ELEMENTS OF DRAMA COMEDY AND TRAGEDY

Technical Theatre ELEMENTS OF DRAMACOMEDY AND TRAGEDY

SIX ELEMENTS OF DRAMA • Most successful playwrights follow the theories of playwriting and drama that were established over two thousand years ago by a man named Aristotle.

SIX ELEMENTS OF DRAMA • Aristotle • Most famous work – The Poetics • outlined the six elements of drama in his critical analysis of the classical Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex written by the Greek playwright, Sophocles, in the fifth century B.C.

SIX ELEMENTS OF DRAMA • The six elements as they are outlined involve: • Plot or Action • Thought, Theme, or Idea • Characters • Language or Diction • Music • Spectacle

1. Action/Plot • The events of a play • The story as opposed to the theme; what happens rather than what it means. • The plot must have some sort of unity and clarity by setting up a pattern by which each action initiating the next rather than standing alone without connection to what came before it or what follows. (Cause-to-Effect)

1. Action/Plot • In the plot of a play, characters are involved in conflict that has a pattern of movement. • The action and movement in the play begins from the initial entanglement, through rising action, climax, and falling action to resolution.

2. Thought/Theme/Ideas • What the play means as opposed to what happens (the plot). • Sometimes the theme is clearly stated in the title. • It may be stated through dialogue by a character acting as the playwright’s voice. • Or it may be the theme is less obvious and emerges only after some study or thought. • The abstract issues and feelings that grow out of the dramatic action.

3. Characters • These are the people presented in the play that are involved in the plot. • Each character should have their own distinct personality, age, appearance, beliefs, socio economic background, and language.

4. Language or Diction • The word choices made by the playwright • Language and dialog delivered by the characters moves the plot and action along, provides exposition, and defines the distinct characters.

5. Music • Music can encompass the rhythm of dialogue and speeches in a play or can also mean the aspects of the melody and music compositions as with musical theatre. • Each theatrical presentation delivers music, rhythm and melody in its own distinctive manner. • Music can expand to all sound effects, the actor’s voices, songs, and instrumental music played as underscore in a play.

6. Spectacle The spectacle in the theatre involves all of the aspects of scenery, costumes, and special effects in a production.

Tragedy vs. Comedy TRAGEDY • Inevitable- there is no way out/to change • Universal theme • Emotional • Protagonist fails to achieve goals • Protagonist average or better • Protagonist alienated from society • Protagonist falls from leadership, loses respect, dreams, position COMEDY • Predictably unpredictable- you can accept the unlikely • Often time and place oriented • Intellectual, mental • Protagonist achieves goals • Protagonist often becomes leader of new society; even villain is usually accepted • Protagonist less than average • Protagonist achieves success, often as a result of own mistakes/shortcomings

Seven Elements of Comedy • Comedy is like drama – it is built around situations • The protagonist overcomes opposing forces or achieves desired goals • Comedy is built around characters, situations, and dialogue

1.EXAGGERATION • CAN TAKE SEVERAL FORMS • OVERSTATEMENT • UNDERSTATEMENT • CAN INCLUDE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS (LARGE TEETH, BULBOUS NOSE) OR BIG MANNERISMS (STRANGE WALK) • HUMORS (SHAKESPEARE’S TIME) • BLOOD • BLACK BILE • YELOW BILE • PHLEGM

INCONGRUITY • ANYTHING THAT SEEMS OUT OF PLACE, OUT OF TIME, OR OUT OF CHARACTER • EXAMPLE: AN UNNATURAL ACTION FROM A CHARACTER (A SOLDIER WHO WALKS LIKE A WIND-UP TOY) • CAN BE AN UNNATURAL SOUND

ANTICIPATION • LOOKING FORWARDTO A POTENTIAL LAUGH • EXAMPLE: BANANA PEEL ON THE GROUND • A PLANT – AN IDEA, A LINE OR AN ACTION EMPHASIZED EARLY IN THE PLAY (FORESHADOWING) AND IS USED LATER FOR A LAUGH • RUNNING GAG: AT LEAST 3 EXPOSURES TO A LAUGH – ONE TO PLANT, ONE TO ESTABLISH, ONE TO CLINCH

INCOMPLETION- NOT A SEPARATE CAUSE OF LAUGHTER – A PART OF ANTICIPATION • A LINE OR BIT OF ACTION IS STARTED BUT NEVER FINISHED • THE AUDIENCE COMPLETES THE THOUGHT WITH LAUGHTER • ANTICLIMAX: THE LETDOWN- EXCITEMENT ABOUT SOMETHING IS BUILT TO GREAT PROPORTIONS, AND THEN, LIKE A BURSTING BUBBLE, THERE IS NOTHING

AMBIGUITY • DOUBLE MEANING • PUNS AND WORDPLAY

RECOGNITION • DISCOVERING HIDDEN OR OBSCURE MEANINGS • DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHARACTER’S INNER MOTIVATION AND THE APPARENT MOTIVATION

PROTECTION • ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF COMEDY • CRUEL, VIOLENT, GROTESQUE AND ABUSIVE ACTIONS AND EVENTS CAUSE LAUGHTER BECAUSE THE AUDIENCE IS PROTECTED BY KNOWING THAT THESE ARE NOT REALLY HAPPENING OR THAT THEY ARE NOT AS DAMAGING AS THEY SEEM

RELIEF • BUILDS UP PRESSURE AND THEN RELEASES IT • THE PRESSURE IS HUMOROUS WHEN THE PENT-UP EMOTIONS ARE ALLOWED TO EXPLODE IN LAUGHTER

ELEMENTS OF DRAMA COMEDY AND TRAGEDY