Elements of Drama Types of Characters

 The elements of drama, by which dramatic  Static - Dynamic

works can be analyzed and evaluated, can be  Foil - Stock Character
categorized into three major areas:  Stereotype - Archetype
 Protagonist - Antagonist
1. LITERARY ELEMENTS
 Flat - Round
2. TECHNICAL ELEMENTS
3. PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS
 Dialogue This refers to the words written by
Aristotle’s Six Elements of Drama the playwright and spoken by the
--Literary Elements— characters in the play. The dialogue helps
move the action of the play along.
1. Plot
2. Theme Various Forms of Dialogue
3. Characters An exchange between two or more characters •
4. Dialogue
5. Music/Rhythm  Soliloquy - A character that is typically
6. Spectacle alone on stage delivers a long speech
which is called a soliloquy. Emotions and
 Plot refers to the action; the basic storyline of innermost thoughts of the character are
the play. revealed in a soliloquy.
 Aside - This is spoken by a character to
Six Stages in a Plot Structure another character or to the audience
Initial incident → Preliminary event → Rising but is not heard by the other characters
action → Climax → Falling action → Denouement on stage. Asides reveal what a character
is thinking or feeling.
 Theme refers to the meaning of the play.
Theme is the main idea or lesson to be  Music/Rhythm - While music is often
learned from the play. In some cases, the featured in drama, in this case Aristotle was
theme of a play is obvious; other times it is referring to the rhythm of the actors' voices
quite subtle. as they speak.
Some General Themes  Spectacle - This refers to the visual
elements of a play: sets, costumes, special
 Theme Conflict-- between two individuals effects, etc. Spectacle is everything that the
 Conflict between man and a supernatural audience sees as they watch the play.
power
 Conflict between the man and himself Elements of Drama in The Modern Theater
--Literary Elements—
 Characters The people (sometimes animals
or ideas) portrayed by the actors in the 1. Characters
play. It is the characters who move the 2. Plot
action or plot. Characterization is the way 3. Theme
an author presents a character. 4. Dialogue
5. Convention
6. Genre
7. Audience
  Convention - These are the techniques and  Makeup - includes costumes, wigs, and
methods used by the playwright and body paint used to transform an actor into a
director to create the desired stylistic character.
effect.
Performance Elements
 Genre - Genre refers to the type of play.
Some examples of different genres include  Acting - The use of face, body, and voice to
comedy, tragedy, mystery and historical portray character.
play.  Character Motivation - The reason or
 Audience - This is the group of people who reasons for a character’s behavior; an
watch the play. Many playwrights and incentive or inducement for further action
actors consider the audience to be the most for a character in drama.
important element of drama, as all of the  Character Analysis - In responding to
effort put in to writing and producing a play dramatic art, the process of examining how
is for the enjoyment of the audience. the elements of drama –literary, technical,
and performance –are used.
--Technical Elements—
 Empathy - The capacity to relate to the
 Scenery (set) feelings of another.
 Costumes
Conclusion
 Properties
 Lights In drama, there are 3 major elements which are
 Sound literary, technical, and performance elements.
 Makeup Literary elements consist of plot, theme,
characters, dialogue, music, spectacle, convention,
 Scenery (set) - The theatrical equipment, genre, and audience. Technical elements consist of
such as curtains, flats, backdrops, or scenery (set), costumes, properties, lights, sound,
platforms, used in a dramatic production to and makeup. And the last, performance elements
communicate environment. consist of acting, character motivation, character
 Costumes - Clothing and accessories are analysis, and empathy. For each element hold
worn by actors to portray character and specific role in ensuring the success of a drama, we
period. have to pay attention to each element that
 Properties - Properties are any article, constructs it.
except costume or scenery, used as part of
a dramatic production; any moveable object
that appears on stage during a
performance, from a telephone to a train.
 Light - Light elements means that every
placement, intensity, and color of lights
have to be set as needed to help
communicate environment, mood, or
feeling.
 Sound - The effects an audience hears
during performance to communicate
character, context, or environment.