Drama
History of Drama
The word drama comes from the
Greek word meaning ‘action’.
It started with the Greeks and Romans and
hence drama is defined as classical drama and
in fact classical drama was more
than just acting out a story.
Their plays were mostly symbolic
and included music, dance, poetry and audience would also sometimes participate
in it.
As
Christianity was spreading widely and rapidly that was when theatre took a
religious turn, opening the door to the morality plays of the medieval period.
In Europe during 15th and 16th centuries the morality
plays would always feature a hero overcoming evil.
In literature drama defines a
style of writing it is usually a play that can be performed for theatre, radio
or even television. These plays are usually written out as a script where the
play is read by the actors but not the audience.
Drama
is meant to be performed on the stage in front of an audience at the theatre.
It presents a fiction or facts in such a way that it could be acted before the
audience. The dramatist doesn’t address the audience directly he does it
through the characters.
The rule is that it is intended to
be performed before the audience and not to be read in private.
The qualities of drama are fully
revealed in the presentation on the stage that is the author, actor and the
stage manager all combine to produce the total effect.
A play must deliver the whole
message within a few hours. The dramatist works within very strict limits for
he has to work with number of collaborators, for he has to take into account;
the audience, the actors, the producer, the scene-painter, the dress maker, the
musician, the electrician and others.
He has to keep in mind or consider
the cost, mechanical and physical limitations.
The Structure of the Play
All drama sets forth a problem or
a conflict.
In tragedy the theme is dark and
serious
In comedy it is light and gay
promising a happy ending.
The structure will be the same in
both the cases that is it will have both problem and conflict but the theme
differs .
The play requires five things for
it to be effective
Exposition: meaning explanation of
an idea or comprehensive description. So an exposition must explain the
circumstances or situation from which the action must take the course (develop
or progress)
Complication or rising action:
play gets more involved.
Climax or crisis: the turn is for
better or worse depending upon whether it’s a tragedy or comedy
Denouement or falling action:
which unravels (undo or solve) the complication
Solution in comedy and Catastrophe
in tragedy: it decides the fate of the characters.
A play is always divided into five
acts so in a five act play exposition occupies the first act. The complication
the next two act, climax will be a part of act three. Denouement the rest of
third and fourth and a part of fifth. The solution or catastrophe the rest of
fifth act.
Elizabethan Drama
The 5 important or prominent
characteristic of Elizabethan drama:
Drama became the national passion:
during Elizabethan times the wide variety of people that is from peasant to
merchants vied (compete) for a place in society.
Hero was not ascertained of his
fate (determined by his fate): The Elizabethan introduced hero who was filled
with doubts and passion this catapulted (launched) drama which became the
favorite pass time for many.
The theatre: the use of expansive
metaphors in text and performances were so successful that it lead to the
opening of first public theatre known as ‘The Theatre’ by carpenter James
Burbage
The Globe: this age is also know
for experimentation leading to new discoveries which provided rich content for
drama, poetry and prose and this spark ignited the passion that led to
Christopher Marlowe, Ben Johnson and Shakespeare and his famous ‘The Globe’ in
the future. (The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with
William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the
Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son,
Nicholas Brend and grandson Sir Matthew Brend, and was destroyed by fire on 29
June 1613.)
Exercise of propaganda i.e.,
glorifying the king: the drama of the
time opened door for propaganda and glorifying the kings and the monarch and
also lead to the development of proscenium stage.
There are three forms of Drama
during Elizabeth period
The Tragedy with spectacular and
violent deaths of the protagonist. Revenge became the ultimate pursuit in most
tragedies with romance as the main objective.
History plays also ended in
catastrophe or in triumph with the nation projected as the hero. History
valorized patriotism which was often jingoistic (extreme patriotism) in nature.
Comedy: the main aim of comedy was
to make people laugh but they were not as prominent as the other two genre.
Elizabethan Drama Themes
Anti-semitism(discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group): among the various themes anti-semitism was one of the
popular themes during Elizabethan society and is reflected in the plays of the
period with such hatred as seen in Christopher Marlowse’s The Jew of Malta and
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Vennice.
Revenge Tragedy: revenge was
another popular theme. Be it a ghost-like in Thomas Kyd’s ‘The Spanish Tragedy’
or the prince in Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. The motive of revenge became the main
counter- motive in drama, especially tragedies. Practical set plays and
costumes also added to passionate rendering of such revenge plots and realistic
portrayals on stage.
Supernatural Elements: another
theme that was prominent was supernatural elements as the society of the time
was highly superstitious with people believing in supernatural forces. Ghost
became the prime moving force in many tragedies.
Comedy of humors: use of
psychology was extensive and was founded on the theory of humors inside human
body.
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