Chapter 23 Dramatism Griffin, E. (2006). A first look at communication theory (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Dramatism Burke, 1940s-60s Summary Life is drama Drama can be analyzed by examining: identification, the dramatistic pentad, and the guilt-redemption cycle Burke, 1940s-60s Summary—An interpretive theory, Burke argues that life is drama, which can be analyzed by examining three things: identification, the dramatistic pentad, and the guilt-redemption cycle. These three tools help a rhetorical critic examine a rhetorical act.

Dramatism Life is drama Drama is persuasive Three interpretive lenses to help understand the drama Identification Dramatistic pentad Guilt-redemption cycle Dramatism—life is drama, enacted through communication Drama is persuasive… we attempt to get the audience to accept our view of reality as true

Identification There is no persuasion without identification Homophily (aka consubstantiation)

Dramatistic Pentad Help us determine the motivation of the speaker Five elements: Act Scene Agent Agency Purpose Dramatistic pentad—five crucial elements of the human drama (help us uncover the speaker’s motivation)… help us take a snapshot of one time in the human drama Act—what happened Scene—where and when was the act performed Agent—who is the person or people who performed the act Agency—how did the agent do the act (through what means) Purpose—what was the goal of this address? (more short-term and immediate than motivation) One or two elements usually stick out as most important in the drama… compare the ratios to find out which is most important, and interpreting that will point you in a direction of motivation

Guilt-Redemption Cycle Humans, by nature, are full of guilt Alleviated the guilt is the plot of the human drama as a whole Two ways to redeem ourselves: Self-blame (mortification) Blaming others (victimage) Guilt-redemption cycle—looks at the whole of the human drama Humans are, by nature, full of guilt (negative worldview), and getting rid of the guilt is the plot of the human drama as a whole they wish to redeem themselves by: self-blame (mortification) blaming someone else (victimage)…process of designating an external enemy as the source of all our ills

Activity Watch the following commercial. How did the commercial try to identify with you (if it did at all)? Use the dramatistic pentad to analyze the components of the commercial: Act, scene, agent, agency, purpose

Critique Highly revered in academia Complex and obscure Guilt-redemption cycle is “iffy” Pentad very useful Critique Highly revered in academia (there is a society devoted to him) Complex and obscure theory The guilt-redemption cycle is hard to prescribe to (And it’s a negative view of human nature) The pentad is very useful in helping people dissect human communication into manageable pieces