ELEMENTS OF DRAMA Dialogue tells the story Soliloquy

ELEMENTS OF DRAMA Dialogue: tells the story • Soliloquy- a long speech expressing private thoughts, delivered by a character who is ALONE onstage • Monologue- a long speech delivered by one character to another or to a group of characters • Aside- a private remark to one character to the audience that breaks convention because it is understood NOT TO BE HEARD by other characters onstage • Chorus- single character or group whose words may connect scenes or convey the collective thoughts of feelings of the community (usually limited to classical

ELEMENTS OF DRAMA Stage directions: help the cast and production staff to bring the text to life • Usually about the setting costumes, lighting, scenery, and props, or objects used onstage. • May include how and when the characters should move and deliver their lines • Usually printed in italics and sometimes set in brackets or parentheses.

KINDS OF DRAMA Tragedies end with the downfall or death of the protagonist Key elements include: • Tragic hero: In ancient Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, the tragic hero is the main character- a person of high rank whose downfall is caused by his own flawed behavior. • Tragic flaw: a part of the hero’s character that leads him to make a fatal mistake • Comic relief: humorous scenes often included to relieve tension; Shakespeare used people from the lower class to fulfill this role.

KINDS OF DRAMA CONT’D Comedy- show ordinary people in conflict with society. Conflicts in this category typically arise out of a misunderstanding, deception, disapproving authority figures, and mistaken identities. They are ALWAYS resolved happily. Some comedic protagonists are outlandish, while others are sympathetic and likable There are two forms of comedy: Romantic comedy: involves problems among lovers Comedy of manners: satirizes social customs of society

THE ELIZABETHAN THEATER • Before the playhouses were built, plays took place in the open, often in courtyards or inns. Spectators watched from the streets or balconies. • The first theater was built by James Burbage, and it was called Theater. • Initially, theater attracted the “common man, ” not the aristocracy. • In 1597, Theater closed down, but in 1598, Richard Burbage and his men dismantled it, carried it across the Thames River, and rebuilt it, naming it the Globe. • It could seat between 2, 500 and 3, 000 spectators. • The Globe was closed by the Puritans in 1642.