Introduction to Drama
Definition
 Unlike short stories or
novels, plays are
written for the express
purpose of
performance.
Definition
 Actors play roles and
present the storyline
through dialogue,
action, and gestures.
Definitions
For the most part, plays have no narrators.
(There are a few notable exceptions to this
rule.)
The audience must glean critical
information from the action on stage.
Dealing with Details
Unlike novels or short stories, plays have
special features.
– Plays are divided into acts and scenes.
– Scripts feature lists of characters and stage
directions which require the reader to pause
and visualize the set up.
– Readers and actors must pay close attention to
the dialogue in order to understand the
characters and action.
Important Terms
 Monologue – an extended speech by one
character.
 Soliloquy – an extended speech by one character,
alone on stage. Soliloquies are used to express
the private thoughts of one character.
 Aside – a character’s direct address to the
audience, which is not heard by the other
characters.
 Monologues,
soliloquies, and asides
are dramatic
techniques that
provide direct insight
into motives,
attitudes, and overall
tone.
 These techniques
function like a
fictional narrator.
Two Basic “Flavors”
 Comedy
Comedies are
dramatic works which
use humor to explore
various themes and
characters. Comedies
usually end on a
happy note.
 Tragedy
Tragedies treat serious
subjects and often
focus on the tragic
hero’s character.
Tragedies usually end
with death.
More Terms
 Dramatic Irony
– Playwrights use dramatic irony when they allow the
audience to know more than the characters do about a
specific situation or incident.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the audience hears the
fiendish plot of Claudius and Laërtes. Both are
determined to see Hamlet dead. Moments later, Hamlet
responds to news of the King’s great wager and his
own impending duel with Laërtes by saying, “[…] how
ill all’s here about my heart” (V.ii. 186).
Key Terms
Melodrama
– This nineteenth century view of drama appeals
to the emotions. Based on stock characters
who are either villainous or virtuous, these
sensational plays have happy endings.
– Like many contemporary television shows,
melodramas feature static characters who deal
with the world but fail to experience real
growth, development, or insight.
Key Terms
Realism
– Realistic drama deals frankly with social
issues and contemporary life. Instead of
focusing on the lives of kings or great heroes,
these dramas present a look at ordinary people
and everyday problems.
Key Terms
Effects of Realism
– Realism requires a shift away from painted
backdrops and scenery.
– The result is the “box set” which utilizes three,
more or less, solid walls. The fourth “wall”
remains open to the audience.
– Sets are decorated with real furniture.
– New methods make changing scenery faster.
Key Terms
Naturalism
– Like realism, naturalism developed in
response to the sentimental and sensational
melodramas that were popular in the
nineteenth century.
– Using realistic plots, naturalism explores the
forces that influence the human condition.
Key Terms
Satire
– The term satire refers to social criticism that is
cloaked in comedy and used to ridicule social
institutions and figureheads.
Farce
– The term farce refers to comedy that lapses
into ludicrous, improbable plots, mockery, and
even slapstick.
Plot
The overall storyline and sequence of
events is known as the plot.
Elements of Plot
Exposition – introduces the characters,
setting and basic situation.
Rising action – presents the central
conflict, complications, suspense and
crisis.
Climax – the point of greatest tension.
Elements of Plot
Falling action – subsiding intensity.
Denouement – the resolution which ties up
loose ends and concludes the action.
Reading Drama
Pay particular attention to the overall plot.
– What are the major conflicts or issues?
– When does the climax occur?
– What force or forces seem to be at work in the
play, moving the action along?
 Pay close attention to
characters.
– Who are the central
characters?
– What do you know
about their
personalities? How do
you know this
information?
– What are the
characters’ strengths
and weaknesses?
Photo credit: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. Cornell
Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts.
Recognizing the Theme
Most written works have a central theme
and several additional themes.
–Try to identify the central theme.
–Back up your interpretation with
examples from the text.
 If possible, watch a
production of the play
you’ve been reading.
 How does the
production correspond
to your reading? How
does it differ?