The Structure of a Play

1. The Structure of a Play

2. The exposition, or introduction, of the play is made up of the setting and characters.

3. Setting- combines two factors, time and place, which provide the background against which the action occurs Characters-people, animals or creatures in the story

4. IncitingIncident is the part of the plot where the conflict is introduced.

5. The risingaction is the periodofsuspense which heightens the reader’s and viewer’s interest in the outcome. The plot develops through a series of events all related to the basic conflict.

6. Climax is the decisive point of the conflict, the highest point of rising action. Here, the protagonist attempts to resolve the conflict.

7. Falling Action-occurs after the climax when no new complications arise

8. ResolutionsofDenouement -(day-new-mugh) French for plot -the playwright ties up all the lines of dramaticaction, revealing to the audience the outcome of the situations which have engaged interest.

9. Differences Between Drama and Other Literary Forms

10. A play is written to be acted. 2. A play is divided into acts and scenes.

11. 3. The nature of a play imposes restrictions on the playwright: a. The story must be told entirely through the dialogue and actions of the characters. b. The action must occur in a limitednumber of places since each change of scene interrupts the story being told and also adds to the expense of the production.

12. c. The number of main characters is more limited than in a novel. d. Since the play is written primarily to be viewed—and, therefore, understood at once– the playwright must be sure that everything is clear, and that nothing essential has been left out.

13. e. A play stands or falls by what is said and done on the stage.

14. Drama Terms to Know Dialogue- conversation between two characters--it moves the plot along and reveals the characters in the play Stage Directions- the dramatist’s information on the character description, setting, blocking (movement), business (extra action), and reading

15. Basic Dramatic Principles- conflict, complications, climax, and resolution Dramatic Irony- the people watching the play know something that the characters onstage don’t know including, sometimes, what awaits them in the future

16. Flashback- interruption in the present action of a plot to show events that happened at an earlier time Foreshadowing- the use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the plot