Structure and Elements of a Play

ARCHETYPES

What is an aside?

• In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature.
• archetype = universal symbol
• In Greek tragedies, a common archetype is the "Tragic Hero."
• literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction

LET'S TRY IT OUT!

In groups, we will act out a scene from "Spider-Man" that will have you thinking about characters, plot, and stage directions.

SOLILOQUY

• Often used in drama to reveal the innermost thoughts of a character.
• It is a speech made by a single character speaking to his or her self, not to other characters.
• These thoughts are kept secret from other characters of the play.

MONOLOGUE

• A speech by a single character, but usually addressing the audience or another character.
• Expresses a character's thoughts aloud to the public.

What is a TRAGEDY?

ASIDES

• Greek origin, dating to the 5th century BC
• Usually performed at festivals in Athens, Greece
• 3 most acclaimed Greek tragedians: Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.
• Depicts the downfall of a noble hero/heroine (protagonist)
• Fate: will of the gods
• The downfall of a protagonist through some fatal error or misjudgment
• Produces suffering/insight on the part of the protagonist and arouses pity and fear in the audience

I thought a thought.

But the thought I thought wasn’t the thought I thought I thought.

If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought, I wouldn’t have thought so much.

• a short comment or speech that a character delivers directly to the audience or to himself, while other actors on the stage cannot listen.
• Only the audience can realize that an actor has expressed speech for them.
• Simply, we can define aside as a short commentary that reveals private opinions and reactions of the character. They are commenting on what is happening in the play to reveal information to the audience.

An Example of Stage Directions

CHARACTERS

Unique New York

Unique New York

You know you need

Unique New York!

• Protagonist: the central character or leading figure in a story. A protagonist is sometimes called a “hero” by the audience. The word originally came from the Greek language and in Greek drama which refers to the person who led the chorus.
• Antagonist: a character (or a group of characters) which stand in opposition to the protagonist or the main character. The term antagonist comes from Greek word “antagonistēs” that means opponent, competitor or rival.

Sally sells seashells by the seashore.

What is a soliloquy and a monologue?

What is an archetype?

PLOT

Why are stage directions important?

An Example of Aside

What is conflict?

Structure and Elements of a Play