Elements of Drama

Elements of Drama

ELA 6-8

Elements of Drama!!

We are going to learn how to:

• identify the elements of drama

• recognize monologue and dialogue

• understand the purpose of stage directions

• define drama

What is drama?

Drama is a kind of literature that is written to be performed by actors for an audience. Types of drama include stage plays, radio plays, movies, and television programs. If you think about it, you probably see a lot of drama.

What is drama?

Like short stories, novels and other forms of fiction, the purpose of drama is to tell a compelling story. However, in a drama, the plot and characters are developed primarily through dialogue and action. Through the words and actions of actors, drama brings ideas, concepts, and emotions to life.

Conflict is a struggle between a character and opposing characters or opposing forces. Conflict can also occur within a character. For example, a character might struggle internally to make a difficult decision or choice.

A plot is the series of related events that make up a story.
Ask: "What's the story about?"

A plot consists of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Elements of Fiction in Drama

Elements of Fiction in Drama

A character is a person (or an animal) in a literary work. A story or play can have many characters or just a few.

The setting is the time and place in which a story occurs. The setting can be in the past, present, or future. Examples of setting include a classroom, the inside of a car during a traffic jam, or Mars.
A story or play can include several different settings.

Elements of Fiction in Drama

Dialogue is the words characters speak. Although any kind of story can have dialogue, it is central to drama, because the audience follows the events by watching what characters say and do.

Elements unique to drama

Because drama is written to be performed by actors in front of an audience, it has five unique elements—characteristics that you won't find in other forms of fiction:
stage directions, scenes, monologue, soliloquy, aside

elements unique to drama

A scene is a section in a play in which all of the events occur in one place at one time. Some plays have only one scene and take place over a short amount of time. Other plays have several scenes and take place over a longer period of time.

Stage directions are a playwright's written instructions about how actors should move and behave. Stage directions also explain how the stage should look and where props (items used in the play) are located.

elements unique to drama

A special kind of monologue is a soliloquy—a speech by a character alone on stage, whose words reveal what he or she is thinking or feeling.

A monologue is a speech in which a character speaks to a silent or absent listener in a moment of deep emotion.

Match

Match the following

• MARIA [alone on stage]: How can I be such a coward! I am so ashamed of myself. I deserve to lose Henry's love . . . .

• Scene 1: The school lunchroom. Two teenagers are walking by the salad bar. They are talking to each other.

• LEE: [pacing while SAM stares in silence]: I have finally found it. After all these years, I have found eternal youth. I will be rich! And young again! Youth, sweet youth . . . .

soliloquy

Scene

monologue

• soliloquy

• Scene

• monologue

Monologue and Dialogue

Earlier in this lesson, you learned about the different ways characters speak on stage.

One way is through dialogue, or conversation between two or more characters.

Another way is through monologue, or a long speech made by one character. Often, the stage directions indicate whether the character delivering the monologue is alone or separated from others on the stage.

Soliloquy

During a monologue, a character in a drama speaks without interruption.

A soliloquy is a special kind of monologue. In a soliloquy, a character is alone on stage, speaking to himself or herself or to the audience.

Multiple Choice

What type of on-stage speech is this?

JAMIE: Goodbye, Daniel.
(Jamie exits.)
DANIEL (to himself): Man, I am so glad he's gone! Sometimes it's just so hard to be around Jamie. It's like he doesn't understand that other people have feelings, too. I really want to talk to him about this, but I'm afraid of what he'll say. I don't know what to do.

• monlogue

• dialogue

• soliloquy

Multiple Choice

TIANA: Hey, did you get the job at the clothing store?
BETTE: I'll find out tomorrow.
KIT: If you get the job, will you get a discount on your own purchases?
BETTE: Yes! Twenty percent off!

• monologue

• dialogue

• soliloquy

Multiple Choice

How is drama different from other kinds of fiction?

• Drama can have only one setting. Other kinds of fiction can have many settings.

• Drama has a plot. Other kinds of fiction use monologues instead of plots.

• Drama has more characters than other kinds of fiction.

• Drama is written to be performed by actors for an audience.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary purpose of drama?

• to help readers visualize the text

• to tell a compelling story

• to allow actors to perform in front of a live audience

• to tell stories from the past

Multiple Choice

Which of the following elements are unique to drama?

• characters, stage directions, scenes

• conflict, setting, characters

• stage directions, scenes, monologue

• dialogue, plot, setting

Multiple Choice

What is the difference between dialogue and monologue?

• Dialogue is conversation between two or more characters. In a monologue, one character speaks alone.

• Monologue is conversation between two characters. Dialogue is conversation between three or more characters.

• Dialogue is conversation between two or more characters. Monologues appear only in novels.

• Dialogue is conversation between only two characters. In a monologue, one character speaks alone.

Multiple Choice

Why does a playwright include stage directions in a script?

• to provide information about the time period in which a play is set

• to provide information about how the dialogue in a play should be spoken

• to provide information about how the play should look to the audience

• to provide information about the setting, characters, dialogue, and appearance of a play