LIFE IS FULL OF DRAMA
APPRECIATING
DRAMA
Prepared by:
Ms. Jenica Sofia Ariola
INTRODUCTION
The literary form of drama blends live performance in a
communal setting with the literary craft of storytelling (and
frequently poetry). Drama has been used as a ritualistic kind of
entertainment and to entertain and amuse audiences while
also bringing communities together and questioning social
norms.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module, you are able to:
1. Define drama.
2. Identify the different elements, types and other forms of
drama.
3. Appreciate the origin, benefits, and characteristics of good
drama through an analysis.
4. Create a radio play using the given criteria and guidelines.
CORE CONTENT
Drama
-The word "drama” comes from the Greek words δρᾶμα (an
act, a play) and δράω (to act, to take action).
Dramas are typically called plays, and their creators are
known as “playwrights” or “dramatists.”
As an art form, it is a literary composition meant to be on
stage.
In literature, it is the portrayal of fictional or non-fictional
events through the performance of written dialog (either
prose or poetry).
Origin & Development of Drama
1. Ancient Drama
About 2000 BCE, drama existed and was deeply rooted in
religious ceremonies.
The drama was truly freed from religious ritual to become an
art form in Greece in the 6th century BCE.
2. Medieval Drama
Began a new cycle of development that paralleled the
emergence of the theatre from ritual activity in the early
Greek period.
Mystery play, Morality Play, Secular Drama
3. Renaissance Drama
Known as early modern English theatre or Elizabethan
theatre in England between 1562 and 1642.
Most European countries had established native traditions
of religious drama and farce.
4. 17th, 18th, 19th centuries and Modern Drama
17th century- the focus of the drama is more on the religious
influences and various classical tragedies
18th century- there was a proliferation of comedy of
manners
19thcentury –romantic drama was introduced to the
audience
Some of the modern drama themes include social drama,
nationalism, realism, the play of ideas, romanticism,
impressionism, and expressionism
5. Oriental Drama
These dramas are from Asian countries. The drama
originated as an elaboration of liturgical practices. Asian
actors long ago rejected realistic presentation in favor of
abstraction and symbolism.
6. Philippine Drama
Drama is widely welcomed by artists. Some Philippine
dramas became part of Philippine culture and history like
cenakulo, comedia or moro-moro, morionnes, sarswela, and
ati-atihan.
Elements of Drama
1. Setting. It provides the physical and social contexts in which the
action of the story is laid and includes time, place & the social
environment that frames the characters.
2. Characters. These are the persons represented in a dramatic or
narrative work. There are different classifications of characters
such as flat, round, protagonist, antagonist, deuteragonist,
stock, and raisonneur. A flat character is built on a single idea or
quality that remains unchanged throughout the story. A round
character is complex and capable of growth and change during
the narrative. The protagonist is the main character or the hero
in the story. The antagonist opposes the main characters or the
villain. Deuteragonist is the character who supported the hero
throughout the narrative. Stock characters are character types
that occur repeatedly in comedies. Raisonneur is a character
who serves as the mouthpiece of the playwright and tells the
audience certain truths relating to the plot.
3. Plot. It refers to the pattern of events in a play and provides an
organic unity to the play.
a. Exposition introduces some major elements such as setting,
characters, etc. It aims at giving all the information essential
for the proper understanding of the play. The exposition
should end with the “inciting incident” – the event that
starts the main conflict of the story.
b. Rising Action explores the story’s conflict up until its climax.
Usually, things get worse in this part of the story:
c. Climax is the turning point and the peak of the story which
the balance begins to learn decisively to one or the other
side.
d. Falling Action explores the aftermath of the climax and
determines whether the play is going to end happily or
unhappily.
e. Resolution involves tying up the loose ends of the climax
and falling action. It is a frequently used term for the
outcome of the plot.
1. Theme. It refers to the recurrent idea and the main concept of
the story.. It is usually implied and gets revealed as the action
progresses.
2. Style. Involves the playwright's method of presentation. There
is a variety of styles like realistic, naturalistic, symbolic, and
expressionistic. The realistic style attempts to portray a
convincing replica of real-life situations and tries to create an
illusion of reality on the stage. Naturalists believe that man’s
fortunes and character was determined by natural forces like
heredity and environment. Symbolists are interested in the
spiritual realm of man’s being, his dreams, fears, and fantasies.
3. Dialogue. It is the conversation and the means through which
an idea is communicated. It reveals the nature and attitude of
the character.
4. Conflict. It is the struggle between two opposing forces which
also drives the plot forward and creates tension.
a. Man vs. self is an internal conflict that comes within the
character himself/herself self-and when a character must
overcome his weaknesses or fears.
b. Man vs. man is a common type of conflict in which one
character’s needs or wants are at odds with another’s.
c. Man vs. nature is a type of conflict in which the character is
set in opposition to nature. This can mean the weather, the
wilderness, a hurricane, an avalanche, or a natural disaster.
d. Man vs. supernatural is a conflict against ghosts, gods,
demons, aliens, or something that cannot be explained by
logic or science.
e. Man vs. technology is a conflict in which a character faces
technology such as a robot, a machine, or a mechanical
failure
f. Man vs. society is an external conflict that occurs when the
character opposes the society, the government, or a
cultural tradition or societal norm.
Types of Drama
1.Tragedy is a serious play that deals with the misfortunes and
sufferings of man.
Example: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
2.Comedy is a genre of dramatic performance having a light or
humorous tone that depicts amusing incidents and in which the
characters ultimately triumph over adversity.
Example: As You like it by William Shakespeare
3.Tragic Comedy is a type of drama which inter-mingled the
characters, subject matter and plot forms of tragedy and comedy.
Example: The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
4.Farce is a light dramatic work with improbable plot and
exaggerated characters.
Example: Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
5.Problem Play is a type of drama that developed in the 19th
century to deal with controversial social issues in a realistic
manner, to expose social ills, and to stimulate thought and
discussion on the part of the audience.
Example: An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen
Benefits of Drama
1. Physical
Physical Fitness
2. Emotional
Empathy
Emotional outlet
Self-confidence
Fun
Trust
Aesthetic Appreciation
2. Mental
Imagination
Concentration skills
Problem-solving
Relaxation
Discipline
Memory
3. Social
Social Awareness
Cooperation and Collaboration
Qualities of Good Drama
In 335 B.C. Aristotle released the first how-to book on playwriting.
In his work, "Poetics," he says a good play has six characteristics:
plot, characters, theme, language, music, and spectacle. These
elements have formed the backbone of successful plays through
the centuries and continue to be important to playwrights today.
1. The All-Encompassing Plot
Plot is communicated through the telling of the story and is made
up of every action in the play. Plot encompasses all the problems
that characters face, whether internal or external. The playwright
organizes events to create suspension and tension, to tease the
audience and keep them interested. For example, the plot of "The
Miracle Worker" is that teacher Anne Sullivan must teach Helen
Keller, who is deaf, dumb and blind, how to communicate and
function in the world.
2. Character Development
Characters are those who act out the plot and deal with the
problems and conflict of the plot. This is one of the most easily
recognized aspects of drama because they are the people who
populate the stage. For example, the characters in Tennessee
Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" are Amanda Wingfield, Tom
Wingfield, Laura Wingfield and Jim O'Connor. Characters need to
be compelling, people that audiences are interested in learning
more about. Good characters are likable or have charisma -- even
if they are villains -- and do great things.
3. The Theme's the Thing
The theme is what the play is actually about, the abstract idea or
metaphor of the play. It is the issue that the plot and characters
examine. A good play might have multiple themes, but it will have
one overriding idea that dominates the story. For example, the
overriding theme in Shakespeare's "Othello" is jealousy, but it also
deals with manipulation, racism, sexism, revenge, and violence.
4. Dramatic Language
Aristotle insisted that drama is told with heightened language. This
can take such forms as Shakespeare's iambic pentameter or David
Mamet's clipped, interrupted speech patterns. Heightened
language is a theatrical convention, and it often makes use of
symbolism, exaggerated speech, or poetry.
5. Sound and Music
There is a melody and rhythm to a play that speaks to how the
story is told. Music is how the play sounds, and it can be either how
the dialogue is delivered or the more literal meaning of song and
music such as found in musical theater. It also encompasses sound
effects, the voices of the actors or instrumental music played as a
score.
6. Spectacle Brings a Play to Life
Spectacle is what separates a play from a novel or short story.
Plays are not meant to be read, but to be seen and heard. They
come to life with actors, costumes, sets, lights and sound. A
playwright includes stage directions, notes about props and even
descriptions of costumes when they are important. Some
productions, such as "Phantom of the Opera," rely more on
spectacle than such a show as "Waiting for Godot."
The Storm
A Short Drama
By: Jenica Sofia Ariola
Narrator: On a stormy Wednesday, Lucas was sipping his cup of
coffee while staring at his mom, smiling and slowly murmuring to
himself: "I'm the luckiest child in the world, how could she
effortlessly do all these things effortlessly.?"
Mom: Oh, my dear Lucas, you're there, having your morning colors.
What would you like to eat for breakfast?
Lucas: Mom, there's nothing more in this world that could bring
this color in me, but you.
Mom: That's so sweet of you, my son. Here's your toasted buttered
sandwich. I'll get ready now.
Narrator: That Wednesday morning was indeed like a lavender
haze, beautiful and aromatic, full of sweet conversations between a
mother and a son.
Mom: Lucas, I'll go to the market now. I'll be needing herbs and
spices, vegetables, some beans and fresh fruits for our dinner.
Lucas: Take care, mom. I'll be feeding the farm animals. I love you.
Mom: I love you too, my son.
Narrator: Lucas was humming in the farm, quickly spreading his
hands and showering feeds to the chickens, and then was
sprinkling some waters into the mouth of the thirsty ducks. The
pigs seemed to whimper as a lighting thunder suddenly struck the
roof of their nipa house.
Lucas: The sky looks terrible. A perfect storm might be on its way. I
wonder if mom brought an umbrella with her.
Narrator: Unbeknownst to Lucas, his mom, did not make her way to
market. A sudden rush of a demonic flood, wiped out the village of
Nazan, including the kalsesa which her mom was riding in.
Mom: This life is fleeting. I know, my life is about to end. I can't
breathe. I can't move. My son, Lucas. He only has me. And no one
else. Oh, God. Please forgive me for all of my sins. Please take care
of my son, my only treasure in this life, my Lucas.
Narrator: Lucas rushed to the market, heading to the village of
Nazan, with one of his fastest horse from their animal farm. There
he saw his mom, lying down the street, a rescuer, seemed to rescue
her, her mom, was lifeless, face was covered with mud and dirt.
Lucas: No, no. This is not you, mom. That’s not my mom!!!! Mom!!!!!!
Wake up, please. Please. Don’t leave me. I have nothing else in this
cruel world but you… Help!! Please!!! This can’t be happening… Not
to me, not to my mom. Oh God. What did we do wrong to you? How
could this thing happen?
Narrator: Lucas, crying and screaming almost wanted to end his
life, looking at the rushing darkness of flood, mud and flowing
rocks, cursing the world, questioning God.
Lucas: What am I going to do now? The farm animals, might surely
have died. I don’t have anything else now, my mom, was gone. My
life, is now meaningless.
Process Questions:
1.Are the parts of the plot connected?
2.Are the characters well-developed? What kind of characters is
present in the story?
3. What is the theme of the drama?
4. Are the dialogues engaging?
5.Are the sound effects or music relevant to the scenario?
6. What is the overall impression of the play? Was it realistic? Do
you think the story comes to life?