The Structure of Drama

The Structure of Drama

by Shelby Parrish and Hanna Martin

• Plot- the series of related events that take place before the audience; the development and resolution of the major conflict
• Antagonist- the person or force opposing the protagonist
• Denouement- the resolution; the character's success, failure, happiness, or sadness; the logical outcome
• Soliloquy- speeches in which actors talk alone; thinking aloud about themselves and their motives or about other people situations
• Theme- the basic idea of a play which the author dramatizes through the conflicts of the characters

• Moral- a lesson or principle contained within or taught by a play
• Dialogue- the lines of a play spoken by the characters
• Action- that which happens onstage to hold the audience's attention
• Situation- a problem a challenge a character or characters must face

• Plot- the series of related events that take place before the audience; the development and resolution of the major conflict
• Antagonist- the person or force opposing the protagonist
• Denouement- the resolution; the character's success, failure, happiness, or sadness; the logical outcome
• Soliloquy- speeches in which actors talk alone; thinking aloud about themselves and their motives or about other people situations
• Theme- the basic idea of a play which the author dramatizes through the conflicts of the characters

Aristotle

Modern vs. Traditional

Aristotle was the first to introduce the key elements of theater. These are spectacle (the visible part), sound (the audible part), characters (people in the play), reasoning (the way speech presents all aspects), and plot (the action or events).

Traditional drama relied on the idea that acting is best when learned through imitation and most held on to the idea that a play needed to be organized in three or five acts. Today many plays are made in two sections with an intermission in between. Many modern playwrights have also adapted their pieces for the open stage making the audience feel more connected to the piece as though it were reality.

Summary

The Four Narrative Essentials

Methods of Characterization available to playwrights

• Moral- a lesson or principle contained within or taught by a play
• Dialogue- the lines of a play spoken by the characters
• Action- that which happens onstage to hold the audience's attention
• Situation- a problem a challenge a character or characters must face

The playwright most often uses dialogue, soliloquies, and the motivation of the character

The main essentials of a play are exposition, plot, characters, and theme. Exposition is where information is made apparent to the audience. The plot is a series of related events that take place. Characters are the people in the play. The theme is the basic idea of the play. All of these pieces are communicated through the dialogue and action in the play.

Mood vs. Atmosphere

Plot Structure

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• Preliminary Situation- the explanation of events from before the play
• Initial Incident- the first important event; leads to the development of the rest of the story
• Rising Action- the series of events following the initial incident; usually when all important
• Climax-
• Falling Action-
• Conclusion-

Theme vs. Moral

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