DRAMA
DRAMA
VOCABULARY
Drama – a story performed by actors
Actor – someone who performs a part in a drama
Character – the role of someone in a drama
Protagonist
Main character
Antagonist
A character who opposes the main
character
DRAMATIC FOIL
A person who plays opposite the main character to
develop his personality by contrast.
A foil is much like the twin character in class, rank, and
background; but has opposing characteristics that
provide a mirror to those of the main character.
In some instances the foil keeps the protagonist from
achieving his goals — the protagonist is foiled by the
contrasting character.
TYPES OF DRAMA
Tragedy
Ends in catastrophe for the main character
Comedy
Has a happy ending
Farce
Exaggerated situations
Improbable situations
Physical humor
DIALOGUE
Dialogue – a conversation between actors in a drama
Types of Dialogue
Monologue - an actor making a rather lengthy
speech to other characters on stage
Soliloquy - an actor making a rather lengthy
speech alone on the stage
Aside - an actor speaking only to the audience. The other actors on
stage presumably cannot hear
Upstage
Right
Left
Center
Stage
Downstage
Audience
DIVISIONS
IN A DRAMA
Act
Large division of a drama
Scene
Smaller division of a drama
Purpose
To move the action
Location
Time
STAGING NOTES
Set – the props and scenery used on the stage
Stage Directions – notes written by the author which tell
how a drama should be performed
IRONY
Verbal
Dramatic
Situational
VERBAL IRONY
Definition - words are used to express the opposite of
what they mean
Examples
Hot
Cool
Sweet
Beast
DRAMATIC IRONY
Definition - there is a contradiction between what the
character thinks and what the audience knows to be true
(The audience knows something the characters do not.)
Example
Monster lurking behind a door in a movie
SITUATIONAL IRONY
Definition - an event occurs which directly contradicts
the expectations of the characters and the audience
(Both the audience and the characters are surprised by
the outcome.)
Example
In “A Christmas Carol” Scrooge ends up loving Christmas
I hate people
who hate
Christmas!
DRAMA TECHNIQUES
Flashback
Foreshadowing
Suspense
Parody
FLASHBACK
Definition – a section of a literary work that interrupts
the sequence of events to relate an event from an earlier
time
I remember
that day; it
was the
saddest of
my life!
FORESHADOWING
Definition - the use of clues that suggest events that
have yet to occur (used to create suspense )
SUSPENSE
Definition – a feeling of curiosity or uncertainty about
the outcome of events
What’s
going to
happen
next?
I can’t
stand it!
PARODY
Definition - a work done in imitation of another, usually
to mock it
Examples
Scary Movie
Weird Al
HAMLET
Written by William Shakespeare
Setting – Denmark
Themes
Betrayal
Revenge
FAMOUS LINES FROM
HAMLET
"To be, or not to be“
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”
“The lady doth protest too much.”
“To thine ownself be true.”
“There’s something rotten in the state of
Denmark.”