Theatre 1 Vocabulary Words
What is Drama? To do or to act A form of literature in which the actions and speech of characters tell the story To be most effective, it should be performed by actors in the presence of an audience.
Aristotle Greek Philosopher (384-322 BCE) who first identified what drama was in his work The Poetics Identified Genres of Drama Identified Elements of Drama
Genre Type 1 - Tragedy Has a tone of fear or dread Reflects man’s philosophy on life Example: Romeo & Juliet
Genre Type 2 - Comedy Shows man in amusing social relationships Does not attempt to moralize Example: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Genre Type 3 - Melodrama Forces of good and evil are exaggerated Examples: The “good guy” wears white The villain (Darth Vader) represents evil and wears black
Element 1 - Plot Arrangement of the events in a play The action of the plot develops through the behavior and speech of the characters The dialogue of the plot brings it to life Human emotions and experiences are woven into the plot
Element 2 - Character The agents of the plot. Characters provide the motivations (reasons) for the events of the plot.
Element 3 – Theme/Thought Thought or main idea of the play Sometimes it can be said in one word: revenge, greed, vanity Sometimes it’s a moral: “Be careful of what you wish for” or “Stay away from strangers”
Element 4 – Language/Diction The words and language used in a play. Gives information, reveals characters and themes through words. Establishes mood/tone. Style of language appropriate to characters (Shakes-peare - nobility speak poetry, peasants speak prose).
Element 5 – Sound/Rhythm When Aristotle wrote his Poetics, nearly all plays had music. Either the actors sang many of their lines, or they acted with musical accompaniment. What the play sounds like – voices, music, sound effects, rhythms, tempos. Helps establish mood, characters, and creates variety.
Elements of Spectacle The visual elements of a play. Scenery Lighting Makeup Props Costumes Stage/space