Creative Writing

Quarter 2 – Module 3
Reading and Writing Drama
After studying this module, you will be able to:
1. identify the elements, techniques and literary devices in drama,
2. understand intertextuality as a technique of drama,
3. conceptualize a character/setting/plot for a one-act play,
4. explore different staging modalities vis-à-vis envisioning the script, and
5. write at least one scene for one-act play applying the various elements, techniques and
literary devices.
What is Drama?
As mentioned in the previous module, literature is quite complex and consists of a wide
array of genres, including poetry and fiction which were mentioned in the previous
discussions. Drama, on the other hand, is another literary genre with various characteristics
which are distinct from the other types of literary works. In literature,
drama is defined as:
❖ a mode of fictional representation through dialogue and performance .
❖ a type of play which is written for theater, television, radio and film .
❖ a composition in the forms of either verse or prose for the purpose of portraying life or
character or telling a story which often involves conflicts and emotions through action and
dialogue.
❖ comes from the Greek words δρᾶμα (an act, a play) and δράω (to act, to take action) .
❖ its writer is known as dramatist or playwright.
Types of Drama
Drama is classified into different categories according to mood, tone, and actions shown in
the plot. Below are some of the most famous types of drama written nowadays.

1. Comedy
This is known to be a broad genre of film, television, and literature. Nonetheless, its ultimate
goal is but simple – to make the audience laugh. In order to achieve such goal, a playwright
often uses quaint circumstances, unusual characters, and witty remarks. What makes this
category different from the other types is that its writer uses lighter tone. Moreover, it is
sometimes known to be sarcastic in nature as it has the tendency to make fun out of
serious topics.

The following are the sub-genres of comedy:

➢ romantic comedy
– It focuses on lighthearted, humorous plot lines which are often centered on romantic
ideas like how true love is able to overcome many obstacles.
➢ sentimental comedy
- It began in the 18th century as a reaction to the immoral tone of English Restoration play.
This sub-genre of comedy focuses on the middle-class protagonists who are able to
successfully overcome a couple of moral trials.

1
➢ comedy of manners
- It is also referred to as the anti-sentimental comedy which writes about the manners and
feelings of modern society. It also questions societal standards.
➢ tragic comedy
- It portrays characters who take on tragedy with humor in order to bring out happy endings
out of serious situations.
The following are the common examples of comedy:
• The Simpsons
• America’s Funniest Home Videos
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare
2. Tragedy
As a type of drama, tragedy is basically rooted on its literal meaning which connotes
something that is unpleasant and unwelcome. Generally, it has darker themes and portrays
subjects which include death, disaster, and all sorts of human suffering in a manner that is
dignified and thought-provoking. This type of drama involves two important elements: (1) its
intense seriousness in dealing with matters in which survival is at stake and (2) its
involvement of the whole community in matters of ultimate and common concern. A tragic
flaw, a characteristic which often leads to a downfall, is usually present among the story’s
protagonists.

Tragedies come in different types which include:

➢ Greek Tragedy
- Typically, it involves a protagonist of high rank who commits a mistake in judgment
(flawed) and accepts his fall from grace. Typically, it includes the elements of Gods,
mythology, conflict, suffering and catharsis. Among the great Greek tragedians were
Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus.
➢ Roman Tragedy
- These are mostly adaptations of Greek tragedies. The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote
nine plays which still exist at present and adopted by Elizabethan and Jacobean
playwrights during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
➢ Elizabethan and Jacobean Tragedy
- Elizabethan tragedies, which are not all written by Shakespeare, often involve main
characters of high status (nobility, military rank, among others) who committed an error
or flawed, encounter a reversal of fortune and die towards the end of the play. On the other
hand, Jacobean tragedies usually have the characteristic of revenge tragedies.
➢ Revenge Tragedy
- This type of tragedy often involves one character who seeks revenge upon another
character in the story for an evil doing.
The most common examples of this are:
Hamlet by Shakespeare and
The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster.
➢ Tragicomedy
- This is a single dramatic work which consists of a combination of tragic and comic
elements. One popular example of this is the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.
➢ Domestic Tragedy
- Unlike the Elizabethan period tragedy, it portrays a common man in a domestic setting as
the tragic hero in the story. The best examples for this are Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
and Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh.
3. Farce

2
This type of drama features exaggerated or absurd forms of comedy. It is a nonsensical
genre of drama in which the characters intentionally overact and get themselves into a
slapstick or physical humor. Webster’s Dictionary refers to it as “a light dramatic
composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot”. Recently, it is
known as something serious that has turned comical.

4. Melodrama
This is an exaggerated type of drama which shows classic one-dimensional
characters like heroes, heroines, and villains who deal with sensational, romantic, and
threatening situations. Examples of melodrama are the play The Glass Menagerie by
Tennessee Williams and Margaret Mitchell’s novel, Gone With the Wind.

5. Opera
This type combines theater, dialogue, music and dance to tell grand stories of
tragedy or comedy; hence, it is known as a versatile genre of drama. This genre
requires their performers to be both actors and singers since they will be expressing
their emotions and intentions through song instead of a dialogue.

6. Docudrama
This new genre involves dramatic portrayals of historic events or non-fictional
happenings. It is more often presented in movies such as Apollo 13 and 12 Years a
Slave.

The Structure of Drama

1. Plot
We refer to plot as the dramatic structure of a play. Nonetheless, it should not be forgotten
that the narrative structure is not the only consideration to think of since majority of these
plays are created to be played either in a theater, a movie or a television.

There are three major divisions or acts in a physical format of a play. A three act play is
composed of three acts which show a fuller and longer exposition of the theme and conflict
of the story. On the other hand, a one-act play involves one unit of time, place and action
only. Typically, plays are written in many different forms, but the typical structure often
consists of the following:

a. Exposition and Introduction

This part introduces the characters and establishes the setting of the story. The introduction
can either present the conflict right at the very beginning or in the middle of the action.
Regardless of the structure, this part shows the situations that involved the characters to
the conflict and sets the tone of the play.

b. Conflict
This is where the challenges that the protagonist is about to face are presented. This
conflict may arise from various forces, including the society, nature, environment, God, or
even from the main character himself/herself.

c. Rising Action or Complication

From the emergence of a conflict, the play now rises toward a dramatic tension which often
turns into a confrontation. As this dramatic tension intensifies, it provides emotional tension

3
between characters, giving the audience more details concerning them which were not
known in the introduction and conflict. This part also makes the conflict more complicated.

d. Turning Point, Climax or Crisis

This part is where the audience finds out if the protagonist either wins or loses in the battle
that he or she is struggling with. This is known as the highest point in a story.

e. Falling Action
At this point, the audience somehow gets a sense of the conclusion, but may still have
some unsettled questions at work within the plot.

f. Denouement or Resolution
This marks the ending of the play where we can see if the protagonist won against the
antagonist. It also shows whether or not the order is brought back and the conflict has been
resolved.
Dramatic Elements
While it is important for a playwright to understand the structure of drama, it is also
necessary that he or she is fully aware of the many different techniques and
devices – dramatic elements – involved in making a play more effective, interesting
and meaningful. Here are some of them:
Action - It refers to what the characters say or do to achieve their goals.
Antagonist - It refers to the character or situation that is in conflict with the protagonist.
Arc - It is the storyline of the play; something that the audience wants to find out.
Aside - This is when the actor speaks directly to the audience while the other actors on
stage supposedly did not hear a word he or she says. In the Renaissance drama, it was
used to make the actor’s inner feelings known to the audience while in the 19 th century, it
was used to insert comedy or melodrama.
Backstory - It refers to past events involved in the play.
Complications - This is the introduction of new characters, information or other events
which often causes conflicts.
Conflict - It refers to the problem which arises due to the opposing intentions
of the protagonist and the antagonist.
Discovery - This is when the protagonist finally realizes the reality of the
situation.
Double plots - It is the use of a subplot in moving towards and outside of the main
plot. This is usually observed in Elizabethan drama.
Dramatic convention - It refers to what the audience intends to accept as true for the

4
story’s sake. This may include the actors acting to represent the characters of the story, the
stage set up to appear realistic in time and location, and so on.
Flashback - In order to clarify the situation, it uses description or enactment of
what happened in the past which usually has something to do with the present conflict.
Foreshadowing - It refers to the use of hints at the future just to create audience’s
anticipation.
Inciting incident - It refers to that occurrence which introduces the main character and
gets the plot going.
In Medias Res - It is the opening scene in the middle of the action.
Intrigue - It refers to a scheme created by one of the characters which often
results in a more complicated plot.
Music - It is used on the stage to set the mood and tone of the play.

Monologue
It refers to the speech delivery of an actor in the presence of other
actors who simply listens, but not talk.
Protagonist
It is the main character in a play who often comes with a mission
or has a quest to conquer.
Reversal
It occurs when the protagonist either fails or succeeds.
Scenes
These are portions of an act which let the audience relax briefly
from the tension of the story
Soliloquy
It is an actor’s speech delivery to express thoughts at the time
when he or she is alone.
Stakes
These refer to what the characters stand to either gain or lose
when they succeed or fail.
Surprise

5
It is what happened in the story which the audience does not
expect at all.
Suspense
It involves happenings that cause a sense of uncertainty about the
things that will happen to the characters