Unit 4: Renaissance Drama
Drama
Drama, instead of telling us the
whole of a man’s life, must
place him in such a situation, tie
such a knot, that when it is
untied, the whole man is visible.
—Leo Tolstoy
What is drama?
• Drama is a story told through characters
played by actors.
How is drama different
from other literary genres?
• Drama, unlike other types of literature, has the
element of spectacle.
• Spectacle is the visual portrayal of meaning.
• To achieve spectacle, drama features unique
elements, such as
– lighting and costumes
– set design and props
– music and sound effects
Who are your
favorite dramatists?
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William Shakespeare
August Wilson
Lorraine Hansberry
Arthur Miller
Henrik Ibsen
Eugene O’Neill
Oscar Wilde
Wendy Wasserstein
What are the purposes
of drama?
• Drama can
– entertain viewers
– enlighten viewers by sharing the human condition
or experience
– help viewers gain insight into themselves and
others
– teach viewers empathy
– allow viewers to explore other visions of the world
Types of Drama
• Most dramas can be categorized as either
comedy or tragedy.
– These classifications date back to the 5th century
BCE in Greece.
• However, the distinctions between these two
types of drama have
changed since earlier
times.
Ancient Greek Comedies
• Ancient Greek comedies were satires that
mocked public figures for their foolish ways in
solving problems.
– Actors portrayed these figures as buffoons.
• Public institutions and stereotypes were also
made into objects of ridicule.
– This was done through the
recitation of dialogue and the
singing of bawdy songs.
Shakespeare’s Comedies
• During the English Renaissance (1485–1642),
Shakespeare led a revival in drama and wrote
several comedies.
– These comedies were typically lighthearted works
that touched on serious themes.
– Action in Shakespeare’s comedies usually
progressed from initial order to humorous
misunderstanding and back to order again.
– Often, his comedies ended with a
marriage.
Contemporary Comedies
• Today, the term comedy refers to any
lighthearted or humorous literary work.
• Contemporary stage comedies have
leading characters whose foolish
actions in solving problems lead to
humorous situations.
• Typically, contemporary comedies
happy endings.
have
Ancient Greek Tragedies
• Ancient Greek tragedies were stories about the
fall of strong individuals of high status, either
by their own undoing or by the hand of Fate.
• This tragic fall led to the ruination of some
aspect of the noble individual’s life, such as
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the tarnishing of virtuous character
the fracturing of relationships
the lowering of social status
the sealing of fate
Shakespeare’s Tragedies
• During the English Renaissance, Shakespeare
also wrote several tragedies.
– These tragedies closely followed the Greek tragedy
format.
– They told stories of the downfall of persons of
high status.
– The fall of these heroes was typically brought
about by some tragic flaw in their character.
– Often, these tragedies celebrated the courage and
dignity of the heroes in the face of doom.
Contemporary Tragedies
• Today, the term tragedy describes both
– a play about the downfall of a sympathetic
character, or protagonist,
and
– a story with an unhappy ending
• Contemporary stage tragedies have leading
characters that represent common individuals.
– Their weaknesses, or tragic flaws, become
apparent as the drama unfolds.
Mixed Types of Drama
• Other types of drama blur the lines between
tragedy and comedy, including
– Theater of the Absurd, in which characters are
unpredictable, situations are improbable or
meaningless, and dialogue is filled with wordplay
– melodramas, in which characters triumph over
serious or tragic circumstances in their lives
– tragi-comedies, in which the dialogue and actions
of characters provide insights into complicated
issues, such as love, relationships, or death
Dramatic Structure
• Once a playwright chooses a type of drama, he
or she must organize the script into a dramatic
structure.
• To do this, a playwright borrows elements
from fiction, such as characters, setting, and
plot structure.
• These elements are then
placed into parts unique
to drama: acts and scenes.
Acts and Scenes
• Acts are the major divisions of a play.
• Acts are often divided into scenes, or shorter
sections that usually mark changes of time and
place.
PROGRAM
ACT I
Scene 1
Scene 2
Scene 3
ACT II
Dramatic Structure:
Five-Act Play
• Most plays written in Shakespeare’s time have
a dramatic structure composed of five acts.
• For example, The Tragedy of Macbeth is a
five-act play.
Dramatic Structure:
Five-Act Play
• A five-act play has the same plot structure as a
work of fiction.
– It has an exposition, rising action, climax or crisis,
falling action, and dénouement.
• Each act is assigned to a particular part of the
plot structure.
– See the diagram on the next slide.
Dramatic Structure:
Five-Act Play
Climax or Crisis
(Act III)
Exposition
(Act I)
Inciting Incident
(Act I)
Dénouement
(Act V)
Resolution or Catastrophe
(Act V)
Five-Act Play: Act I
• Act I contains the exposition, or introduction.
– The setting and main characters are presented.
– The inciting incident (the event that sets in motion
the central conflict) is introduced.
Climax or Crisis (Act III)
Exposition
(Act I)
Inciting Incident
(Act I)
Dénouement
(Act V)
Resolution or Catastrophe
(Act V)
Five-Act Play: Act II
• Act II presents the rising action, a series of
events that complicate the plot.
– The suspense builds as the plot “thickens.”
Climax or Crisis (Act III)
Exposition
(Act I)
Inciting Incident
(Act I)
Dénouement
(Act V)
Resolution or Catastrophe
(Act V)
Five-Act Play: Act III
• In Act III, suspense peaks in the climax or
crisis, when something decisive happens to
determine the future course of events.
– This is the play’s turning point.
Climax or Crisis (Act III)
Exposition
(Act I)
Inciting Incident
(Act I)
Dénouement
(Act V)
Resolution or Catastrophe
(Act V)
Five-Act Play: Act IV
• Act IV presents the falling action—the
consequences of the action taken in the climax.
Climax or Crisis (Act III)
Exposition
(Act I)
Inciting Incident
(Act I)
Dénouement
(Act V)
Resolution or Catastrophe
(Act V)
Five-Act Play: Act V
• Act V presents the resolution or dénouement—
the event that resolves the central conflict.
– In a tragedy, this event is called the catastrophe
because it marks the fall of the central character.
Climax or Crisis (Act III)
Exposition
(Act I)
Inciting Incident
(Act I)
Dénouement
(Act V)
Resolution or Catastrophe
(Act V)
Dramatic Characters
• Aside from plot structure, dramas also share
another similarity with a work of fiction: the
actions and dialogue of characters.
• However, unlike fiction, drama brings these
characters to life by having actors portray them
on stage.
Dramatic Characters
• By watching these stage actors, viewers can
see and hear the many facets of the play’s
characters, including their
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personalities
motives
emotional states
relationships
attitudes
life experiences
Dramatic Characters
• Dramatic characters also share other
similarities with characters in a work of
fiction. They can be classified as
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major or minor characters
protagonists or antagonists
round or flat characters
static or dynamic characters
Major Characters
• Major characters
– play important roles in the plot of a drama
– are multi-faceted or round characters
– undergo some type of change during the course of
a drama
Protagonist and Antagonist
• Major characters can be classified as
protagonists or antagonists.
• The protagonist has the central role in a
dramatic script.
• The antagonist works against the protagonist,
and this friction or tension
creates the conflict in the
story line.
Tragic Hero
and Tragic Flaw
• The tragic hero is a common protagonist in
ancient Greek and Shakespearean tragedies.
• The hero’s weakness of personality, or tragic
flaw, causes him or her to make poor choices.
• Examples of common tragic flaws are listed in
the box below.
arrogance
stubbornness
jealousy
ambition/power
indecisiveness
inaction
gullibility
hypocrisy
desire/lust
fearfulness
selfishness
vulnerability
Tragic Hero
• A tragic hero in a classical tragedy
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is frequently a male figure
is a member of the nobility or an esteemed leader
is responsible for his or her own fate
makes choices that lead to self-destruction or the
ruination of relationships
– suffers deeply, therefore inciting sympathy
from the audience
– becomes more self-aware as a result of the
suffering
Minor Characters
• Minor characters play lesser roles in a drama.
• They are flat characters who lack complexity
and typically remain unchanged throughout a
play.
• They provide insight into the major characters
by either highlighting or contrasting the
qualities of the major characters.
Foils
• Foils are minor characters whose personalities
serve to highlight the weaknesses of the main
character or tragic hero.
• In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Banquo is a foil to
Macbeth.
• For example, when a trusting Macbeth wants
to believe the evil witches’
prophecies, a dubious Banquo
warns him to be cautious.
Comic Relief
• Another type of minor character in classical
tragedy is a humorous character who provides
comic relief.
• Comic relief is a technique used by
playwrights to provide a break from the
emotional intensity of a play.
• In The Tragedy of Macbeth, the drunken
Porter who guards the gates of Macbeth’s
castle provides comic relief.
Dramatic Speech
• Because they are meant to be read out loud,
dramatic works rely primarily on the speech of
the characters to tell a story.
• Powerful dramatic speech engages the
audience with its eloquence and
emotional intensity.
Types of Dramatic Speech
• There are four types of dramatic speech that
playwrights use in their scripts:
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dialogue
monologue
soliloquy
aside
Dialogue
• A dialogue is a conversation between two or
more characters.
• Dialogue can reveal a character’s
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age
personality and mood
ethnic background
educational level
geographical roots
relationships and their status
motivations and aspirations
Dialogue and Theme
• Besides establishing characterization, dialogue
can also hint at the theme and tone of a drama.
• Theme is the central idea or perception about
life that is revealed through a literary work.
• Tone is the emotional attitude toward the
reader or toward the subject implied by a
literary work.
Theme and Motif
• Sometimes, a drama’s theme can be inferred
from the playwright’s use of a motif.
• A motif is a recurring element in one or more
works of literature or art.
• The Tragedy of Macbeth uses the motif of
disturbances in nature.
– These disturbances serve as omens.
– The turmoil of the outer natural world frequently
reflects the inner turmoil of a character.
Dialogue
• In this dialogue excerpt from Act II, scene ii,
Macbeth meets up with his wife in the
aftermath of his murderous crime.
MACBETH. I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?
LADY MACBETH. I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.
Did not you speak?
MACBETH.
When?
LADY MACBETH.
Now.
MACBETH.
As I descended?
LADY MACBETH. Aye.
—from The Tragedy of Macbeth,
by William Shakespeare
Based on the dialogue exchange between
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth shown on the
previous slide, how would you describe the tone
of this scene?
Monologue
• Another type of dramatic speech is a
monologue—a long speech made by one
character.
• This type of speech is an expression of a
character’s thoughts or feelings regarding
another character or situation.
• A monologue typically can be heard by other
characters on stage.
Monologue
• In Act III, scene ii, Macbeth ponders the
murder of Banquo.
MACBETH. We have scorch’d the snake, not kill’d it;
She’ll close and be herself, whilest our poor malice
Remains in danger of her former tooth.
But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer,
Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep
In the affliction of these terrible dreams
That shake us nightly. Better be with the dead,
Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,
—from The Tragedy of Macbeth,
by William Shakespeare
Based on Macbeth’s monologue seen on the
previous slide, what is the purpose and tone of
this speech?
What is revealed about Macbeth in this
monologue?
Soliloquy
• Soliloquy is another type of dramatic speech.
• A soliloquy is a speech that reveals a
character’s true thoughts and feelings.
• A soliloquy is delivered when the
character is alone on stage.
• Typically, a soliloquy offers an
intimate
glimpse into a character’s
emotions or mind-set.
Soliloquy
• In Act II, scene i, Macbeth wonders if he is
suffering a hallucination when he sees a
dagger in his hand.
MACBETH. Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
—from The Tragedy of Macbeth,
by William Shakespeare
Based on Macbeth’s soliloquy seen on the
previous slide, what is the purpose and tone of
this speech?
What is revealed about Macbeth in this
soliloquy?
Aside
• An aside is another type of dramatic speech.
• In an aside, a character reveals to the audience
his or her innermost thoughts and feelings
about a topic.
• This technique allows the audience—and no
other characters on stage—to hear the
character’s desires and motivations.
• This aids in the audience’s understanding of
subsequent events.
Aside
• In Act IV, scene i, Macbeth resolves to change
his behavior so that he can achieve his desires.
MACBETH. [Aside.] Time, thou anticipat’st my dread exploits:
The flighty purpose never is o’ertook
Unless the deed go with it. From this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand. And even now,
To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:
The castle of Macduff I will surprise,
—from The Tragedy of Macbeth,
by William Shakespeare
Verbal Irony
• Dramatic speech may also include the use of
verbal irony.
• Verbal irony is when a character says one thing
but means another.
• Verbal irony is similar to sarcasm.
• What examples of verbal irony
can you find in The Tragedy of
Macbeth?
Other Types of Irony
• Two other types of irony are also common in
dramas:
– Dramatic irony is when something is known by the
reader or the audience but is not known by the
characters.
– Irony of situation is when an event occurs that
violates the expectations of the characters, the
reader, or the audience.
Stage Directions
• The way in which characters deliver their lines
sets the tone for each scene in a play.
• To help actors determine how to do so, a
playwright writes stage directions that describe
how something should be performed on stage.
• Stage directions also include notes on the
staging of the play: set design, lighting,
costumes, props, music, and sound effects.
SUMMARY: Drama
• To gain a better understanding of drama, ask
yourself the following questions:
– How does the plot structure lend itself to the
content and theme of the drama?
– What are the individual roles of the dramatic
characters? What are their objectives and motives?
– How does the dramatic speech develop the
characters and advance the plot?
– What do the stage directions reveal about the
staging of the drama?