Dramatic Theory – The Poetics by Aristotle
Aristotle (384-322 BC): Greek philosopher who lived in the 4th century BC
in Athens. He was the first to analyze Drama in a book called The Poetics.
Drama or “Tragedy” (serious drama) is “an imitation of an action” that
shows rather than tells. It follows the “law of necessity,” meaning that there
is a clear cause-and-effect chain in the events of a story that are rooted in the
fundamental order of the universe. Every event of a good story resonates
with meaning, and there are no “random” events. A play can cause us to feel
fear and pity, because we can envision ourselves in this cause-and-effect
chain.
There are six parts of Drama, all related to one another, each emerging from
the most fundamental part.
6. SPECTACLE
(the visual production)
5. MUSIC (the sound)
4. DICTION (the script)
3. THOUGHT (the themes)
2. CHARACTER (the agents of action)
1. PLOT (the events of the story)
Plot: The most essential part of Drama. It is the arrangement of the
incidents, or the structure of the play. It is not simply the story, but the way
in which the story is revealed. It must have a beginning, middle, and end.
Plots may be “simple” or “complex,” although complex is better. Simple
plots have only a “change of fortune.” Complex plots also have
“recognition,” which comes upon the main character (protagonist) by
surprise and produces an effect that the character never expected or
intended. This is called Irony. There is a resulting transition from ignorance
to knowledge, usually through some kind of suffering.
Traditional Story Structure:
Climax
Rising Action
Preliminary Situation
Initial Incident
Denouement, or
Falling Action
Character: Characters are the agents of action in the story’s plot. The
characters’ personal motivations will be intricately connected to the causeand-effect chain of actions.
Thought (or Theme): This refers to the meaning, or message, being
delivered by the story. What is to be learned from the story?
Diction (or Language): This refers to the style and specific language that
is used by the characters in the story, i.e. the written script.
Music (Vocal and Musical Elements): This refers to the vocal and musical
qualities of the drama – the sound and intonation of the speech, the use of
choral speaking and singing, the music used to enhance the mood and style.
Spectacle (Visual Elements): This refers to what is seen: the scenery,
costumes, light, props, as well as movement/dance. Spectacle depends more
on the stage designer and mechanic than on the author or actor. Aristotle
said it is best to rely on the inner structure of a play rather than depend upon
spectacle to illicit an emotional response from the audience.
Irony: It can be either situational, or dramatic, or both.
Situational Irony is when there is a marked difference between what we
expect to happen, and what actually occurs.
Dramatic Irony is when the audience knows more than the characters in the
story, and this arouses the most fear and pity within us.
Katharis (also spelled “Catharsis”) is a purging of fear and pity that
happens at the end of the serious drama. We return to a healthy balanced
proportion, with greater knowledge of ourselves having experienced an
intricately constructed work of art.