Elements of Drama

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Dramatic Conventions and The Renaissance Theater English 10 What is Drama? Drama: literature in which plot and characters are developed through dialogue and action Dialogue: conversation between characters; critical for conveying thoughts and feelings, and every twist and turn of the plot in drama Dialect: regional speech used to emphasize a character’s roots Elements of Drama Plot: the sequence of events which move the story along; in drama these are divided into: Scenes – each scene has a different time or place Acts – scenes are grouped into acts Stage directions: done in italic type and separated from dialogue by parentheses Provide background, ideas for setting/scenery/props Costumes, lighting, music, and sound effects Directions to actors – how they should look/move/behave Dramatic Conventions Tragedy: a work in which the main character, or tragic hero, comes to an unhappy end Tragic Hero: the main character of a tragedy who comes to an unhappy or miserable end Generally a person of importance (king or queen) Exhibits extraordinary abilities Tragic Flaw: a fatal error in judgment or weakness of character, directly leads to his or her downfall Dramatic Conventions Other Characters Antagonist (usually “the bad guy”) Foil – a character who provides a sharp contrast to another character. Grendel is a foil for Beowulf Major and minor characters Dramatic Conventions Comic Relief: eases the intensity of the action by following a serious scene with a lighter, mildly humorous one Catharsis: the purging (releasing) of emotions through art Fate: destiny, an inevitable course of events Tragic Heroes are usually fated to end up the way they do Dramatic Conventions Soliloquy: a speech that a character makes while alone on stage, reveals his or her thoughts to the audience Monologue: a speech by one actor Aside: a remark made in an undertone to the audience or another character, but that other characters on stage are not supposed to hear Dramatic Conventions Irony: Verbal Irony: a writer or character says one thing but means another Situational Irony: a character or reader expects one thing to happen but something else actually happens Dramatic Irony: the reader knows something that a character does not know Other Important Literary Terms Motif: a recurring word, phrase, image, object, idea, or action in a work of literature Blank Verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter Meter: a fixed pattern of rhythm Ex: iambic pentameter The Renaissance Theater Could not show “reality,” so the audience had to rely heavily on its imagination. Actors wore elaborate costumes. Limited props -- scenery was described through the play’s language. Act and scene divisions were added by later editors to allow for scene changes. Popular Renaissance Theaters The Theater – 1st public theater in London The Curtain – 2nd theater built The Globe – most famous theater; owned by Shakespeare’s acting company 3 main parts of The Globe: The building (16-sided polygon) The stage The tiring house (backstage) Admission was 1 penny for general seating Renaissance London.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

AP English Literature Required Reading
Kerr High School AP English Literature Summer Reading 2019 Welcome to AP Literature! I’m fairly certain you are parched and thirsty for some juicy reading after a year of analyzing speeches and arguments, so let us jump right in. After months of deliberation and careful consideration, I have chosen several pieces from as far back as 429 BC Athens, to 1200 AD Scotland, venturing on to Africa 1800s, and finishing up in 20th century Chicago. Grab your literary passport and join me as we meet various tragic heroes and discover their tragic flaws and tragic mistakes. You will learn the difference between an Aristotelian tragic hero and a Shakespearean tragic hero, not to mention gain a whole bunch of insight into the human condition and learn some ancient Greek in the process. I made sure each piece is available in PDF online. If you choose to use the online documents, be certain you are able to annotate and have quick access to the annotated text for class discussions. The only AP 4 summer writing you will do is five reading record cards. Four of your reading record cards could include all of the required summer reading pieces. It is my expectation that you earnestly read, annotate, and ponder each of the required pieces and be ready to launch into discussion after your summer reading exam. Heavily annotated notes on the four attached tragic hero articles and your handwritten reading record cards will count as one major grade and are due Thursday, August 15, by 3:00 pm. Instructions for the reading record cards are attached.
[Show full text]
On Morals, Fictions, and Genres
On Morals, Fictions, and Genres by Shen-yi Liao A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy) in The University of Michigan 2011 Doctoral Committee: Professor Kendall L. Walton, Chair Professor Daniel Jacobson Associate Professor Sarah Buss Assistant Professor Sekhar Chandra Sripada c Shen-yi Liao 2011 All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To start, I would like to thank the members of my committee, whose incisive feedback and patient guidance made this dissertation possible. Ken Walton sparked my interest in aesthetics and guided this project from the very beginning. The influence of his thoughtful criticisms can be seen on nearly every page. Sarah Buss has been a source of constant encouragement and her attention to detail greatly improved this work. Dan Jacobson consistently provided invaluable comments on this work and equally invaluable advice on navigating academia. Chandra Sripada served as an exemplary model for integrating empirical methods into philosophical inquiry. I also owe much gratitude to all others who have contributed to the finished dissertation and my growth as a philosopher. In particular, although their names do not appear on the cover page, Tamar Gendler, Shaun Nichols, and Andy Egan more than deserve the title of unofficial committee members. Each of them had a tremendous impact on the way I think about the topics covered in this dissertation, and more importantly, the way I think as a philosopher. In addition, Lina Jansson taught me much about scientific explanation and Nina Strohminger taught me much about experimental design and statistical analysis. Other members of the Michigan philosophical community deserve thanks.
[Show full text]
The Low-Status Character in Shakespeare's Comedies Linda St
Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® Masters Theses & Specialist Projects Graduate School 5-1-1973 The Low-Status Character in Shakespeare's Comedies Linda St. Clair Western Kentucky University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation St. Clair, Linda, "The Low-Status Character in Shakespeare's Comedies" (1973). Masters Theses & Specialist Projects. Paper 1028. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1028 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses & Specialist Projects by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ARCHIVES THE LOW-STATUS CHARACTER IN SHAKESPEAREf S CCiiEDIES A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of English Western Kentucky University Bov/ling Green, Kentucky In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Linda Abbott St. Clair May, 1973 THE LOW-STATUS CHARACTER IN SHAKESPEARE'S COMEDIES APPROVED >///!}<•/ -J?/ /f?3\ (Date) a D TfV OfThesis / A, ^ of the Grafduate School ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS With gratitude I express my appreciation to Dr. Addie Milliard who gave so generously of her time and knowledge to aid me in this study. My thanks also go to Dr. Nancy Davis and Dr. v.'ill Fridy, both of whom painstakingly read my first draft, offering invaluable suggestions for improvement. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii INTRODUCTION 1 THE EARLY COMEDIES 8 THE MIDDLE COMEDIES 35 THE LATER COMEDIES 8? CONCLUSION 106 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ill iv INTRODUCTION Just as the audience which viewed Shakespeare's plays was a diverse group made of all social classes, so are the characters which Shakespeare created.
[Show full text]
This Thesis Has Been Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Postgraduate Degree (E.G
This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Lost Pigs and Broken Genes: The search for causes of embryonic loss in the pig and the assembly of a more contiguous reference genome Amanda Warr A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh 2019 Division of Genetics and Genomics, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh Declaration I declare that the work contained in this thesis has been carried out, and the thesis composed, by the candidate Amanda Warr. Contributions by other individuals have been indicated throughout the thesis. These include contributions from other authors and influences of peer reviewers on manuscripts as part of the first chapter, the second chapter, and the fifth chapter. Parts of the wet lab methods including DNA extractions and Illumina sequencing were carried out by, or assistance was provided by, other researchers and this too has been indicated throughout the thesis.
[Show full text]
The Importance of Being Earnest Noah | Meliha Grbic’ | Mia Klopfenstein | Geneve Lau the Meeting of Cecily & Gwendolen
The Importance of Being Earnest Noah | Meliha Grbic’ | Mia Klopfenstein | Geneve Lau The Meeting of Cecily & Gwendolen Click ↯ https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=1Yvb25Ypvhw&t=137s Let’s Talk! stock conflict? satire? characters? dramatic irony? foreshadowing? Convention 1 : Foil Algernon and Jack ★ Older/younger sibling ★ Jack: more responsible, compassionate ○ “For Heaven’s sake, don’t try to be cynical. It’s perfectly easy to be cynical.” ○ “My dear Algy, I don’t know whether you will be able to understand my real motives. You are hardly serious enough.” ★ Algernon: frivolous, less responsible, aesthetically concerned ○ “If I am occasionally over-dressed, I make up for it by being immensely over-educated” (1292-1293) ○ Cucumber sandwich situation Convention 1 : Foil Gwendolen and Cecily ★ Urban/Country life ★ Similarities: both love Ernest, diary, ★ Gwendolen: sophisticated, polished ○ “Gwendolen: [Satirically.] I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade. It is obvious that our social spheres have been widely different.” (II. 297-229) ★ Cecily: simple, witty and charming ○ “Gwendolen: Five counties! I don’t think I should like that; I hate crowds. ○ Cecily: [Sweetly] I suppose that is why you live in town? [Gwendolen bites her lip, and beats her foot nervously with her parasol.] Convention 2 : Denouement ★ Bunburying conflict climaxes in the garden, Resolution occurs in the house ★ Cecily and Gwendolen swear to remain distant to Jack and Algernon ○ However, Gwendolen makes the first move: “Mr. Worthing, I have something very particular to ask you” (1891-1892). ○ Characterization of Gwendolen and Cecily lends itself to a fast resolution ★ Gwendolen and Cecily are immediately content with the bunburying explanations ○ “Gwendolen: ...Their explanations appear to be quite satisfactory.../ Cecily: I am more than content…” (1913-1915) ★ Jack reveals Algernon’s deception to Lady Bracknell → She doesn’t care ○ Condones the marriage of Algernon and Cecily.
[Show full text]
Relationality and Masculinity in Superhero Narratives Kevin Lee Chiat Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) with Second Class Honours
i Being a Superhero is Amazing, Everyone Should Try It: Relationality and Masculinity in Superhero Narratives Kevin Lee Chiat Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) with Second Class Honours This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The University of Western Australia School of Humanities 2021 ii THESIS DECLARATION I, Kevin Chiat, certify that: This thesis has been substantially accomplished during enrolment in this degree. This thesis does not contain material which has been submitted for the award of any other degree or diploma in my name, in any university or other tertiary institution. In the future, no part of this thesis will be used in a submission in my name, for any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution without the prior approval of The University of Western Australia and where applicable, any partner institution responsible for the joint-award of this degree. This thesis does not contain any material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. This thesis does not violate or infringe any copyright, trademark, patent, or other rights whatsoever of any person. This thesis does not contain work that I have published, nor work under review for publication. Signature Date: 17/12/2020 ii iii ABSTRACT Since the development of the superhero genre in the late 1930s it has been a contentious area of cultural discourse, particularly concerning its depictions of gender politics. A major critique of the genre is that it simply represents an adolescent male power fantasy; and presents a world view that valorises masculinist individualism.
[Show full text]
Green Acres School Reading Suggestions for 5Th Or 6Th Graders Updated June 2019
Green Acres School Reading Suggestions for 5th or 6th Graders Updated June 2019 (The books recommended below are part of the Green Acres Library collection. Reading levels and interests vary greatly, so you may want to look also at Reading Suggestions for 4th Graders and Reading Suggestions for 7th/8th Graders.) This list includes: • Fiction • Poetry and Short Stories • Biography and Memoir • Other Nonfiction Graphic books are denoted with the symbol. Fiction Alice, Alex; transl. by Castle In the Stars: The Space Race of 1869 Anne Smith and Owen Smith. "In … this lavishly illustrated graphic novel, Alex Alice delivers a historical fantasy adventure set in a world where man journeyed into space in 1869, not 1969.” Graphic steampunk/Historical fantasy. (Publisher) Appelt, Kathi and Alison McGhee. Maybe a Fox “A fox kit born with a deep spiritual connection to a rural Vermont legend has a special bond with 11-year-old Jules.” Fantasy. (Kirkus Reviews) Avi. The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts “A 12-year-old boy is left to fend for himself in 18th-century England following a terrible storm and the disappearance of his father… Impossible to put down.” Historical fiction. (Kirkus Reviews) Bauer, Joan. Soar "Sports, friendship, tragedy, and a love connection are all wrapped up in one heartwarming, page-turning story. …This coming-of-age tale features a boy who is courageous and witty; readers—baseball fans or otherwise—will cheer on Jeremiah and this team. The latest middle grade novel from this award-winning author is triumphant and moving." Fiction. (School Library Journal) Beckhorn, Susan.
[Show full text]
Glossary of Literary Terms
Glossary of Critical Terms for Prose Adapted from “LitWeb,” The Norton Introduction to Literature Study Space http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/litweb10/glossary/C.aspx Action Any event or series of events depicted in a literary work; an event may be verbal as well as physical, so that speaking or telling a story within the story may be an event. Allusion A brief, often implicit and indirect reference within a literary text to something outside the text, whether another text (e.g. the Bible, a myth, another literary work, a painting, or a piece of music) or any imaginary or historical person, place, or thing. Ambiguity When we are involved in interpretation—figuring out what different elements in a story “mean”—we are responding to a work’s ambiguity. This means that the work is open to several simultaneous interpretations. Language, especially when manipulated artistically, can communicate more than one meaning, encouraging our interpretations. Antagonist A character or a nonhuman force that opposes, or is in conflict with, the protagonist. Anticlimax An event or series of events usually at the end of a narrative that contrast with the tension building up before. Antihero A protagonist who is in one way or another the very opposite of a traditional hero. Instead of being courageous and determined, for instance, an antihero might be timid, hypersensitive, and indecisive to the point of paralysis. Antiheroes are especially common in modern literary works. Archetype A character, ritual, symbol, or plot pattern that recurs in the myth and literature of many cultures; examples include the scapegoat or trickster (character type), the rite of passage (ritual), and the quest or descent into the underworld (plot pattern).
[Show full text]
Cohen, Comic Relief: Humor in Contemporary American Literature
Studies in English, New Series Volume 4 Article 39 1983 Cohen, Comic Relief: Humor in Contemporary American Literature Charles Sanders University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/studies_eng_new Part of the American Literature Commons, and the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Sanders, Charles (1983) "Cohen, Comic Relief: Humor in Contemporary American Literature," Studies in English, New Series: Vol. 4 , Article 39. Available at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/studies_eng_new/vol4/iss1/39 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Studies in English at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Studies in English, New Series by an authorized editor of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sanders: Cohen, Comic Relief: Humor in Contemporary American Literature SARAH BLACHER COHEN, ED. COMIC RELIEF: HUMOR IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE. URBANA, CHICAGO, AND LONDON: THE UNIVER SITY OF ILLINOIS PRESS, 1978. 339 pp. $15.00. The year was 1983. Praisers of the literary imagination who believed that their praises should reflect some impassioned bit of the imaginative—those artist-critic-scholar-teacher out-of-sorts like Guy Davenport, or Richards Gilman and Howard, or George Steiner, or the brothers Fussell, for whom “excellence...is ever radical”—all these had been interned upon the new Sum-thin-Else Star. (To a neighbor ing star, rumor has it, must eventually come Sanford Pinsker, Earl Rovit, Max F. Schulz, and Philip Stevick, especially if they insist on writing with a brio that places them in brilliant relief to the twelve others with whom they have presently, unfortunately, been asso ciated.) A few remaining disciples of letters and the fine arts were now relocated in the High Aesthetic Education Camp of the One Galactic University Sandbox, Inc.
[Show full text]
“The Grin of the Skull Beneath the Skin:” Reassessing the Power of Comic Characters in Gothic Literature
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research: Department of English English, Department of 12-2011 “The grin of the skull beneath the skin:” Reassessing the Power of Comic Characters in Gothic Literature Amanda D. Drake University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/englishdiss Part of the Literature in English, British Isles Commons Drake, Amanda D., "“The grin of the skull beneath the skin:” Reassessing the Power of Comic Characters in Gothic Literature" (2011). Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research: Department of English. 57. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/englishdiss/57 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the English, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research: Department of English by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. “The grin of the skull beneath the skin:” Reassessing the Power of Comic Characters in Gothic Literature by Amanda D. Drake A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy English Nineteenth-Century Studies Under the Supervision of Professor Stephen Behrendt Lincoln, Nebraska December, 2011 “The grin of the skull beneath the skin:” 1 Reassessing the Power of Comic Characters in Gothic Literature Amanda D. Drake, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2011 Advisor: Dr. Stephen Behrendt Neither representative of aesthetic flaws or mere comic relief, comic characters within Gothic narratives challenge and redefine the genre in ways that open up, rather than confuse, critical avenues.
[Show full text]
Romeo and Juliet Tragedy and Tragic Heroes
ROMEO AND JULIET TRAGEDY AND TRAGIC HEROES Tragedy (as a type of drama) is not concerned with the act of violence in the play but with what the act of violence says about life. Tragedy deals with profound and universal problems: a person’s destiny, the nature of good and evil, a person’s relations with forces greater than him/herself, consequences of individual actions. The tragic hero is an admirable character but s/he has a flaw (known as a tragic flaw), an imperfection that links him/her to us (makes them seem like normal humans rather than heroic). THE TRAGIC HERO ❑ Usually is a positive and active protagonist (the good character (pro=good/for) as opposed to the antagonist (anti=against/bad) who is the bad character, who usually causes the problems for the protagonist) caught up in a sharp conflict with opposing forces. ❑ In the main conflict or struggle for the tragic hero, s/he suffers greatly, moving from good fortune to misfortune. ❑ The struggle is usually spiritual or ethical. ❑ Tragic actions arise from inner conflicts that test the hero’s integrity. ❑ Death may overtake the protagonist, but usually s/he is spiritually triumphant. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF LOVE EXIST IN THE PLAY Juliet: Prior to meeting Romeo, Juliet’s attitude toward love is one of modesty and lack of comprehension. After she meets Romeo, she allows the passion of love to consume her, but she remains practical and strong. Romeo: His love for Rosaline consists of his melancholy at being rejected by one who refuses to love at all; his passion for Juliet is fully developed when he is able share his love and passion with one who is willing to accept love.
[Show full text]
ELEMENTS of FICTION – NARRATOR / NARRATIVE VOICE Fundamental Literary Terms That Indentify Components of Narratives “Fiction
Dr. Hallett ELEMENTS OF FICTION – NARRATOR / NARRATIVE VOICE Fundamental Literary Terms that Indentify Components of Narratives “Fiction” is defined as any imaginative re-creation of life in prose narrative form. All fiction is a falsehood of sorts because it relates events that never actually happened to people (characters) who never existed, at least not in the manner portrayed in the stories. However, fiction writers aim at creating “legitimate untruths,” since they seek to demonstrate meaningful insights into the human condition. Therefore, fiction is “untrue” in the absolute sense, but true in the universal sense. Critical Thinking – analysis of any work of literature – requires a thorough investigation of the “who, where, when, what, why, etc.” of the work. Narrator / Narrative Voice Guiding Question: Who is telling the story? …What is the … Narrative Point of View is the perspective from which the events in the story are observed and recounted. To determine the point of view, identify who is telling the story, that is, the viewer through whose eyes the readers see the action (the narrator). Consider these aspects: A. Pronoun p-o-v: First (I, We)/Second (You)/Third Person narrator (He, She, It, They] B. Narrator’s degree of Omniscience [Full, Limited, Partial, None]* C. Narrator’s degree of Objectivity [Complete, None, Some (Editorial?), Ironic]* D. Narrator’s “Un/Reliability” * The Third Person (therefore, apparently Objective) Totally Omniscient (fly-on-the-wall) Narrator is the classic narrative point of view through which a disembodied narrative voice (not that of a participant in the events) knows everything (omniscient) recounts the events, introduces the characters, reports dialogue and thoughts, and all details.
[Show full text]