ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

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.

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.

Although considered as a part of the staging, factors such as

music and visuals can be discussed separately as the elements of
drama.

Music
This element includes the use of sounds and rhythm in dialogs
as well as music compositions that are used in the plays. The
background score, the songs, and the sound effects used should
complement the situation and the characters in it. The right kind of
sound effects or music, if placed at the right points in the story, act
as a great supplement to the high and low points in the play. The
music and the lyrics should go well with the play’s theme. If the
scenes are accompanied by pieces of music, they become more
effective on the audiences.

Visual Element
While the dialog and music are the audible aspects of drama,
the visual element deals with the scenes, costumes, and special
effects used in it. The visual element of drama, also known as the
spectacle, renders a visual appeal to the stage setup. The costumes
and makeup must suit the characters. Besides, it is important for the
scenes to be dramatic enough to hold the audiences to their seats.
The special effects used in a play should accentuate the portion or
character of the story that is being highlighted.

Apart from these elements, the structure of the story, a clever

use of symbolism and contrast, and the overall stagecraft are some
of the other important elements of drama.

The structure of the story comprises the way in which it is

dramatized. How well the actors play their roles and the story’s
framework constitute the structure of drama. Direction is an
essential constituent of a play. A well-directed story is more
effective. Stagecraft defines how the play is presented to the
audiences. The use and organization of stage properties and the
overall setting of a play are a part of stagecraft, which is a key
element of drama.

Symbols are often used to give hints of the future events in

the story. They complement the other elements of a scene and
make it more effective. The use of contrasts adds to the dramatic
element of a play. It could be in the form of contrasting colors,
contrasting backdrops, an interval of silence followed by that of
activity and noise, or a change in the pace of the story.

The dramatization of a story cannot be called successful unless

the audiences receive it well. It may improve through constructive
criticism or due to improvisations introduced by the actors. And a
generous appreciation from the audiences encourages everyone
involved in the making of a play, to continue doing good work.