Introduction to Literature: Drama

 

GENRE OF LITERATURE: DRAMA

What is Drama?

Drama

A drama is defined as a literary composition that tells a story in form of a dialogue and action. Sometimes it is also performed on stage before an audience. A drama is also called a play. If it is a short drama, it is called a playlet.

A playwright is a person who writes drama texts while a dramatist is a person who puts a play on stage. For example, Ola Rotimi is the playwright of the play The Gods are Not to Blame, Wole Soyinka is the playwright of The Lion and the Jewel and William Shakespeare is the playwright of The Twelfth Night. Additionally, a closet drama is play that is intended to be read not acted.

 

FEATURES OF DRAMA

a) Protagonist

The main character in a play who champions one cause or the other as the action in  the drama unfolds.

b) Antagonist

This is the chief opponent of the protagonist who works against the interest of the protagonist.

c) Prologue

A prologue is an introduction to a play which comes before the commencement of a dramatic performance.

d) Epilogue

An epilogue is a speech at the end of a play or a final address at the end of a dramatic performance.

e) Interlude

It is a short performance between the acts of a play that provides some relief for the audience especially in a serious drama.

f) Flashback

Flashback is a scene or action in a drama that goes back in time to show what  happened earlier in the story.

g) Act

This is a major unit or section of a drama or play.

h) Scene

This is a subdivision of an act in a play or drama.

i) Conflict

It is a clash of interests between the protagonist and the antagonist in a drama.

j) Soliloquy

A dramatic technique which gives the audience access to the thoughts of a character when he talks to himself.

k) Tragic flaw

This is the natural weakness which a tragic hero possesses. The tragic flaw normally leads to the death or serious misfortune of a tragic hero. It is also called hamartia.

I) Prompter

A prompter is a person who stays out of sight during a dramatic performance to remind actors of lines which may escape their memory.

 m) Catharsis

This is the release of powerful emotion through a work of art. Catharsis purges the mind of any unwanted emotion especially the effect of the emotion which a great tragedy produces in the reader.

 

 Types of Drama: A Comprehensive Overview

 1. Comedy

Comedy is a type of drama that aims to amuse and entertain the audience, typically ending with a happy resolution.

 

Characteristics:

- Light-hearted tone

- Humorous situations and dialogue

- Often involves misunderstandings, mix-ups, or conflicts that are ultimately resolved

- Characters may be exaggerated or stereotypical for comic effect

- Usually has a happy ending

 

Subtypes:

- Romantic comedy

- Satirical comedy

- Slapstick comedy

- Black comedy

 

Examples:

- "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare

- "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde

 

2. Tragedy

Tragedy is a form of drama that deals with serious, often somber themes, and typically ends in a catastrophe or downfall for the protagonist.

 

Characteristics:

- Serious tone and subject matter

- Protagonist often has a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall

- Evokes pity and fear in the audience

- Often explores themes of fate, justice, and human nature

- Usually ends in death or disaster for the main character(s)

 

Elements:

- Hamartia (tragic flaw)

- Peripeteia (reversal of fortune)

- Anagnorisis (moment of realization)

- Catharsis (emotional cleansing for the audience)

 

Examples:

- "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles

- "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare

 

3. Tragicomedy

Tragicomedy is a dramatic genre that blends elements of both tragedy and comedy, often shifting between serious and humorous tones.

 

Characteristics:

- Mixture of tragic and comic elements

- Complex characters that don't fit neatly into hero or villain roles

- Often deals with serious themes but includes comic relief

- May have an ambiguous or bittersweet ending

 

 

Features:

- Tonal shifts between serious and lighthearted moments

- Characters may be more nuanced than in pure comedy or tragedy

- Often reflects the complexity of real-life situations

 

Examples:

- "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare

- "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett

 

4. Farce

Farce is a type of comedy that uses exaggerated situations, physical humor, and improbable events to create laughter.

 

Characteristics:

- Highly exaggerated and improbable plots

- Stereotypical or stock characters

- Fast-paced action and dialogue

- Often includes slapstick humor and mistaken identities

- Aims for constant laughter rather than subtle humor

 

Elements:

- Overblown situations

- Misunderstandings and coincidences

- Physical comedy and pratfalls

- Rapid-fire dialogue and wordplay

 

Examples:

- "Noises Off" by Michael Frayn

- "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde (also considered a comedy of manners)

 

5. Melodrama

Melodrama is a dramatic form that exaggerates emotions and interpersonal conflicts, often featuring sensational and romantic plot elements.

 

Characteristics:

- Exaggerated emotions and moral polarization

- Clear distinction between good and evil characters

- Sensational plots often involving love, betrayal, or revenge

- Use of music to heighten emotional impact

- Often includes cliffhangers and plot twists

 

Elements:

- Stock characters (hero, villain, damsel in distress)

- Overwrought dialogue and gestures

- Emphasis on spectacle and sensation

- Often includes themes of social or moral issues 

Examples:

- "The Perils of Pauline" (early 20th-century serial)

- Many soap operas and telenovelas 

Each of these dramatic types has its own unique features and purposes, but they can also overlap and influence each other in various works. Understanding these forms helps in appreciating the diversity and richness of dramatic literature and performance.

ORIGIN OF DRAMA

Origin of Drama

The word drama comes from the Greek verb “dran” which means ‘to act’ or to perform. Many scholars trace the origin of drama to wordless actions like ritual dances and mimes performed by dancers, masked players or priests during traditional festivals or ceremonies. One account traces the origin to ritual. In the traditional society or in the primordial times, sometimes, the seasons did not come as expected. When this happened, men felt that they had offended the gods, so they devised means of appeasing these gods. That act of appeasing the gods is what we refer to as ritual. This ritual, as expected, involved a ceremony in which the priest played an important role at a designated location, mostly shrines. The priest would normally wear a special dress for the occasion. That role, the dress (costume), and the utterance or incantations are regarded as dramatic elements. Drama could therefore emerge from this. So, if it is presented for entertainment and there is an element of impersonation, imitation of an action, and re-enactment of an action, it is drama. Another account traces the origin to man’s desire for entertainment. Here, during festivals or other ceremonies, they recreate the feats of some legendary or mythical heroes to entertain the people.

Scholars are divided on the origin of drama. Some trace the origin to Greece but others insist that drama in its definitive form or pattern evolved from Egypt which is regarded as one of the cradles of civilization in the world. The latter group argues that it was borrowed by western merchants who developed and documented it, and who now trace the origin to Greece. However, the account of tracing the origin of drama to Greece is more plausible. The evolution is clearer and well-documented.

Apparently, Greek drama evolved from religious festivals (ritual) that were celebrated to ensure the fertility of the land and the well-being of its people. These festivals were connected with the worship of the god Dionysius, a native god who like the vegetation dies and was reborn

each year. The festival involved singing and dancing by a chorus of fifty men. The choral song, known as Dithyramb, was sang in honour of the god. The men danced around the altar of Dionysius in a circular dancing place called orchestra. Sometimes a story about the god was improvised by the leader of the chorus, though remaining part of the chorus. Sometimes he dresses like a character from mythology. At this stage, individual actors were not involved in the performances.

The dramatist, Thepsis, is believed to have been the first person to introduce the individual actor and the element of impersonation in the 6^th century B.C. During a particular performance, he stood out from the chorus and instead of singing in the honour of the god, he sang as the god. He performed between the dances of the chorus and he conversed at times with the leader of the chorus. Thus drama was literally born. Thepsis, therefore appeared as the first actor, and when he broke away from the chorus, he added the dramatic potential of impersonation.

It is impersonation, because, instead of describing the god, Dionysius, or his actions, he pretended to be the god. Thus, the performance changed from poetry performance to drama. Aeschylus added the second actor and this gave drama a new thrust forward because the additional actor enabled the dramatist to show in action a dramatic conflict rather than talk about it. Sophocles’ addition of the third actor further enlarged the scope of the dramatist and provided him with the means of complicating his plot and devising more complex structural arrangement of his action. It is important to note here that speech is not of essence in drama because it could be presented without words or without the accompaniment of music/dance.

The important feature of drama is communication. It induces a personal communication and an immediate experience between the actor and the audience. This makes drama a concrete art and the message is immediate and direct. It is concrete because you can see the actors performing and presenting a life-like story which affects you positively or negatively and you re-act immediately. Accordingly, drama exists in both oral and literary traditions. In this course, we will concentrate more on the literary tradition, i.e. the written drama. The text is called a play and the writer is called a playwright. However, we will make reference to drama as performance on stage from time to time because it is difficult to separate the two in the study of dramatic literature.

 

Functions of Drama

Drama is said to have originated from ritual. It is an important branch of literature and the most concrete of all art forms. It is devoid of the distant intimacy of the novel, the abstract message of fine arts, the incomplete message of music or the cryptic and esoteric language of poetry. It presents a story realistically through the actors to the audience.

Drama is therefore used to entertain, inform and educate people. You can see that it is the most effective tool for mass mobilization by the government and private agencies. For instance, most campaigns against AIDS, DRUG ABUSE, CHILD ABUSE and so on, are presented in form of drama to educate, enlighten while at the same time entertain the people.

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