Types of Drama
Let us consider a few popular types of drama:
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Comedy – Comedies are lighter in tone than ordinary works, and
provide a happy conclusion. The intention of dramatists in comedies is
to make their audience laugh. Hence, they use quaint circumstances,
unusual characters, and witty remarks.
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Light-hearted tone
Clever wordplay or turns of phrase
Serious topics addressed in a humorous way
Comical misunderstandings
Happy ending
Silly, offbeat characters
Often ends with a wedding, especially in romantic comedies
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Tragedy – Tragic dramas use darker themes, such as disaster, pain,
and death. Protagonists often have a tragic flaw — a characteristic that
leads them to their downfall.
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A protagonist with a tragic flaw
Circumstances that quickly get out of control – and not in a funny way
Darker themes than a melodrama, such as human suffering, hatred, or poverty
Features the downfall of a previously heroic or well-liked character
An irredeemable ending that results in one or more characters’ deaths
Reaches a tragic catharsis
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Farce – Generally, a farce is a nonsensical genre of drama, which often
overacts or engages slapstick humor.
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Exaggerated humor
Slapstick gags
Nonsensical storyline
Improbable events
One or two settings
Humor is often crude and inappropriate
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Melodrama – Melodrama is an exaggerated drama, which is
sensational and appeals directly to the senses of the audience. Just like
the farce, the characters are of a single dimension and simple, or may
be stereotyped.
Character tropes such as heroes, heroines, villains, mentors, etc.
Sweeping stories of romance or serious topics
Larger-than-life plots and circumstances (or very small stories told in big ways)
Exaggerated character reactions
Clear literary themes
Flawed characters who must overcome their faults in order to reach their
resolution
● Ending that is sometimes happy, sometimes unhappy
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Musical Drama – In musical dramas, dramatists not only tell their
stories through acting and dialogue, but through dance as well as
music. Often the story may be comedic, though it may also involve
serious subjects.
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Periods of standard storyline interrupted by songs
Characters often singing in unison to express feelings
Songs as plot-changing devices
Dramatic or comedic storylines
Catchy, distinctive musical score
Often lots of singing and dancing
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Tragicomedy
When you combine the elements of a comedy and a tragedy, you get a tragicomedy!
Tragicomedies are more complex than a drama with a few jokes, or a comedy with a
serious scene. Some ways to tell if you’re watching a tragicomedy are if it has:
A serious storyline told in a humorous, sardonic, or snide way
Tragically flawed characters whose actions don’t result in death
An ambiguous theme
Broad characters who act in classically comical ways
Neither a happy nor a comic ending