DRAMA
READING DRAMA
WHAT IS A PLAY?
a play is a written document
O script
O text
O prompt book
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WHAT IS A PLAY?
it is written to be seen, performed
O collaboration
script
actors
director
set designers
costumer designers
makeup artists
lighting & sound engineers
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WHAT IS A PLAY?
Because of this collaboration
O Less authorial control
from an absolute monarchy
to a constitutional monarchy
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DRAMA & FICTION, POETRY
SIMILARITIES
elements
O Plot, Characterization
O Structure, Atmosphere
O Theme, Symbolism, POV
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DRAMA & FICTION, POETRY
DIFFERENCES
interaction
O written to be performed like the Constitution:
1st & foremost -- LIVE • a living document
• interpreted
to be read & studied, too
O quick exposition (engaging)
O one sitting –
can’t be stopped, picked up later
(as a paperback)
O not rewound, watched again 6
DRAMA
Page vs. Stage
Reading Drama vs. Watching Production
O to study the language
to ascertain the nuance of the language
O to pay careful attention to detail
word choice
symbolism
allusions
O re-read parts
make connections
get clarity
close examination 7
DRAMA
HOW TO READ A PLAY
I. LISTEN TO THE LINES
Careful Reading –
O feel the tone of the language
O listen for emotion behind the lines
passion, love, assurance
anger, fear, defiance
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I. LISTEN TO THE LINES
Performance Reading –
O read the lines out loud
O read them with others
O act out scenes in class
O see the work performed
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II. VISUALIZE THE SCENE
“Scene” = Staging
O see the action on a stage
a production in your mind’s eye
O read like an actor/director
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II. VISUALIZE THE SCENE
TYPES of STAGING
(a) proscenium arch
O proscenium arch
arch over which the curtain hangs
O apron
space between the foot of the curtain & the floodlights
O upstage
toward the back
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II. VISUALIZE THE SCENE
TYPES of STAGING
(a) proscenium arch
O downstage
toward the apron
O 4th wall
the “missing” wall
the audience’s perspective
O flats
canvas-covered frames/backdrop
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II. VISUALIZE THE SCENE
TYPES of STAGING
(b) theatre-in-the-round
O aka, arena staging
O audience sits around the stage
O raised
O no 4th wall
O perhaps more intimate setting
greater immediacy
feel as if part of the action
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II. VISUALIZE THE SCENE
TYPES of STAGING
(c) Theatre of the Absurd
O lack of traditional staging, plot, character, action
O can keep or remove or both all of the above
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III. ENVISION THE ACTION
DRAMA =
O “not a medium of words
O BUT
O of people moving around onstage using words”
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III. ENVISION THE ACTION
Thus
O non-verbal elements –
movement
gesture
setting
O so read imaginatively
like an actor/director
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III. ENVISION THE ACTION
stage directions:
O cues for
gestures
movements
facial expressions
tone of voice
O written by the playwright
detailed
sparse
O written by editors (SHK) 1
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IV. C/C DRAMA ON FILM
filmed productions
O live productions recorded
O BBC SHK
movie adaptations
O more movie than play
O Hollywood versions
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IV. C/C DRAMA ON FILM
C/C Questions:
1. What has been cut/added (characters, scenes,
subplots)?
2. How does the characterization of the role/s differ
from your original?
3. Do you agree with the casting?
4. Do camera actions (zoom, close-ups, reactions
shots) focus your attention on certain characters or
add to the appreciation or understanding of certain
scenes? 2
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IV. C/C DRAMA ON FILM
C/C Questions:
5. Is the setting faithful to the script or have liberties
been taken?
6. Would the play make a better movie or stage
production?
7. Does the film version enhance your understanding
of the play?
8. How would the playwright react to the filmed
version?
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IV. C/C DRAMA ON FILM
C/C Questions:
9. As the director, what decisions would you make in
terms of
pace, costuming,
setting, casting,
characterization,
costume design?
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V. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
Main Conflict
O resolved
O How?
Subplots
O What are they?
O How do they enhance the main plot?
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V. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
Traditional Dramatic Structure (see below)
O Exposition
O Complication
O Climax
O Dénouement
O Resolution
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V. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
Protagonist
O character analysis
O tragic error/fatal flaw
O hero or anti-hero
Minor Characters
O flat, expository function
O foil to main characters
oppose, contrast, criticize
help develop main char.
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V. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
Time & Setting
O integral
O Can it be changed?
Title
O clue to understanding
O What would yours be?
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V. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
Theme
Genre
O Comedy or Tragedy
O Tragic-Comedy
O unimportant
Realistic Presentation
O theatrical devices
O lighting, music, costuming,
O real/surreal settings 2
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DRAMA
DRAMATIC STRUCTURE
PLOT
story
Aristotle’s “fable”
beginning, middle, end
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ARGUMENT
“agon”
the heart of the dramatic story
the CONFLICT surrounding the
ARGUMENT
O creates Tension & incites interest
the 2 sides of the argument
O the “pro” and “con”
O = Protagonist, Antagonist
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PROTAGONIST
HERO or HEROINE
1 person or many
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ANTAGONIST
VILLAIN
1 person, group, or
force
O (supernatural, natural)
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DRAMATIC STRUCTURE
establish a conflict
develop both sides of the argument
reach a credible conclusion
O (Rogerian Method)
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(1) POINT of ATTACK
the starting point from which the dramatist
leads the audience into the Plot
opening scene
1. begun at the beginning
characters & audience find out at the same time
2. in medias res
begun “in the middle of things”
reveal events that have already taken place
(Exposition)
3. begun toward the end
reveal events that have already taken place
(Exposition) 3
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(2) EXPOSITION
the revelation of facts, circumstances, & past
events
essential facts @ characters or conflict
revealed
O through minor chararacters
O through jumping right into the action
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(3) RISING ACTION
the building of interest through
COMPLICATION of the Conflict
“Complication”
moving the Protagonist & Antagonist toward
confrontation
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(4) CLIMAX
the “high point” of the action
the showdown between the Protagonist &
Antagonist
the TURNING POINT
O point of no return
1 event or series of events
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(5) FALLING ACTION
the unraveling of the Plot
events fall into place
the Conflict moves toward Resolution
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(6) DENOUEMENT
the “untying” of the knot
the play’s conclusion, explanation, or
outcome of the Action
O the end of the play (go home!)
O wedding, lovers’ kiss, song
O death, pieta
CATASTROPHE –
the Denouement of a Tragedy
often with the death of the Hero/Heroine 3
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DRAMATIC STRUCTURE
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EXPOSITION of ANTIGONE
Sophocles: (c.495 BC –c.405 BC)
O only 7 of his 120+ plays survive
(Theban trilogy)
O Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone
Electra, Ajax
Philoctetes
Women of Trachis (The Trachiniae)
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EXPOSITION of ANTIGONE
Sophocles: (c.495 BC –c.405 BC)
O born in Colonus
(near Athens)
O studied under Aeschylus
(master of Greek tragedy)
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EXPOSITION of ANTIGONE
Sophocles: (c.495 BC –c.405 BC)
O themes:
no questioning the justice of the gods
assumed a divine order that humans must follow
O protagonists:
strong-willed
prideful
lack of self-knowledge
end tragically b/c of such traits (hubris)
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EXPOSITION of ANTIGONE
Antigone
O 3rd play in the “trilogy”
written 1st
442 BC
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EXPOSITION of ANTIGONE
King Laius of Thebes & his descendents=
cursed by Apollo
Oracle of Delphi
O Apollo’s oracle
O warns that Laius’ son will kill him
Laius abandons Oedipus to die in the
mountains
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EXPOSITION of ANTIGONE
Oedipus survives
later meets & kills his father (unbeknownst
to either) on road to Thebes
solves the Riddle of the Sphinx & becomes
king of Thebes
unwittingly marries his mother (Jocasta) &
has children
later discovers his incest (& patricide), blinds
self, leaves Thebes 4
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EXPOSITION of ANTIGONE
Creon, Jocasta’s brother, becomes king &
guardian of Oedipus’ 2 daughters
O Antigone
O Ismene
Oedipus’ 2 sons vie for throne
O Polynices
O Eteocles
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EXPOSITION of ANTIGONE
Polynices =
O driven out of city but returns w/army
Polynices & Eteocles
O kill each other in the ensuing battle
Creon
O becomes king
Antigone
O opens w/Antigone & Ismene
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O discussing Creon’s 1st decree 8
FOLLOW-UP of ANTIGONE
Exposition
O opening scenes
O Chorus
O the Sentry
Conflict
O Protagonist (hero/heroine)
O Antagonist (villain)
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FOLLOW-UP of ANTIGONE
Climax
O too early
Catastrophe/Denouement
O What is it?
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FOLLOW-UP of ANTIGONE
Themes
O clash w/authority, rules, norms, traditions
O politician vs. anarchist
O *public policy vs. individual conscience
O gender conflict
male vs. female
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FOLLOW-UP of ANTIGONE
Ismene as Foil to Antigone
Eurydice subplot
updated settings:
O professor vs. student
O in Nazi-occupied France
O in 1940’s Japanese-American internment camp
O 2003 Iraq War, Patriot Act
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DRAMA
DRAMATIC CHARACTER
HERO
Hero:
O self-sacrifice
O self-control
O saves others, risk own life
O awe-inspiring feats
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HERO
Classical Tragic Hero:
(Aristotle on the Tragic Hero)
O high renown
O upper class
(rich & famous)
O inevitably destroyed
O by inherent tragic flaw
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HERO
Classical Tragic Hero:
(Aristotle on the Tragic Hero)
O tragic flaw
too much of a typical human attribute
pride, willfulness
jealousy, indecision, giving
O suggests BALANCE
order & proportion of traits within
imbalance brings calamity
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HERO
Modern Tragic Hero:
Aristotle vs. Arthur Miller
O not rich & famous
O not tragic flaw
O not a clash within
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HERO
Modern Tragic Hero:
Aristotle vs. Arthur Miller
O but average person/“Common Man”
O but contrast between idealized self-image & reality
O but conflict with society
environment denies the fulfillment of self-image
O stature
gained not by wealth
but by pitting self vs. cosmos
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HERO
Modern Tragic Hero:
Aristotle vs. Arthur Miller
O displacement
O disillusionment
O indignity
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HERO
Modern Tragic Hero:
Aristotle vs. Arthur Miller
O Death of a Salesman
Willie Loman
self-image = well-liked, successful, worldly businessman
reality = ridiculed, on edge of poverty
O Fences
Troy
life passing by, world changing
the way grew up vs. world living in
self-deception, self-delusion
self-protective illusion
self-protective illusion
deceptions & lies
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DRAMA
CULTURE
CULTURE
habits of
O thought
O behavior
O feeling
invented by humans
taught to other humans
passed down to descendents (of humans)
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CULTURE
BUT not practiced among ALL humans
connected to
O age
O religion
O ethnicity
O race
O social class
O sexual orientation
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LITERARY WORK
part of its social context
part of the culture in which it was produced
O the culture it was produced in
O the culture it is read in
both
O a product of its culture
O a contribution to that culture
study a work to learn @ its culture
study a culture to learn @ a work 6
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LITERARY WORK
since literary works often critique the society
of their times
they = fitted for cultural analyses
they attack/support particular social values,
problems, norms, practices, traditions, beliefs
O rituals, racism, ageism, indifference, materialism
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CULTURE & LITERATURE
culture = conditions of the world
O at the time of literary creation
affect the presentation of the work’s themes
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CULTURAL ANALYSIS
HOW TO:
O classify characters into groups
age, race, religion, ethnicity, physical disability, class, sex,
sexual orientation
O note how characters classify or stereotype other
characters or people in general
O note themes of power & oppression
symbols of power, prestige
O (which are culturally defined/determined)
power relationships (who’s really in control)
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CULTURAL ANALYSIS
HOW TO:
O elements from sociology and psychology courses
O “human universals”
O how does this culture (US MM) define success, power &
those other terms that make the culture
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DRAMA
CRITICAL APPROACHES
TO DRAMA
CRITICAL APPROACHES
Dramatic Elements
O Plot, Subplot
O Character
O Theme
O Setting
O Argument (Conflict & Resolution)
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CRITICAL APPROACHES
Production Elements
O acting
O directing
O casting
O lighting
O sound
O pace
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CRITICAL APPROACHES
Dramatic Genre
O Tragi-Comedy
O Comedy
O Tragedy
O Modern
O Classical
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CRITICAL APPROACHES
Gender Roles
O traditional
O modern
Culture
O in which written
O in which read
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DRAMA
END
