1. Drama Drama Drama …It’s not just for your mama!
Mrs. Hammond English I

2. I. Characters A. Round – many personality traits, like a real person
B. Flat – one-dimensional, embodying only a single trait.
Shakespeare plays usually have flat characters for comic relief.
C. Dramatic Foil – a character who highlights the traits of another character through contrast
Example - Benvolio tries to quiet a group of brawling servants and therefore serves as a foil to Tybalt, who has a fiery hot temper.
D. Chorus – figure or group of figures who comment on a play’s action. It originates in Greek and Roman drama.

3. II. Dramatic Structure
A. Prologue – opening speech that introduces the play’s main characters, plot, and setting (exposition)
B. Conflict – two types: internal and external
C. Climax – usually in Act III of Shakespeare, high point that determines how the conflict will be resolved
D. Resolution (Denouement) – the conflict is solved and the action ended

4. III. Words and Actions
A. Dialogue – describes the speech of actors in a play
B. Soliloquy – a lengthy speech in which the character is usually alone on stage expressing his or her thoughts to the audience
C. Aside – a brief remark by a character revealing thoughts or feelings to the audience, unheard by other characters (ex. The Office)
D. Monologue – like a soliloquy, a lengthy speech addressed to other characters on stage not the audience
E. Stage Directions – describe how something should be performed on the stage

5. IV. Types of Drama
A. Tragedy – play that ends unhappily, usually because of a tragic flaw
B. Comedy – play that ends happily

6. V. Elements of Drama A. Plays are divided into Acts and scenes
i. An act is a major division of a drama. Shakespeare’s plays usually have 5 acts.
ii. Acts are divided into scenes. A
scene begins with the entrance of
one or more characters.

7. VI. Stage Directions Up Center Up left Center Left center Right center
Up right
Up Center
Up left
Center
Left center
Right center
Down right
Down center
Down left

8. VII. Important Literary Terms
A. Allusions – references to well known people, places or events from myths, literature, art and the Bible
B. Dramatic Irony – contradiction between what a character thinks or says and what the audience or reader knows to be true
Purpose: to emotionally involve you in the story
C. Blank verse – unrhymed iambic pentameter (lines of five stressed beats in which every second syllable is stressed)
Much of Romeo and Juliet is written in blank verse. This reinforces character rank: important aristocratic characters usually speak in blank verse.

9. Summarizer
Get with a partner and look over your notes to make sure you got all the information!
Come up with some clever and witty ways to remember some of the key terms.
We will share with the class!!