Structure of Drama Plot – action and events of a play Character – person in the play Diction – language Reasoning – the way speech is used to present all aspects of the play, including the production of emotions such as pity, terror, and anger Sound – audible part of a play Spectacle – visible part of the play

Exposition of a Play The process of making certain aspects of the play apparent to the audience. What kind of play being presented Where and when it is taking place Who the leading characters are Situations and conflicts they find themselves in

Atmosphere The environment of the play Created by lighting and staging, tempos of speech, movements, and choice of language Mood: emotional feeling of the play Setting, character, lighting, and dialogue all determine mood.

Preliminary Situation/Action Clearly defined explanation of events that have occurred in the lives of the leading characters before the action of the play begins. Minor characters are often used to bring the audience up to date. Prologues, telephone conversations, narrators

Plot! Series of related events that take place before the audience. Development and resolution of the major conflict Whether physical, mental, or emotional, the conflicting elements must give rise to suspense and then be resolved in some manner

Stages in the plot structure Preliminary situation – the before stuff Initial incident – first important event from which the rest of the plot develops Rising action – series of events following the initial incident. Goals and obstacles are revealed

Stages, continued Climax- Turning point of the action. Moment of intense crisis that determines the outcome of the conflict Falling action – Series of events following the climax – incidents must be significant and help aid the resolution Conclusion – Logical outcome of the preceding action – success or failure, happiness or sorrow of the characters

Different types of Dialogue Lines of the play Must be appropriate for the time and place Playwrights must often sacrifice beautiful words for a more naturalness of speech Must serve a function Soliloquies – actors talk alone/think out loud

Theme Basic idea of the play Author dramatizes this through the conflicts of the characters A moral – lesson or a principle contained within a play or taught by a play

Review Name and define the four narrative essentials of a play. How are these narrative essentials communicated by the dramatist? Who first expressed the principles of traditional drama? What did he identify as the key elements of a play? How does some modern drama differ from traditional drama? How does mood differ from atmosphere? What are the five major parts of plot structure that follow the preliminary situation? Describe three methods of characterization available to playwrights.

Application Select a movie or play. Identify the four narrative essentials. Discuss how the dramatist presents each element. Describe a play or a movie that made you think about its theme.