Elements of drama

What is a tragedy? A tragedy is a play about a person of high social standing (usually a hero, god, or king) who suffers a fall from good fortune. Other types of plays or dramas: Comedy- humorous, usually has a happy ending Farce – has outlandish situations or characters Pantomine – wordless story presented only through body movement Screenplay – drama written for film

Aristotle’s Six Elements of a Tragedy

Plot 1. Plot-what happens in a play

2. Diction/Language/Dialogue- a playwright’s word choices and the actor’s enunciation while delivering his or her lines 3. Music/Rhythm- not music as we think of it, but rather, the sound, rhythm, and melody of the speeches 4. Theme-What a play means (the main idea, moral), as opposed to what happens

5. Spectacle-the scenery, costumes, and special effects in a play

6. Character-the person an actor represents in a play 6. Character-the person an actor represents in a play. Characters’ words and actions define their personalities. There are often many characters in a play, including the: Protagonist- central or main character Antagonist- the character who opposes the protagonist Foil – A character who presents a contrast to another character

What is a TRAGIC HERO? The most important character in a tragedy is the tragic hero. The protagonist is usually the tragic hero. He or she is a person born into nobility and responsible for his or her own fate. A tragic hero has the potential for greatness but is doomed to make one or two serious errors in judgment. These errors are the result of a tragic flaw in the hero’s character. This flaw usually results in the downfall of the hero. He usually realizes his mistake and faces death with honor and dignity.

Dramatic Conventions

Organization of the Play Act – a main division of a play, ballet, or opera Scene – a dialogue or situation within an act of a play Stage Directions – notes within a drama that direct movement of the characters to places on the stage

Speeches Monologue- a character speaks directly to another character or to himself or herself while other characters are onstage. Soliloquy- a character speaks his or her innermost thoughts while no other characters are onstage Aside- a character reveals thoughts to the audience by saying something to the audience that the other characters onstage cannot hear.