Dramatic Genre Types of plays 1 Copyright 2010

Dramatic Genre Types of plays 1 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Ways Societies Classify Plays • Indian Sanskrit drama – rasa • Japanese Noh – subject • Traditional Western – genre 2 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Dramatic Genre • Relates to emotional response • Different genres serve different purposes 3 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Climatic Structure SERIES OF CRISIS PLOT BEGINS LATE IN STORY EXPOSITION TO CATCH UP SOMETIMES CHORUS “UNITIES” SCENES, LOCALES, TIME AND CHARACTERS LIMITED CONSTRUCTION TIGHT NO LOOSE ENDS AND NO EXTRAS CAUSE/EFFECT DEUS EX MACHINA WELL MADE PLAY GREECE 5 TH CENT. ROME 1 ST-3 RD CENT FRANCE 1600 1800 USA 1800 1900 AESCHYLUS SOPHOCLES EURIPIDES MOLIERE RACINE SCRIBE SARDOU PLAUTUS TERENCE O’NEILL WILLIAMS MILLER

Episodic Structure PLOT BEGINS EARLIER SOME EXPOSITION SCENES LOCALES AND CHARACTERS ABOUND CONSTRUCTION LOOSE CAUSE AND EFFECT IFFY SUBPLOTS OR PARALLEL PLOTS JUXTAPOSING OF SCENES SHORT AFTER LONG, PUBLIC PRIVATE, GROUP TO GROUP, COMIC SERIOUS, SEX GENDER EFFECT IS CUMULATIVE ENGLAND 1500 1600 SPAIN 1500 1600 GERMANY 1700 1800 USA 1800 1900 SHAKESPEARE MARLOWE GOETHE LESSING SCHILLER BUCHNER LOPE DE VEGA CALDERON DE LA BARCA BRECHT GENET 5 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Alternate Structures COMBINATIONS HYBRIDS ABSURD ILLOGICAL NONSENSE EXISTENTIAL 6 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Four Major Genres • • Tragedy Melodrama Comedy Tragicomedy 7 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Tragedy 8 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Characteristics of Tragedy • • Serious Ends unhappily Emotions of pity and fear Magnitude or importance 9 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Tragedy • Tragic hero or heroine king queen noble symbols of society • Tragic circumstances series of things going wrong • Tragic irretrievability no turning back meet fate • Accept responsibility • Tragic verse high use of language 10 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Modern Tragedy • • • Common man Victim of circumstances Sometimes try to hide from life Vernacular language Subtext 11 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Creation of Magnitude • Social class of characters • Issues treated • Ethical choice 12 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Morality of Tragedy • Good people who make mistakes (Greeks) • Complex moral universe 13 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

The Popularity of Tragedy • Catharsis – emotional release • Teaching value • Strength of character: – HOW people deal with adversity 14 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Historical Development • • Classical – ruling-class characters 18 th Century – middle-class characters 19 th Century – working-class characters 20 th Century – less common form 15 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Why Are Fewer Tragedies Written? • Absence of shared standards • Decrease in importance of individual’s fate • Rejection of exclusively male viewpoint 16 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Other Forms • • Romantic Drama Domestic Drama Heroic Drama Melodrama 17 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Characteristics of Melodrama • • • Focus on WHAT happens Exaggerated drama/ action Fast-paced action & suspense Importance of discovery & reversal Spectacular climax Audience drawn in 18 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

The Morality of Melodrama • • • Clear conflict between good & evil Clear characters Poetic justice Emotions of fear & hate May deal with serious issues 19 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

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Comedy 21 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Characteristics of Comedy • Basically humorous • Objective viewpoint • Lower stakes 2 types of Comedy: High Comedy and Low Comedy 22 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Widely Differing Focus • Complete escape • Ridicule of human frailty • Reinforcement of social norm 23 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Sub-Types of Comedy • Situation Comedy – Farce • Comedy of Character • Comedy of Idea • Comedy of Manners • Romantic Comedy 24 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Comedy in Tragedy • Completely separate genres or • Use of comic relief 25 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Tragicomedy Comic and tragic are equally mixed 26 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Different Kinds of Tragicomedy • Serious action but happy ending • Mixed tone 27 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc

Departures from Traditional Genre • Many plays do not fit neatly • Useful as comparison Modern plays work with and against our expectations. 28 Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc