DRAMA OVERVIEW

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DRAMA OVERVIEW

• MORE THAN ANY OTHER LITERARY FORM, DRAMA IS A
  VISUAL COL-LABORATIVE MEDIUM, DESIGNED TO BE
  PERFORMED BY ACTORS IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE.

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DRAMA OVERVIEW

• GENERALLY SPEAKING, DRAMA IS MORE DOMINATED BY
  DIALOGUE THAN ARE FICTION POETRY.

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DRAMA OVERVIEW

• A PLAY (THE COMMON TERM FOR A DRAMATIC
  COMPOSITION) ALSO HAS A NUMBER OF DISTINGUISHING
  CON-VENTIONAL ELEMENTS (DIVISION IN-TO ACTS
  SCENES, STAGE DIREC-TIONS, A LIST OF CHARACTERS,
  AND OTHERS).

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ORIGINS OF DRAMA

• WESTERN DRAMA ORIGINATED IN ANCIENT GREECE. THE
  WORD DRAMA ITSELF COMES FROM THE GREEK
  DRANMEANING TO DO, TO ACT.

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GREEK DRAMA (cont.)

• FOR SEVERAL CENTURIES BEGINNING AROUND 530
  B.C.E., PLAYWRIGHTS COMPETED DURING RELIGIOUS
  FES-TIVALS RELATING TO DIONYSUS, GOD OF WINE
  FERTILITY.

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GREEK DRAMA (cont.)

• PLAYS CAME TO BE PERFORMED IN LARGE OUTDOOR
  AMPHITHEATERS. (THE WORD THEATER COMES FROM THE
  GREEK WORDS FOR SEEING PLACE.)

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GREEK DRAMA (cont.)

• ACTORS WORE STYLIZED MASKS THAT SYMBOLIZED THEIR
  CHARAC-TERISTICS.

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GREEK DRAMA (cont.)

• ANOTHER CONVENTION OF GREEK DRAMA WAS THE CHORUS,
  WHICH DANCED SANG BETWEEN SCENES IN THE
  ORCHESTRA (THE ROUND AREA AT THE FOOT OF THE
  AMPHITHEA-TER).

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GREEK DRAMA (cont.)

• THE CHORUS REPRESENTED THE VALUES OF THE
  COMMUNITY, AND ITS SCENE-ENDING ODES PROVIDED
  COMMENTARY ON THE PLAY AND CLUES TO WHAT WAS TO
  COME.

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GREEK DRAMA (cont.)

• ANOTHER CONVENTION WAS THE DEUS EX MACHINA (GOD
  FROM THE MACHINE)AN ELABORATE MECHANISM FOR
  LOWERING ACTORS PLAYING THE ROLES OF GODS ONTO
  THE STAGE.

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GREEK DRAMA (cont.)

• THE MOST IMPORTANT GREEK PLAY-WRIGHT WAS
  SOPHOCLES, AUTHOR OF OEDIPUS REX, CONSIDERED BY
  MANY TO BE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL DRAMA EVER
  WRITTEN.

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ROMAN DRAMA

• THOUGH ROMAN DRAMA BASICALLY ADAPTED THE
  CONVENTIONS OF GREEK DRAMA, THE PLAYWRIGHT SENECA
  (1ST CENTURY C.E.) HAD A BIG INFLUENCE ON THE
  DEVELOPMENT OF THE 5-ACT PLAY THE REVENGE
  TRAGEDIES (E.G., HAMLET) OF ELIZA-BETHAN ENGLAND.

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MEDIEVAL DRAMA

• DURING THE MIDDLE AGES (500-1350) THE CLASSICAL
  TRADITION WAS LOST, AND PLAYS BECAME VEHICLES FOR
  RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION. THE TWO MOST COMMON TYPES
  OF PLAYS WERE MIRACLE PLAYS MORALI-TY PLAYS.

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MEDIEVAL DRAMA (cont.)

• MIRACLE PLAYS DRAMATIZED BIBLE STORIES OR THE
  LIFE MARTYRDOM OF A SAINT.

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MEDIEVAL DRAMA (cont.)

• MORALITY PLAYS (SUCH AS THE 15TH-CENTURY
  EVERYMAN) DRAMATIZED ALLEGORIES OF THE CHRISTIAN
  SOUL IN QUEST OF SALVATION EMPLOYED PERSONIFIED
  ABSTRACTIONS SUCH AS SHAME, LUST, MERCY, ETC. AS
  CHARACTERS.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA

• AFTER ITS BIRTH IN ANCIENT GREECE, DRAMAS NEXT
  GREAT PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT WAS IN ENGLAND
  DUR-ING THE REIGNS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH (1558-1603)
  KING JAMES I (1603-1625).

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• EXEMPLIFIED BY THE PLAYS OF WM. SHAKESPEARE,
  DEALING LARGELY W/ THE ACTIONS, INTRIGUES,
  RO-MANCES OF KINGS, QUEENS, OTHER HIGHBORN
  CHARACTERS.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• AS IN GREEK DRAMA, NO WOMEN WERE ALLOWED ON THE
  STAGE.
• PLAYS OFTEN BLENDED ACTION, HUMOR, VIOLENCE W/
  POETRY PHILOSOPHICAL INSIGHTS.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• EARLY PLAYS WERE PERFORMED IN INNYARDS OPEN
  SPACES BETWEEN BUILDINGS.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• THEATERS WERE CIRCULAR ONLY PARTLY ROOFED, WITH
  THE AUDI-ENCE ON THE SIDES AS WELL AS IN FRONT OF
  THE RAISED STAGE.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• THEATERS HELD UP TO 2500 PEOPLE IN AN INTIMATE
  SETTING, INCLUDING 500-800 GROUNDLINGS
  (COMMON-ERS WHO STOOD IN THE PIT AT THE FOOT OF
  THE STAGE).

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• THOUGH SCENERY PROPS WERE LIMITED, COSTUMES
  SOUND EF-FECTS WERE QUITE ELABORATE.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• STAGES INCLUDED A SECOND-LEVEL BALCONY, DOORS AT
  THE BACK FOR ENTRANCES EXITS, A CURTAINED
  ALCOVE, AND A TRAP DOOR IN THE STAGE FLOOR FOR
  THE ENTRANCES EXITS OF SPIRITS.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• ONE CONVENTION WAS THE ASIDE COMMENTS DIRECTED
  ONLY TO THE AUDIENCE THAT MAKE THEM PRIVY TO A
  CHARACTERS THOUGHTS THAT ALLOW THEM TO
  PERCEIVE IRONIES INTRIGUES UNKNOWN TO OTHER
  CHARACTERS.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• ANOTHER CONVENTION WAS THE SOLILOQUY (FROM THE
  LATIN FOR TALKING TO ONESELF).

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• A SOLILOQUY, WHICH IS NOT PART OF THE DIALOGUE OF
  THE PLAY, IS A SPEECH DELIVERED BY A LONE ACTOR
  ON THE STAGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF REVEALING HIS OR
  HER THOUGHTS, MOTIVES, INNER NATURE.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS SOLI-LOQUY IS HAMLETS
  TO BE OR NOT TO BE SPEECH.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• IN ELIZABETHAN DRAMA, THE CHOR-US OF GREEK DRAMA
  EVOLVED INTO A PERSON WHO SOMETIMES SPOKE THE
  PROLOGUE EPILOGUE OF A PLAY, PROVIDING
  AUTHORIAL COM-MENTARY AS WELL AS EXPOSITION
  REGARDING THE SUBJECT, TIME, SET-TING, ETC. OF
  THE PLAY.

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ELIZABETHAN DRAMA (cont.)

• SOME PLAYS HAVE WHAT IS CALLED A CHORAL CHARACTER
  (E.G., THE FOOL IN KING LEAR) WHO STANDS APART
  FROM COMMENTS ON THE ACTION OF THE PLAY.

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MODERN DRAMA

• THE MOST POPULAR FORM OF DRAMA IN THE 19TH
  CENTURY, ESPECIALLY IN THE U.S. ENGLAND, WAS
  MELO-DRAMA.

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MODERN DRAMA (cont.)

• MELODRAMAS ARE LOVE STORIES ACTION-PACKED,
  INTRIGUE-FILLED PLOTS W/ HAPPY ENDINGS FLAT,
  STEREOTYPED CHARACTERS REPRE-SENTING EXTREMES OF
  GOOD EVIL.

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MODERN DRAMA (cont.)

• THE LATE 19TH EARLY 20TH CENTU-RIES SAW THE
  RISE OF REALISM, WHICH PRESENTS THE CRISES AND
  CONFLICTS OF ORDINARY PEOPLES EVERYDAY LIVES
  (WORK, FAMILY, RELATIONSHIPS, ETC.).

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MODERN DRAMA (cont.)

• THE PICTURE-FRAME STAGE BECAME THE NORM, OFTEN
  REPRODUCING SETTINGS IN REALISTIC DETAIL.
• SCENERY PROPS ARE IMPORTANT.

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MODERN DRAMA (cont.)

• FOUR-ACT PLAYS BECAME THE NORM, AND CONVENTIONS
  SUCH AS ASIDES SOLILOQUIES FELL INTO DISUSE.

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MODERN DRAMA (cont.)

• THE 20TH CENTURY ALSO SAW THE RISE OF THE THEATER
  OF THE AB-SURD, W/ ITS SEEMINGLY UNINTELL-IGIBLE
  PLOTS IRRATIONAL BEHAV-IOR.

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MODERN DRAMA (cont.)

• IN WAITING FOR GODOT, FOR IN-STANCE, TWO TRAMPS
  AMUSE THEM-SELVES W/ AIMLESS CONVERSATION
  MEANINGLESS ACTIVITY WHILE WAITING IN A WASTE
  PLACE FOR A PERSON NAMED GODOT WHO NEVER COMES
  (AND WHO MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST).

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MAJOR TYPES OF DRAMA

• TRAGEDY FOCUSES ON LIFES SOR-ROWS
  DIFFICULTIES, RECOUNTING A SERIES OF IMPORTANT
  EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SIGNIFICANT PERSON,
  TREATED W/ SERIOUSNESS DIGNI-TY, AND
  CULMINATING IN AN UNHAP-PY CATASTROPHE.

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• THE BASIC STRUCTURE PURPOSE OF TRAGEDY WERE
  FIRST DEFINED IN ARISTOTLES POETICS.

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• ACCORDING TO ARISTOTLE, A TRAG-IC HERO IS A GREAT
  MAN OR WO-MAN WHO SUFFERS A REVERSAL OF FORTUNE
  (LIKE OEDIPUS IN OEDIPUS REX) B/C OF A WEAKNESS,
  ERROR IN JUDGMENT, OR ACCIDENT.

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• ARISTOTLE CALLED THIS ERROR ETC. HAMARTIA, WHICH
  DURING THE RENAISSANCE EVOLVED INTO THE CONCEPT
  OF THE TRAGIC FLAW.

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• ARISTOTLE ALSO SAID THAT WATCH-ING THE HEROS
  DOWNFALL (THE CATASTROPHE) AND SEEING THE DRAMAS
  RESOLUTION (RESTORA-TION OF ORDER), . . .

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• . . . THE AUDIENCE EXPERIENCES A CATHARSISI.E.,
  RELIEF FROM THE TENSIONS OF THE PLAY (A PURGING
  OF PITY AND FEAR) AND A SENSE OF HAVING GAINED
  INSIGHT, ENLIGHT-ENMENT.

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• TRAGIC HEROES AROUSE PITY B/C THEY ARE NOT EVIL
  B/C THEIR MIS-FORTUNE EXCEEDS WHAT THEY DE-SERVE
  THEY AROUSE FEAR B/C THE AUDIENCE RECOGNIZES
  THEMSELVES IN THE HERO THE POSSIBILITY OF A
  SIMILAR FATE.

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• PLAYS FROM ELIZABETHAN TO MOD-ERN TIMES HAVE
  DEVIATED GREATLY FROM THE ARISTOTELIAN NORM. FOR
  EXAMPLE, SOMETIMES THE HERO IS NOT A GOOD PERSON
  (MACBETH).

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• ALSO, AFTER THE 18TH CENTURY, TRAG-IC HEROES
  BEGAN TO BE DRAWN FROM THE MIDDLE LOWER CLASSES
  IN WHAT ARE CALLED DOMESTIC TRAG-EDIES, THUS
  LAYING THE FOUNDA-TION FOR MODERN DRAMAS LIKE
  DEATH OF A SALESMAN.

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• COMIC RELIEF WAS ALSO INTRO-DUCED INTO TRAGEDIES,
  AND THE GENRE OF TRAGICOMEDY (ESSENTIAL-LY A
  TRAGEDY W/ A HAPPY ENDING) EVOLVED.

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TRAGEDY (cont.)

• SINCE MODERN TRAGEDIES DO NOT ALWAYS FOLLOW THE
  CONVENTIONS OF CLASSICAL TRAGEDY, SOME CRIT-ICS
  ARGUE THAT THEY ARE NOT TRUE TRAGEDIES THAT
  THEIR PROTAGO-NISTS NOT TRAGIC HEROES.

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COMEDY

• A COMEDY IS A PLAY OF A LIGHT, AMUSING NATURE IN
  WHICH CHAR-ACTERS OVERCOME ADVERSITY TO ACHIEVE
  SUCCESS A HAPPY END-ING, OFTEN IN THE FORM OF
  MAR-RIAGE.

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COMEDY (cont.)

• PROBLEMS ARE EITHER NOT VERY SERIOUS OR ARE
  TREATED IN A LIGHT-HEARTED MANNER, CONVEY-ING THE
  SENSE THAT NO GREAT DIS-ASTER WILL BEFALL THE
  CHARAC-TERS.

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COMEDY (cont.)

• THE DISTINCTION IS OFTEN MADE BE-TWEEN LOW COMEDY
  (WHICH IS CRUDE, PHYSICAL, EVEN VIOLENT) HIGH
  COMEDY (WHICH IS MORE THOUGHTFUL INTELLECTUAL
  IN ITS APPEAL).

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COMEDY (cont.)

• IN ROMANTIC COMEDY, LOVERS MUST ENDURE HUMOROUS
  TRIALS TRIBULATIONS EN ROUTE TO A LIFE OF
  HAPPILY EVER AFTER (A MID-SUMMERS MIGHT DREAM,
  SLEEP-LESS IN SEATTLE).

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COMEDY (cont.)

• A COMEDY OF MANNERS IS A SAT-IRICAL PORTRAYAL OF
  THE CONVEN-TIONS MANNERS OF A SOCIETY, USUALLY
  THE DOMINANT ONE AT THE TIME A PLAY IS WRITTEN.

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COMEDY (cont.)

• THE COMEDY OF MANNERS DELIGHTS IN THE FAULTS
  FOIBLES OF HUMAN-ITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IS
  MORE REALISTIC CRITICAL THAN ROMAN-TIC COMEDY.

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COMEDY (cont.)

• THE COMEDY OF MANNERS WAS HIGH-LY DEVELOPED IN
  THE LATE 17TH CEN-TURY IN WITTY PLAYS THAT
  EXPOSED THE HYPOCRITICAL CONVENTIONS RIDICULOUS
  ARTIFICIALITIES OF HIGH SOCIETY.

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COMEDY (cont.)

• THE COMEDY OF MANNERS EVOLVED INTO SATIRIC
  COMEDY, WHICH RIDICULES THE VAIN FOOLISH,
  TREATING THEM W/ SARCASM MAKING THEM SEEM
  LUDICROUS REPULSIVE.

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COMEDY (cont.)

• ANOTHER POPULAR FORM OF COM-EDY IS FARCE, WHICH
  PRESENTS EXAGGERATED CHARACTER TYPES IN
  IMPROBABLE OR LUDICROUS SITUA-TIONS, AND EMPLOYS
  SEXUAL MIX-UPS, BROAD VERBAL HUMOR, A LOT OF
  ANTIC PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.