MODULE # 3

The Genre of Drama

SUB TOPIC # 1

Drama and Its Types

“Drama is what literature does at night.”

— George Jean Nathan
 To recall the features and elements of drama;
 To show understanding of how the genre of drama is similar and
different from other genres of literature; and
 To show understanding of the art of drama,
What is Drama?

• Drama is a type of literature telling a story, which is intended to be

performed to an audience on the stage.
• Generally, while drama is the printed text of a play, the word
theatre often refers to the actual production of the text on the
stage. Theatre thus involves action taking place on the stage, the
lighting, the scenery, the accompanying music, the costumes, the
atmosphere, and so on.
Drama tries to present life as realistically as
possible on stage. This is why we say that
drama mirrors life.
Origin and History of Drama

Greek Drama
• Drama is generally thought to have started in
Greece between 600 and 200 BC, although some
critics trace it to Egyptian religious rites of
coronation.

Greek Theater
Origin and History of Drama

• In Greece, dramatic performances were associated

with religious festivals. The Greeks produced different
types of drama, mainly tragedy and comedy. Famous
Greek tragedians include Aeschylus, Sophocles, and
Euripides. The best writer of comedy was
Aristophanes.

Greek Theater
Mask
Origin and History of Drama

Roman Drama
• The Romans inherited the drama traditions from the
Greeks. The expansion of the Roman Empire helped
spread drama to many places in Europe and the
Mediterranean world. Seneca is the most important
Roman tragedian.
Roman Theater
Origin and History of Drama
Medieval
• Drama
The Middle Ages start with the fall of the Roman Empire. Most of Classical
learning was lost in medieval times. The Middle Ages were dominated by
religion and the study of theological matters. The Christian doctrine and
Christian values were the measure of everything. During the Middle Ages,
drama was looked down upon as evil and a means of corruption. However,
faced with the need to spread the word of God to the illiterate masses, the
Church came to devise some form of dramatic performance to help in
teaching Christian beliefs and biblical stories. in which the characters
personify moral qualities (such as charity or vice) or abstractions (as death
or youth) and in which moral lessons are taught. Medieval Theater
Origin and History of Drama

• The three main types of medieval drama are mystery

plays, about Bible stories, miracle plays about the lives
of saints and the miracles they performed, and
morality plays, in which the characters personify
moral qualities (such as charity or vice) or
abstractions (as death or youth) and in which moral
lessons are taught.

Medieval Theater
Origin and History of Drama
The Renaissance
• The Renaissance is the period that followed the Middle Ages. It started in
Italy in the fourteenth century and spread to other parts of Europe. The
word Renaissance is a French word which means rebirth. The Renaissance
period witnessed a new interest in learning and discovery of the natural
world. The works of the Greek and Roman writers were rediscovered. The
invention of the printing press helped make the production of books
easier and cheaper, hence, available to more people.

• Humanism: The humanist movement stressed the role of man and reason in
understanding the world and rejected the predominance of religious
thinking.
Origin and History of Drama

The Renaissance
• During the Renaissance, the works of Greek and Roman dramatists were
rediscovered and imitated. Plays were no longer restricted to religious
themes. This happened first in Italy and spread then to other parts of
Europe.

• In England, drama flourished during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-

1603), who was a patron of literature and the arts. Theatres were built in
London and people attended plays in large numbers. The most important
dramatists were William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.
Writing Drama
Playwriting is an exciting discipline in the performing arts. You may see it
as an easy job, thinking that anybody can write dialogues, round up some
friends to act, and gather an audience to watch a dramatic performance.
Later on, you realize that it is rather difficult and tedious. To be a
successful writer of plays, you need to know where ideas for plays come
from. You have to be observant about how people converse with each other,
how to develop an active storyline, how to write effective dialogues, how to
illustrate full dimensional characters, and how to bring the story to a
substantial close.
Elements of Drama

• Plot: The events in a play.

• Setting: The time and place of a literary work.
• Characters: People or creatures in a play.
• Dialogue: Conversation in a play.
• Theme: The central thought of a play; the idea or ideas with
which a play deals.
• Scenery: The various elements that are used to create a
particular visual setting for a play.
Major Dramatic Attitude

• Realism is an accurate detailed, and life-like description in a play

where things are presented as real as can be set in actual life, with
dialogues sounding like day to-day conversation.

• Non-realism is method of presentation identified as something

stylized or theatricalized whereby artist uses his feral imagination in
projecting his ideas.
Types of Drama

Tragedy Comedy Tragicomedy Farce Melodrama

Comedy
Comedy is a type of drama intended to
interest and amuse the audience rather
than make them deeply concerned about
events that happen. The characters
overcome some difficulties, but they
always overcome their ill fortune and find
The Knights by
happiness in the end. Aristophanes
TragiCom
edy
Tragicomedy is a play that does not adhere
strictly to the structure of tragedy. This is
usually serious play that also has some of the
qualities of comedy. It arouses thought even
with laughter.
Waiting for Godot by Samuel
Beckett
Farce
Farce is a play that brings laughter for the
sake of laughter, usually making use
grossly embellished events and characters.
It has very swift movements, has
ridiculous situations, and does not
stimulate thought.
See How They Run
Melodra
ma
Melodrama shows events that follow
each other rapidly, but seems to be
governed always by chance. The
characters are victims in the hands of
merciless fate.
A Tale of Mystery by Thomas
Holcroft
General Considerations of a
Play
The best traditional symbol of drama is a pair of masks, one sad and mournful
(signifying tragedy) and one happy and joyful (indicating comedy). This emblem
signifies that tragedy and comedy are close relatives.

The major achievement of a play is its capacity to transform the written form into a
public performance. And much of it is worked out principally by means of dialogue and
conversation because the way to unravel the plot of the play is to understand the
words spoken by the characters. The playwright (the writer of plays) may sometimes
permit his characters to think aloud (these are sometimes called asides or soliloquies),
but they must be used carefully especially in modern drama. Viewers of modern drama
prefer to see characters who perform active action, not passive.
Tragedy &
comedy
Tragedy
Tragedy refers to a play that portrays a conflict between human beings and
some greater or larger overwhelming force. It is a play of great intensity, with
disturbing or upsetting situations and sequences. The protagonist experiences
disaster, and this state prevails until the closing of the play. Several closing
situations happen to the protagonist: either s/he learns or realizes a painful
lesson that would place him/her in a sorry state, or s/he dies in the end, or
vanishes and is never heard of again. The success of a tragedy is principally
due to the fact that virtue gets its reward, epiphanies are realized, and
situations-no matter how painful they are to embrace – are reinstated, and the
audience leave the theater with all their emotions purged.
Tragedy

Many of our ideas of tragedy go back to ancient Greece. The plays of

the Greek dramatists Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides exemplify
the art of tragedy. Aristotle, in his Poetics, defines tragedy as “an
imitation of an action of high importance, complete and of some
amplitude; in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties;
acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effecting its purgation
of these emotions.” Aristotle believed that the hero or protagonist of
a tragedy is a person of “high state,” a king, a queen or another
Sophocles member of the royal family who falls from grace or power because of
the wretched circumstances that plague his/her existence.
Tragedy
The tragic hero is fallible. He is not cut out to be a superhero. His
downfall is the result, as Aristotle declared, of his hamartia: his mistake
or lapse emanating from his flaw or weakness of character. This tragic
flaw is said to bring the hero clown to a bad end. In some classical
tragedies, transgression is a weakness which the Greeks called hubris,
meaning extreme pride leading to overconfidence. The hero's suffering
leads to the purgation (or what the Greeks called catharsis) of the
audience. The pent-up emotions of the audience are released and their
feelings are purified. After witnessing the tragedy of the fallen hero or
heroine, we, the average viewer, feel better and our emotions are elated.
Tragedy
Some examples of tragedies are:

1. Classical tragedies written by, about, or in the style and form of the ancient Greeks and Romans;
2. Romantic tragedies which are not classical but include many of the tragedies written _ during the
period of Elizabethan England;
3. Revenge tragedies which are characterized by plot lines of revenge and sensationalized murders;
and
4. Domestic tragedies where the main characters are everyday people who undergo circumstances
common to many.
Comedy
• The word comedy originated from the Greek komos which means “a revelry
or celebration." This may have been due to the festivities that the Greeks
celebrated to rejoice the coming of spring and to ritual presentations in
praise of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. The term comedy is
encompassing to mean either a classification of an entire play, a comic
situation, or a character in a play.
• Comedy is divided into two varieties - “high" and “low.” High comedy relies
more on wit and wordplay than on physical action for its humor. It attempts
to lecture on the pretensions and hypocrisy of human behavior. An example
of this is the comedy of manners, a funny satire about the misgivings and
misappropriations of the elite society.
Comedy

• Low comedy places greater emphasis on physical action and

visual gags, and its visual and verbal jokes do not require
high intellect to be appreciated. Classic examples of this are
the burlesque (a parody or travesty of another play),
commedia dell’arte (a theater popularized by comedians
who traversed from town to town in country fairs and
marketplaces), and slapstick (a farce that involves pie-
throwing, head-swatting, and other violent actions intended
to be humorous).
Comedy

• A regular comedy is a play of one to five acts, which is light and half-
serious, with interjections of humor and wit. The play is not intended
to be heavy and the conversations are witty and filled with comicality.
Although the villain or antagonist is introduced as the one who is
winning initially, before the play closes, the protagonist gets the better
of him/her and comes out as the victor. The plot or the story is not
predominantly intense but the sequences or plot situations are mind-
boggling. In the end, all’s well that ends well. The plot conflict is
resolved and the character's humanity is restored.
Comedy
• In order to be a good playwright, you must have cultivated a love
for the theater, for watching plays. If you are a frequent moviegoer,
don’t write plays. You will realize that the stage has many
limitations. You cannot showcase big battle scenes or extreme car
chases or massive explosions. If you want to become a good writer
of plays, you have to watch more plays to see how scenes are
mounted on stage. You will witness that some acts, which are
difficult to stage, could be done so, with stark imagination and
proficient skills of people who are involved in the theater
Comedy
• The success of the musical Miss Saigon is not only because
of the timely and engaging love story between an American
soldier (Chris) and a Vietnamese bar girl (Kim) but also
because of its breathtaking production design mounting even
a gigantic helicopter filled with people that is ready to take
off during the historic fall of Saigon. The limitations of
space, time, and live action are often present in a play.
However, some plays could be pulled off from these
limitations because of the creativity and ingenuity of the
people involved in the production.
Comedy
• Successful plays usually begin in medias res, meaning “right in-the middle of the
action.” This device cuts unnecessary details about the story and controls the
narrative tension of the play, which can be laboriously present in a novel. In
Alberto Florentino's The World Is an Apple (the entire text of the play is found in
this book), we find Mario, the protagonist, coming home to be met by his wife,
Gloria. He is laid off from his work and does not immediately tell his wife about it.
This is a brilliant device for presenting the exposition and conflict of the play. In the
first scenes of the play, we learn about the relationship of Mario and Gloria, their
poverty, and the life they had in the past. Because of this device; we, the viewers,
are instantly driven into the action. In watching a play, the audience must be kept
engaged in what is happening to the characters.
Comedy
• As opposed to either a novel or a short story, a play is a genre of literature that tells a story that is mounted on a
stage and actors represent the characters. Therefore, the story does not unfold to readers but to spectators who come
to the theater to watch. The performance of live actors on stage creates an impact that words on a page cannot. You
can actually hear and feel the anger, or joy, or despair in their voices and in their facial and bodily expressions as you
watch them something that you cannot achieve while reading a book or paper. This is why writing a play or drama is
quite different from writing a short story or novel, even if they all have similar elements like characters, plot, and
setting.
• The sense of immediacy one gets from watching a play takes its origin from the word drama which means “deed” or
“action” from the Greek dran which literally means “to do.” Drama was already present as far back as the ancient
Greek Dionysian religious ceremonies. In recent times, modern drama emerged as an off-shoot of Western European
medieval drama, a new form that was established from the Christian church ritual in the ninth century.
Literary Terms

• Playwright: The writer of plays (dramatist)

• Stage directions: Instructions written in the script of a play,
describing the setting and indicating actions and movements of
the actors.
• Soliloquy (Monologue): A speech in a play in which a character,
usually alone on the stage, talks to himself or herself so that the
audience knows their thoughts.
• Protagonist: The main character in a play.
• Antagonist: The character opposing the main character.
Literary Terms

• Tragic hero: A character of high repute, who, because of a tragic flaw and fate, suffers a fall from
glory into suffering.
• Tragic flaw: A weakness or limitation of character, resulting in the fall of the tragic hero.
• Dramatis Personae: "People of Drama" in Latin; a list of the characters in a play, usually found on
the first page of the script.
• Blank Verse: Unrhymed iambic pentameter verse. It is the preeminent dramatic verse English (as in
the plays of Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare).
• Chorus: The course in Greek drama is a group of actors who speak or sing together, commenting on
the action. In Elizabethan drama, the course consisted of one actor who recites the prologue and
epilogue to a play and sometimes comments on the action (As in Doctor Faustus).
• Comic Relief: Humorous episodes in a play that is mainly tragic
Aguila, A., Galan, R., & Wigley, J. J. (2017). Wording the World: The Art
of Creative Writing . Quezon : C & E Publishing , Inc. .
Marantan, R. M. (2016). Creative Writing. Malabon: Jimezyville
Publications.
Toralba-Perez, A. (2001). Creative Writing . Quezon : Omniscience
Publishing, Inc.
Drama. (2017, October 8). Literary Devices.
https://literarydevices.net/drama/
MODULE # 3
Reading and Writing Drama
SUB TOPIC # 2

Plot and the Dramatic

Structure
“There is only one plot –things are not what they seem."
— Jim Thompson
 To identify the plot an d the dramatic stricture in drama;
 To enumerate the different conventions used in drama;
 To differentiate plot used in fiction to plot used in drama; and
 To write effective plot lines.
• When we talk about the dramatic structure of a play, we refer to plot, just like in novel or short story.
• The physical format of a play is divided into three major divisions or acts. A three-act play has three acts,
showcasing a fuller and longer exposition of the theme and conflict. While a one-act play has one unit of time,
one unit of place, and one unit of action.
• Just like in a prose narrative, the plot of a drama revolves around ta conflict:
a. person versus himself/ herself
b. person versus another person
c. person versus group/ society
d. person versus nature/ environment
e. person versus god/ universe.
• Each sequence is organized in a way that the action is built up and tension is achieved, creating an
impact to the audience.
• Although plays are written in several forms and formats, a typical structure consists of the exposition
and introduction; conflict; rising action or complication; turning point/ climax or crisis; falling action;
and denouement or resolution.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Expositio Rising Turning Denoue
Falling
n and Conflic Action or Point,
Action ment or
Introduct Complicat Climax
ion
t ion or Crisis
Resoluti
on
1 Exposition and
This isIntroduction
sometimes called the status quo. When the play opens, your are introduce to the characters and the setting is
established. Sometimes the introduction right away begins with the conflict. This is called in medias res (in the middle of
the action). At times, you are given hints of the impending conflict. But whatever the structure of the play, the opening
scene establishes the circumstances that involve the characters to the conflict and sets the tone of the play.

Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire is about Blanche DuBoise, an aging Southern lady
who mysteriously visits her sister in New Orleans. In scene one, she arrives at her sister’s house
totally disdainful of the environment her sister lives in. This is the exposition and introduction of
the play because at this early, we are not yet introduced to the real conflict, but we are given some
initial indications of the theme and the mood of the play.
2 Conflict
This the point where you recognize the threat or challenge that besets the protagonist (main characters). These threats may come
from another person, a group of society in general, nature, environment, God, or even from the protagonist himself/ herself.
Sometimes referred top as the exciting force, the conflict launches the rising action of the play. Recognizing the conflict in the
structure of drama is significant because it provides the characters motivation for their actions and the audience motivation to
feel and care for these characters.

The following is a list of the common conflicts used in plays.

1. Conflicts between a person and another person which may arise between love, hate, rivalry or competition, strong pursuit or
obsession, or betrayal.
2. Conflicts between a person and a group or society in general where the exciting forces could be rebellion, revenge, persecution, or war.
3. Conflicts between a person and environment or nature which may arise from a catastrophe, rescue, survival, or grief over death or
loss.
4. Conflicts between a person and God or the universe where the exciting force may be about the protagonist’s faith or his/her lack of it,
the triumph of good over evil, and the search for life’s meaning.
5. Conflicts between a person and himself/ herself which may arise from self-sacrifice, self-destruction, greed, or ambition.
2 Conflict
This the point where you recognize the threat or challenge that besets the protagonist (main characters). These threats may come
from another person, a group of society in general, nature, environment, God, or even from the protagonist himself/ herself.
Sometimes referred top as the exciting force, the conflict launches the rising action of the play. Recognizing the conflict in the
structure of drama is significant because it provides the characters motivation for their actions and the audience motivation to
feel and care for these characters.

The conflict of Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire begins in Scene Two. After we are
introduced to the characters of Blanche DuBois, her sister Stella, and Stella’s husband Stanley, we
discovered the mysterious reason for Blanche’s visit to Stella in New Orleans. Stanley judges
Blanche’s character but Stella defends her in their heated discussion while Blanche is in the
bathroom. In this scene, we begin to care for Blanche but many things are still unclear to us.
3 Rising Action or
Complication
As immediately as the conflicts sets the action in motion, the play figures a dramatic tension that builds up toward a
confrontation. This dramatic tension fluctuates, providing emotional tension between the characters, and the audience
learns further details about them that were not initially provided in the introduction and conflict. Furthermore., the conflict
becomes even more complicated at this point.

In scene sic of Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, the plot gets more
complicated when Blanche and Stanley clash and Stella, Blanche’s sister and Stanley’s
wife, is torn in the middle. And then, Harold Mitchell, one of Stanley’s friends, gets
smitten and falls in love with Blanche. Here. Then characters get caught in a series of
events involving Blanche’s past, deception, and revelation.
4 Turning Point , Climax, or
Crisis
The turning point of the story, this is the highest point where the protagonist comes face to face with and
struggles against the main conflict and we, the audience, are kept at the edge of our seat. Will the
protagonist come out successful, or will he or she be beaten by the conflict?

In scene nine of Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, the climax points out the details
why Blanche left her home in the South and squandered away her fortune. Mitch gets to know her
intimately and discovers her true nature and leaves her. Stanley lashes out on her abut her troubled
past and Blanche gets a last grip of her sanity.
5 Falling Action
Generally, the falling action more fleeting and short-lived than the rising action, but may still cover some
griping moments in the play. This part gives the audience a sense of conclusion, with several unsettled
questions at work within the plot, giving some sense of resolution to the play.

In scene ten of Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche is seen in the
brink of madness. She lashes out on Stanley and concocts stories to keep her sanity
but Stanley reveals all her deceits. At this point, we see Blanche as an unstable
character who may need professional help.
6 Denouement or
Resolution
Tis is the concluding part of ending of the play. We see this part whether the protagonist has won or lost,
order is brought back, and problems are resolved.

In scene eleven of Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, the hospital doctor and the staff
come over and pledge to take Blanche, now mad. She replies to them, “ Whoever you are. I have
always depended on the kindness of strangers.”
Structural Factors
How the structure is utilized by the playwright is dependent on various factors. Among these are:

1 2 3 4 5
The The use
The The The
intende of
length settings genre
d dramati
of the of the
audienc c
play. play
e element
s
Dramatic Elements
A playwright’s understanding of structure is not complete without a sense of awareness of the many
techniques and devices - dramatic elements- available to create various effects. Here are a few:

Action It is what the characters say or do to achieve their objective.

Antagonist It is the character or situation that stands against the protagonist.

Sometimes called spine or through time, it is the play’s storyline—what the audience
Arc wants to find out.
Dramatic Elements
A playwright’s understanding of structure is not complete without a sense of awareness of the many
techniques and devices - dramatic elements- available to create various effects. Here are a few:

When an actor speaks directly to the audience, the other actors on stage are supposedly unable to hear
Aside what he or she says. It was used during the Renaissance drama as a way of letting the audience know the
actors’ inner feelings. In the 19th century, it was used to interject comedy or melodrama.

Backstory It pertains to the events that happened in the past.

Complicati These are the ones that cause conflicts with the introduction of new characters,
ons information, or events.
Dramatic Elements
A playwright’s understanding of structure is not complete without a sense of awareness of the many
techniques and devices - dramatic elements- available to create various effects. Here are a few:

Conflict It pertains to the problem caused by the opposing objectives of the protagonist and
antagonist.

Deus ex It refers to the Greek practice of physically lowering a “god” to the stage at the end of
machina the play to solve all the problems. Today, it is regarded as a contrived way of doing so.

It is what is achieved when the main characters finally realizes the reality of the
Discovery situation.
Dramatic Elements
A playwright’s understanding of structure is not complete without a sense of awareness of the many
techniques and devices - dramatic elements- available to create various effects. Here are a few:

Double It refers to the sue of a subplot or second plot in the weaving in and out of the main plot,
Plots especially evident in the Elizabethan drama.

It is what the audience is willing to accept as real for the sake of the story: actors presenting the
Dramatic characters of the story, the stage set representing a real location in time and space, suspended time or
Convention that which jumps forward or backward, Italians in Italy speaking English, an other conventions.

It refers to the description or enactment of past events for the purpose of clarifying the
Flashback situation, usually as it relates to the conflict.
Dramatic Elements
A playwright’s understanding of structure is not complete without a sense of awareness of the many
techniques and devices - dramatic elements- available to create various effects. Here are a few:

Foreshado It is the use of hints at the future in order to build anticipation in the audience.
wing
Inciting
It refers to the event that launches the protagonists and gets the plot going.
incident
In Medias It refers to the openng scene in the middle of action.
Res
Dramatic Elements
A playwright’s understanding of structure is not complete without a sense of awareness of the many
techniques and devices - dramatic elements- available to create various effects. Here are a few:

It pertains to a scheme designed by one of the characters. The success of this scheme depends on
Intrigue another character’s innocence or ignorance of the situation. This usually results in a complication in
the plot.
It is a mainstay of a musical drama. Early tragedies even had both dancing and choral singing. As in
Music television and movies, music is used on the stage to set the drama’s mood and tone. It can also be used
to psychologically set the setting: classical for a period play. Native drums for Africa, Cajun music for New
Orleans, and Irish bagpipes for Ireland.

It is an actor’s speech delivery in the presence of other characters who do not speak but
Monologue listen.
Dramatic Elements
A playwright’s understanding of structure is not complete without a sense of awareness of the many
techniques and devices - dramatic elements- available to create various effects. Here are a few:

Is the main character of the story. He or she is the character with a mission or is involved
Protagonist in a quest.

Reversal It happens when the main character either fails or succeed. It is also called as peripety.

These are the portions of an act, sometimes triggered by the clearing of the stage for the next “scene”.
Scenes Some scenes are relief scenes (widely used in English drama). Those scenes allow the audience to relax
briefly in the tension of the drama or to add as sense of poignant sadness.
Dramatic Elements
A playwright’s understanding of structure is not complete without a sense of awareness of the many
techniques and devices - dramatic elements- available to create various effects. Here are a few:

Soliloquy It is a speech delivered by an actor when he or she is alone to express thoughts.

Stakes These are what the characters stand to gain or lose if they succeed or not.

Surprise It is something that happens out of the audience’ s expectations.

Dramatic Elements
A playwright’s understanding of structure is not complete without a sense of awareness of the many
techniques and devices - dramatic elements- available to create various effects. Here are a few:

It consists of events that create a sense of uncertainty concerning what will happen to
Suspense the characters.

French and Italian critics of the 16th and 17th centuries believed that a play needs three
Three units unities to achieve verisimilitude (believability): unity of action (first suggested by
Aristotle), unity of place (a single location), and unity of time (the play portraying no
longer than a 24 hour period)
Tone in Drama
Drama is very similar with prose, specifically with the
narrative form, in terms of the elements utilized by the
writer in setting the tone such as the use of language and
revelation of the characters. However, drama possessed one
distinct feature that can mark the tine, both the individual
elements as well as the entirety of the play: drama is
designed to be mounted on stage by performers. Therefore,
the writer can include stage directions concerning the tone
of the voice, gestures, and facial expressions for the
delivery of dialogues.
Aguila, A., Galan, R., & Wigley, J. J. (2017). Wording the World: The Art
of Creative Writing . Quezon : C & E Publishing , Inc. .
Marantan, R. M. (2016). Creative Writing. Malabon: Jimezyville
Publications.
Toralba-Perez, A. (2001). Creative Writing . Quezon : Omniscience
Publishing, Inc.
Drama. (2017, October 8). Literary Devices.
https://literarydevices.net/drama/
MODULE # 3
Reading and Writing Drama
SUB TOPIC # 3

Setting

“If you were to change the world, pick up your pen and write”
— Martin Luther
 To understand the element of the setting in a play;
 To write an effective setting for a game play;
 To integrate wide-ranging strategies in writing an effective setting in a play.
Understanding and knowing a plot are not the only major considerations in playwriting. A playwright has to
recognize the value of a setting in a play that he or she studies or writes. Setting refers to the place or the
locale where the story of the play is situated. The date, the time, and the action all add up to the setting of
the play.

Basically, a play can be categorized as either realistic or non-realistic.

Realistic Plays
• Realistic plays are those whose conventions fall under the realistic plane and
are drawn out from real people, objects, and situations. The setting, like
realism in fiction, is aimed at reproducing faithfully the external presence of
life, especially those of the commonplace people in everyday situations,. The
key to presenting realistic plays is always representational because they are
mostly domestic dramas and traditional plays. The setting mounted on stage
would be sections of a house, an office, a park, a street, a a garage, an
abandoned building, or a staircase.
• A good example is Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, which is considered by many
dramatists as a pioneering work of realism. The play became popular because
of its ability to identify with its characters and the lives they live. The setting
of the play is Mr. Torvald Helmer’s house.
Non-Realistic Plays
• Realistic plays are those whose conventions do not fall under the realistic plane and
are drawn out from stylized a and unconventional situations. The characters are not
real people, but are either allegorical or symbolical such as ghosts, devils, animals, or
human representations of virtues or vices. The setting, therefore, is also non-realistic.
It could be a dream-like forest, a barren and deserted mountain, a dark alley, the
underworld, a fictional spot. The key to presenting a non-realistic play is always
presentational because the playwright has to devise ways to mount the setting on
stage stylistically.
• A good example is William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Although Hamlet is a prince and the
other characters are drawn out from real people, the presence of his father’s “ghost”
and the pressing attacks of his guilt and conscience should be figuratively seen on
stage.
Examples of Realistic Plays
• Trifles by Susan Glaspell
Setting: The kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of
John Wright, a gloomy kitchen, and left without having been put in
order-unwashed pans under the sink, a loaf of bread outside the
breadbox, a dish on the towel—other signs of incomplete work.

• Riders of the Sea by John Millington Synge

Setting: An island off the west of Ireland. Cottage kitchen,
with nets, oil-skins, spinning-wheel, some new boards standing
by the wall.
Examples of Non-Realistic
Plays
• Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Setting: A country road. A tee. Evening.

• Antigone by Sophocles
Setting: The royal house of Thebes. It is still night, and the
invading armies of Argos have just been driven from the city.
Fighting on opposite sides, the sons of Oedipus, Eteocles, and
Polynices, have killed each other in combat. Their uncle, Creon, is
now king of Thebes.
Aguila, A., Galan, R., & Wigley, J. J. (2017). Wording the World:
The Art of Creative Writing . Quezon : C & E Publishing ,
Inc. .

Marantan, R. M. (2016). Creative Writing. Malabon: Jimezyville

Publications.

Toralba-Perez, A. (2001). Creative Writing . Quezon :

Omniscience Publishing, Inc.

Drama. (2017, October 8). Literary Devices.

https://literarydevices.net/drama/
MODULE # 3
Reading and Writing Drama
SUB TOPIC # 4

Character

“First find out what your hero wants, then just follow him."
— Ray Bradbury
 To understand the conventions and significance of the characters
in drama;
 To write sound characters in a one-act play/ game play;
 To incorporate effective strategies in building characters.
As previously discussed in fiction, a character is a person (or an entity given the characteristics of a person) who
acts, speaks, narrates, or is referred to in a literary work. He/ she may either be a major (or principal) or a minor
(supporting) character depending on the role he/she plays in the story. Because of the grand scale of tragedies
and comedies that have been performed in the past, characters in drama have been traditionally classified as
follows:

Hero or
heroine
The main or leading character in the story who exhibits superior
qualities. Her/his conflict is also the play’s main conflict. The hero or
heroine. Is sometimes referred to as the protagonist.
Villain or
villainess
Character who is often characterized as evil and always in
opposition to the hero(ine).

Superhero or
superheroine
A larger-than-life character, always possessing supernatural powers.
Antihero or antiheroine

A character who is more ordinary than the traditional

hero(ine).
In modern drama, the classification of the characters is more lifelike and caters more to
contemporary landscape and demands of playwriting. Some of these characters are flat, round,
stock, type, and stereotype.

Creating characters in drama is always crucial to the success of a play. Motivation is the key to an
effective characterization. The characters must have a strong motivation and a solid need or desire
that will propel them to take risks and do everything to get what they earnestly yearn for. This
motivation justifies why they do what they do.

A good play says something to humanity about humanity. Love, death, family, the need to belong,
the pain of learning something, the passion of living one’s ambition, and the fear of betrayal are
all themes that resonate with the audience, no matter where they come from.
The characters in your play must be fully developed, as close to real people as they can be.
The following are considerations in creating plausible characters:
• Gender - Men and women react differently to certain issues and events.
• Class - People of the middle class speak a different lingo from poor people.
• Age - The elderly and the young do not have the same language and expression.
• Education - An educated person will have a dissimilar outlook or view from an out-of-school
person.
• Relationships - People who are married or are in committed relationships usually behave and
think differently from single and uncommitted ones.
• Work - People are governed by their work and earnings. Their actions are justified because of the
nature of their occupation.
• Race/ethnicity - People of different upbringings make different choices in given situations.
• Politics - Political
Writing Tips

• A good way to show motivation is to profile your characters first before writing about them. As
much as possible, avoid “author intrusion.” This is the trap that beginners fall into when they
“force” their will or intention as authors on their characters. As a writer, you need to ask
yourself “Will this be realistic?” or “In real life, will my character really say or do this?” You
must clearly be conscious of their motivations and not interfere with the pursuit of their goals,
even if they are drawn from your imagination.
Writing Tips
• In order to write a character effectively, you must know everything there is to t know about him or her.
The keys to creating believable characters are details and believability. If you know your characters
like you know your best friends, you are more likely to know what they will do under the
circumstances of your play. You must know by heart where the character lives, what s/he does for a
living and other attributes such as age, gender, religious beliefs, and political persuasions. To achieve
this, you may have to recall and recollect influences, experiences, and your own observations about
people in general and put them into your characters. This may require a great deal of research. You
cannot write characters that are all based on who you are. While it is true that every character may be
an extension of the personality of the playwright, you must study carefully how to show the varying
degrees of traits and behaviors of different people to make them round characters. Ultimately,
effective writing is not writing about yourselves.
Writing Tips
• Also, try to avoid idealizing your characters. An ideal character does not exist. Real characters are always
a combination of noble and failing traits. Shakespeare’s Hamlet may be a great person, but he is also
wishy-washy and highly indecisive about a lot of things. Othello is an equally endearing fellow, but he
trusted the wrong guy. Do not be afraid to give your characters a flaw. This will make him or her
endearing to the audience. After all, nobody is perfect.

• There is a limitation in describing a character in a play. This limitation is also the challenge. Whatever the
description or dimension of a character, they have to reflect entirely on the dialogue. A writer of fiction
has all the time and space to describe his/her characters through descriptive or narrative details,
utterances, dialogues, and others. Not so in a play: Everything has to be developed entirely through the
dialogue.
Writing Tips

• When writing about the characters, answer the following questions: Do all the characters
contribute to the storyline of the play? Are there too many? Are there too few? Does the conflict
complicate the lives of the characters? Do the characters’ speeches and actions reveal enough
about their real personalities?
Aguila, A., Galan, R., & Wigley, J. J. (2017). Wording the World: The Art of Creative Writing . Quezon :
C & E Publishing , Inc. .
Marantan, R. M. (2016). Creative Writing. Malabon: Jimezyville Publications.
Toralba-Perez, A. (2001). Creative Writing . Quezon : Omniscience Publishing, Inc.
Drama. (2017, October 8). Literary Devices. https://literarydevices.net/drama/
MODULE # 3
Reading and Writing Drama
SUB TOPIC # 5

Dialogue
“”Words are a lens to focus one’s mind.”
— Ayn Rand
 To recognize the significance of dialogue in drama;
 To identify the tone and voice of every character through the dialogue;
 To write realistic and effective dialogue in a one-act play.
Dialogue is the primary and most significant component in
a play. The action of the play moves because of the
dialogue. In a novel or other forms of narrative, a writer
can use other devices to advance the action like
descriptive details and flashbacks but in a play, it is only
through the dialogue. After all, it is what the audience
ultimately hears and sees in a performance. Therefore, it is
important that the dialogues sound like a natural
conversation. This also reveals the characters’ motivations
and intentions, his or her aspirations and frustrations
Drama lacks the more direct communication between the
writer and the reader usually found in works that are not
designed to be acted out. In a novel or a short story, the
writer can simply describe the characters or the general
narrative. In drama, it is quite different. Since drama is
performative in nature, the tone of the play and the
characters are revealed through the dialogues between
the characters. For example, a change in the character’s
attitude or reactions, whether the character gets ecstatic
or surprised can only be known only in the character's
dialogue and relationship with other characters.
Dramatic action defines the behavior and
disposition of the characters in establishing
whether s/he is static (unchanging) or developing
(changing). The audience can actually witness the
characters onstage and see their personality traits
through their facial expressions, bearing, and
body language.
pointers to consider in writing
dialogues
Characters should not talk
perfectly.
Characters should not use
clichés.
Characters should not overuse character names.
Characters should not speechify.
Keep the agenda out of the di
CHARACTERS SHOULD NOT TALK
PERFECTLY.

In reality, people do not speak in perfect English or Filipino. They also do not
speak in complete sentences like a teacher would require a student to speak in
front of a class. In Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart, some characters use
ungrammatical sentences and incomplete expressions because they are not
academic persons.
CHARACTERS SHOULD NOT USE CLICHÉS.

Clichés like “honesty is the best policy” or “God is good” are trite expressions.
They make dialogues sound dull, uninspired, and meaningless.
CHARACTERS SHOULD NOT OVERUSE CHARACTER
NAMES.

In real life, people do not address one another by always mentioning their names
because it sounds silly and irritating.
CHARACTERS SHOULD NOT
SPEECHIFY.

Try to avoid having characters deliver kilometric lines interruption. In real life,
people usually alternate remarks in a communication exchange, even cutting in
on one another.
KEEP THE AGENDA OUT OF THE
DIALOGUE.

The theme of the play should be naturally conveyed to the audience through the
series of events happening in the play, and not through the dialogues of the
characters. If you have to reveal the theme in the dialogue, it means that the
play is not effective or working well as it should.
Writing Tips
The following are some DO’S and DON'Ts of dialogue writing which will be helpful as you attempt to write
drama.

1. Write dialogues as realistically as speakers speak in real life. Observe first how people speak and
answer. Try to reconstruct realistic-sounding speech patterns. Include even the flaws of retorting and
answering; people interrupt each other most of the time. They may talk fast or even ignore each other.
Observe this in your dialogue. Otherwise, your characters will appear wooden and stagy.

2. Get the feel of the rhythm of real speech. This will help you avoid making characters deliver long,
unrealistic speeches. The trick is to use everyday speech spoken by everyday people.
Writing Tips

3. Avoid using clichés or outdated words or phrases.

4. A trick to avoid overusing names in dialogues is to use the names early and then
sparingly afterwards.

5. Remember that how the characters speak should reflect a part of their identity. You may
include clues to voice, delivery, and word choice as part of stage directions of the play.
Aguila, A., Galan, R., & Wigley, J. J. (2017). Wording the World: The Art of Creative Writing . Quezon :
C & E Publishing , Inc. .
Marantan, R. M. (2016). Creative Writing. Malabon: Jimezyville Publications.
Toralba-Perez, A. (2001). Creative Writing . Quezon : Omniscience Publishing, Inc.
Drama. (2017, October 8). Literary Devices. https://literarydevices.net/drama/