Definition general of drama

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet,
etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television. ... The term "drama" comes from a Greek
word meaning "action" (Classical Greek: δρᾶμα, drama), which is derived from "I do" (Classical
Greek: δράω, drao).

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definition of drama according to shake spare
Drama is a mode of fictional representation through dialogue and performance. It is one of the
literary genres, which is an imitation of some action. In simple words, a drama is a composition
in verse or prose presenting a story in pantomime or dialogue.

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definition of drama according to Jhon Dryden
John Dryden. “Drama is a composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character or
tell a story usually involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue and typically
designed for theatrical performance”.

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INSTRINSIC ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
Drama is a composition of prose or poetry that is transformed into a performance on stage. The
story progresses through interactions between its characters and ends with a message for the
audience. What are the different elements of drama? How are they related to each other? How do
they affect the quality and thereby the popularity of a play? Read on to find out.

The six Aristotelian elements of drama are, plot, character, thought, diction, spectacle, and song.
Out of these, the first two are the most important ones according to Aristotle.
Drama can be defined as a dramatic work that actors present on stage. A story is dramatized,
which means the characters and events in the story are brought to life through a stage
performance by actors who play roles of the characters in the story and act through its events,
taking the story forward. In enacting the roles, actors portray the character’s emotions and
personalities. The story progresses through verbal and non-verbal interactions between the
characters, and the presentation is suitably supplemented by audio and visual effects.

Through the characters involved, the story has a message to give. It forms the central theme of
the play around which the plot is built. While some consider music and visuals as separate
elements, others prefer to club them under staging which can be regarded as an independent
element of drama. Lighting, sound effects, costumes, makeup, gestures or body language given
to characters, the stage setup, and the props used can together be considered as symbols that are
elements of drama. What dictates most other dramatic elements is the setting; that is the time
period and location in which the story takes place. This Buzzle article introduces you to the
elements of drama and their importance.

Theme
The theme of a play refers to its central idea. It can either be clearly stated through dialog or
action, or can be inferred after watching the entire performance. The theme is the philosophy that
forms the base of the story or a moral lesson that the characters learn. It is the message that the
play gives to the audience. For example, the theme of a play could be of how greed leads to
one’s destroyal, or how the wrong use of authority ultimately results in the end of power. The
theme of a play could be blind love or the strength of selfless love and sacrifise, or true
friendship. For example, the play Romeo and Juliet, is based on a brutal and overpowering
romantic love between Romeo and Juliet that forces them to go to extremes, finally leading them
to self-destruction.

Plot
The order of events occurring in a play make its plot. Essentially, the plot is the story that the
play narrates. The entertainment value of a play depends largely on the sequence of events in the
story. The connection between the events and the characters in them form an integral part of the
plot. What the characters do, how they interact, the course of their lives as narrated by the story,
and what happens to them in the end, constitutes the plot. A struggle between two individuals,
the relation between them, a struggle with self, a dilemma, or any form of conflict of one
character with himself or another character in the play, goes into forming the story’s plot. The
story unfolds through a series of incidents that share a cause-and-effect relationship. Generally, a
story begins with exposing the past or background of the main and other characters, and the point
of conflict, then proceeds to giving the central theme or climax. Then come the consequences of
the climax and the play ends with a conclusion.

Characters
The characters that form a part of the story are interwoven with the plot of the drama. Each
character in a play has a personality of its own and a set of principles and beliefs. Actors in the
play have the responsibility of bringing the characters to life. The main character in the play who
the audience identifies with, is the protagonist. He/she represents the theme of the play. The
character that the protagonist conflicts with, is the antagonist or villain. While some characters
play an active role throughout the story, some are only meant to take the story forward and some
others appear only in certain parts of the story and may or may not have a significant role in it.
Sometimes, these characters are of help in making the audiences focus on the play’s theme or
main characters. The way in which the characters are portrayed and developed is known as
characterization. Here is a list of characters in Romeo and Juliet.

Dialog
The story of a play is taken forward by means of dialogs. The story is narrated to the audiences
through the interaction between the play’s characters, which is in the form of dialogs. The
contents of the dialogs and the quality of their delivery have a major role to play in the impact
that the play has on the audiences. It is through the dialogs between characters that the story can
be understood. They are important in revealing the personalities of the characters. The words
used, the accent, tone, pattern of speech, and even the pauses in speech, say a lot about the
character and help reveal not just his personality, but also his social status, past, and family
background as given by the play. Monologues and soliloquies that are speeches given to oneself
or to other characters help put forward points that would have been difficult to express through
dialogs. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet”
from Romeo and Juliet in which Juliet tells Romeo of the insignificance of names or “To be, or
not to be”, a soliloquy from Hamlet are some of the greatest lines in literature.

Setting
The time and place where a story is set is one of its important parts. The era or time in which the
incidents in the play take place, influence the characters in their appearance and personalities.
The time setting may affect the central theme of the play, the issues raised (if any), the conflict,
and the interactions between the characters. The historical and social context of the play is also
defined by the time and place where it is set. The time period and the location in which the story
is set, affect the play’s staging. Costumes and makeup, the backgrounds and the furniture used,
the visuals (colors and kind of lighting), and the sound are among the important elements of a
play that dictate how the story is translated into a stage performance. The Merchant of Venice
has been set in the 16th century Venice. Romeo and Juliet has been set in the era between 1300
and 1600, perhaps the Renaissance period which is the 14th and 15th centuries.

Performance
It is another important element of drama, as the impact that a story has on the audiences is
largely affected by the performances of the actors. When a written play is transformed into a
stage performance, the actors cast for different roles, the way they portray the characters
assigned to them, and the way their performances are directed are some important factors that
determine the play’s impact. Whether an actor’s appearance (includes what he wears and how he
carries himself on stage) suits the role he is playing, and how well he portrays the character’s
personality are determinants of how well the play would be taken by the audiences. Different
actors may play the same roles in different renditions of a play. A particular actor/actress in a
certain role may be more or less accepted and appreciated than another actor in the same role. As
different actors are cast for different roles, their roles are more or less appreciated depending on
their performances. The stage performances of a play’s characters, especially those in lead roles,
directly affect the success and popularity of a play.
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EXTRINSIC ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

 Author’s life
 Historical Background
 Cultural Background
 Social Background
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 Author’s life
The part of author’s life also influence the settings and plot of the story. The author’s situation or
what the author was experiencing now also affect the story making.
 Historical Background
Historical background might be described by the flow of the story. It could be shown by
a timeline too.
 Cultural Background
 The cultural background inside the story may also connects to the author’s life.
 Social Background
The story depends on the social background of the author.
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TYPES OF DRAMA
 Comedy
Comedy is a type of drama that aims to make the audience laugh. Its tone is light and it
mostly has a happy ending. The classic conception of comedy came from the Ancient
Greek theatre, where comedy first emerged as a form of drama. Read
more: https://www.legit.ng/1219307-4-types-drama-literature.html
 Tragedy
Tragedy is a type of drama in which the protagonist or hero is brought down by his/her
flaws. Murders, deaths, insanity, and pain are among the most common ideas in tragedies.
Main characters usually have some kind of weakness or defect that causes their downfall
Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1219307-4-types-drama-literature.html
 Tragicomedy
Tragicomedy is a special kind of drama that combines the features of tragedy and
comedy. This means that such play may be sad but will have a happy ending, or it may be
serious with some elements of humour emerging throughout the whole play. Read
more: https://www.legit.ng/1219307-4-types-drama-literature.html
 Melodrama
Melodrama is the last one of the four types of drama. It is a kind of drama in which
everything is hyperbolized. Usually, themes depicted in melodramas are simple and
without any unpredictable plot twists. There are quite a lot of stereotypes in such dramas.
Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1219307-4-types-drama-literature.html
THE PURPOSE OF DRAMA
As we have already mentioned, the drama is the way of entertainment for our society. It is the
first and the main its function. The theatre develops us, no matter we are the actors ourselves or
watch the performance. We improve our sense of aesthetics and our ability to understand people
and life situations. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1219572-benefits-functions-drama-
society.html