
_______ - 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.
________________ - A type of drama that is humorous and often has a happy ending.
_______________ - A type of comedic play using buffoonery and horseplay and typically
including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.
*It takes stereotypes to the ____________________ in order to be ridiculous
___________________ - A play in which a main character suffers a downfall. The downfall
may result from outside forces or from a weakness within the character.
____________________________ - 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.
________________________ - Conversation between characters in a literary work. Dialogue
can contribute to characterization, create mood, advance the plot and develop theme.
____________________ - A subdivision of an act in a play. Each scene usually takes place in a
specific setting and time.
____________________ - The text of a drama (play), film or broadcast.
_____________________________________ - 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.
_________________________ - A long speech by a character in a literary work, especially a
drama.
_________________________ - 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.
______________________ - A remark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be
heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play
_________________ - The sequence of events in a story, play, or narrative poem. A plot
revolves around a central conflict faced by the main characters.
________________________ - The problem faced by the main characters in a play.
_____________________________________ - This exists when a character struggles against
some outside force, such as another person, nature, society, or fate.
____________________________________ - This exists within the mind of a character who is
torn between opposing feelings or goals.
PLOT
Don’t forget! Just like any story or narrative poem, a play will follow a basic plot diagram
pattern….
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_____________________ (Introduction)
Rising Action
Climax (the point of ______________________ emotional intensity)
Falling Action
_______________________________ (Denouement)
__________________________________ - A theme which is expressed directly in a work of
literature.
__________________________________ - A theme that is revealed gradually through elements
such as plot, character, setting, point of view, symbol and irony.
________________
Motif is an object or idea that _________________ itself throughout a literary work.
What are the Motifs in “A Marriage Proposal?”
1. The use of “__________________” – the author is making the point that the characters
are making a show of being considerate of one another; all the while they are actually
being very rude to one another by accusing each other of petty things.
2. The use of the characters _________________________________ – again, the author is
making a point of the characters being outwardly polite, but in all actuality the characters
are being anything but polite to one another…..
3. Lomov’s hypochondric concern over his _____________________. A heart represents
the seat of the emotions, and it could be interpreted that his love is breaking all the way
through the play. This adds to the dramatic irony since the audience is aware that Lomov
is not actually in love with Natalia.
_________________________ - A figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that
their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a
situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple
words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality.
There are 3 different types of IRONY –
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________________________ – when the situation itself is ironic...when a student
chuckles at someone else for failing a quiz, without realizing that they themselves failed
the same quiz. The key in situational irony is a reversal of what was expected versus
what actually happens.
_________________________ – when someone says something that they do not
mean….for example, in response to a foolish idea, we say, “what a great idea!”
__________________________ – this is used in literature (but not in real life) In
dramatic irony, the characters are oblivious of the situation but the audience is not. For
example, in “Romeo and Juliet”, we know much before the characters that they are going
to die.
Examples of Dramatic Irony
In Antigone, ___________________________________________________________ that
Antigone will kill herself once in the tomb, but Creon (thinking that she is still alive within the
stone vault goes to ‘rescue’ her) – only to end up finding a dead Antigone and witness his
grieving son commit suicide…this is dramatic irony.
In “A Marriage Proposal,” when Lomov comes to propose, Chubokov blesses the
marriage….only to have Natalia start a fight with Lomov and drive him
away….______________________________________________________________ Lomov’s
true purpose, but Natalia does not…..this is dramatic irony.