Drama is a literary composition involving conflict, action crisis and

atmosphere designed to be acted by players on a stage before an

audience. This definition may be applied to motion picture drama as
well as to the traditional stage.

Apply these questions to a recent movie you have seen or a radio or

television drama,

Conflict

1. What did the leading character want?

2. What stood in his way? (People - environment- personality, etc,)
3. What was the high point of tension or the crisis? (This is where
the leading character must make a crucial decision that will
effect the outcome of the play.)

Character analysis

1. Are the characters true to life or are they types or caricatures?

2. How is the character revealed?
3. What is the driving force of each leading character?
4. If a character changes, are the causes convincing and true to
life?

Setting

1. Are the sets appropriate?

2. Are they attractive?
3. Are they authentic?

Critical standards useful for drama, novel, motion pictures:

1. What is the chief emphasis (ideas, character, atmosphere)?

2. What was the purpose? (entertainment, humor, excitement)?
3. Is it realistic or romantic?
4. Does it show life as it really is or distort life?
5. Does it present any problem of human relationship?
6. Does it glamorize life and present an artificial happy ending?
Types of Drama:

1. Tragedy -- In general, tragedy involves the ruin of the leading

characters. To the Greeks, it meant the destruction of some
noble person through fate, To the Elizabethans, it meant in the
first place death and in the second place the destruction of some
noble person through a flaw in his character. Today it may not
involve death so much as a dismal life, Modern tragedy often
shows the tragedy not of the strong and noble but of the weak
and mean,
2. Comedy -- is lighter drama in which the leading characters
overcome the difficulties which temporarily beset them
3. Problem Play -- Drama of social criticism discusses social,
economic, or political problems by means of a play.
4. Farce -- When comedy involves ridiculous or hilarious
complications without regard for human values, it becomes farce.
5. Comedy of Manners -- Comedy which wittily portrays fashionable
life.
6. Fantasy -- A play sometimes, but not always, in comic spirit in
which the author gives free reign to his fantasy, allowing things
to happen without regard to reality.
7. Melodrama -- Like farce, melodrama pays almost no attention to
human values, but its object is to give a thrill instead of a laugh.
Often good entertainment, never any literary value.

Types of Drama of Historical Interest:

1. Medieval mystery plays -- dealt with Bible stories and allegorical

mysteries.
2. Chronicle plays -- dealt directly with historical scenes and
characters.
3. Masques -- were slight plays involving much singing and dancing
and costuming. They were usually allegorical.

Drama is the most dependent of art forms -- director, actors, scene

and costume designers must interpret before the audience does.

The Place of the Actor

 1. The player should respect his play, his part, his fellow players,
and his audience.
2. He should have imagination enough to create character for us
instead of merely exploiting his own personality.
3. He should have a technical equipment in his 'voice, facial
expression, bodily poise, gesture, and by-play that enables him to
project the character as he conceives it.

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More Literary Terms

(Drama)

1. Allusion - an indirect reference by casually mentioning something

that is generally familiar (In literature we find many allusions to
mythology, the Bible, history, etc.)

2. Aside - Lines whispered to the audience or to another character on

stage (not meant to be heard by all the characters on stage)

3. Catastrophe - the final event in a drama (a death in a tragedy or a

marriage in a comedy)

4. Comedy - A light play with a happy ending

5. Comic Relief - A bit of humor injected into a serious play to relieve

the heavy tension of tragic events

6. Crisis or Climax - the turning point in the plot (This occurs when
events develop either for or against the main character and a crucial
decision must be made.)
7. Dramatic Irony - occurs when the audience knows something that
the character on stage is not aware.

8. Foreshadow - Lines that give a hint or clue to future events (It

doesn't tell the future but hints at it.)

9. Irony -

A method of expression in which the ordinary meaning of the

word is opposite to the thought in the speaker's mind
Events contrary to what would be naturally expected

10. Metaphor - an implied comparison between two different things;

identifying a person or object as the thing to which it is being
compared.
Example: 'It is the East and Juliet is the sun.' - 'tossed on the sea of
life'

11. Metonymy - a figure of speech whereby the name of a thing is

substituted for the attribute which it suggests. Example: The pen
(power of literature or the written word) is mightier than the sword
(force).

12. Nemesis - agent of retribution (the person who punishes)

13. Personification - giving the quality of life to inanimate things

14. Poetic Justice - The operation of justice in a play with fair

distribution of rewards for good deeds and punishment for wrong doing

15. Simile - an expressed comparison between two different things

using 'like' or 'as' - Example: 'eyes twinkle like stars' - 'as loud as the
roaring sea'

16. Soliloquy - A single character on stage thinking out loud (a way of

letting the audience know what is in the character's mind)

17. Tragedy - A serious play having an unhappy ending

18. Tragic Flaw - A character trait that leads one to his/her own
downfall or destruction
The Classical Definition of Drama

Drama is an Ancient Greek word meaning act or deed. The Ancient Greek philosopher
Aristotle used this term in a very influential treatise called the Poetics. In this text, Aristotle
classified different forms of poetry according to basic features he thought could be commonly
recognised in their composition. He used the term drama to describe poetic compositions
that were acted in front of audiences in a theatron.

While Aristotle offered drama as a general term to describe forms of poetry that were acted,
he identified different types of composition within this category, including comedy and
tragedy. He regarded comedy as a form of drama because it represented acts that made
audiences laugh and he considered tragedy a form of drama because it represented acts that
made audiences feel pity or fear. The Roman theorist Horace introduced another view of
these poetic forms when he suggested that their purpose was to either delight or instruct.
Although various definitions and developments in drama must be considered in addition to
Aristotles original assessment of dramas, many of the terms of classification he introduced
are still used or debated today.

Examples: Greek Comedy, Greek Tragedy

References:

Aristotle. The Poetics of Aristotle. Trans. Stephen Halliwell. London: Duckworth, 1987.

Green, J.R. Theatre in Ancient Greek Society. New York; London: Routledge, 1994.

Drama as Imitation

Aristotle suggested that some forms of poetry could be identified as dramas because they
had written compositions that represented men acting and the presentation of the
compositions required men to act as the men represented in the texts. This system of
classification therefore contains a distinction between dramatic texts and performances that
often requires further clarification. Aristotle argued that dramatic texts and performances
imitated actions or deeds performed by people in real life. He called the process of imitation
he identified in the dramas he analysed mimesis.This concept has sometimes been used to
suggest that written compositions that are acted offer representations of activities that copy
reality in some way. However, Aristotles arguments can also suggest that dramas offer quite
unique kinds of poetry because they use real actions, ideas and texts to construct possible
views of reality. Those studying dramas today therefore need to consider what views of
reality may be represented in texts and what views of reality may be presented in
performance.

Examples: Naturalism, Realism, Brechtian Theatre, Theatre of the Absurd

References:

Aristotle. The Poetics of Aristotle. Trans. Stephen Halliwell. London: Duckworth, 1987.

Diamond, E. Unmaking Mimesis: Essays on Feminism and Theater. London, Routledge,

1997.
Ley, Graham. From Mimesis to Interculturalism: Readings of Theatrical Theory Before and
After Modernism. Exeter: U of Exeter P, 1997.

Taussig, Michael. Mimesis and Alterity: A Particular History of the Senses. New York;
London: Routledge, 1993.

Drama as Action

Aristotle argued that actors in a drama aim to mimic actions rather than perform real actions.
While his view has been influential, exploring how the concept of imitation relates to drama
is crucial to an understanding of dramatic activity. Dramatic acting involves more than
simply copying actions that are described by playwrights or performed by people in everyday
life. For example, someone who performs a murder in a drama is unlikely to produce an exact
replica of a murder that has really occurred. Since those acting dramas probably wish to avoid
causing trauma to others or being dragged off to prison, it is likely that an actor would try to
find an action that can suggest the action of murder. Actors may still choose to perform
actions that are copies of real or imagined actions but they always need to be mindful of
the consequences and impact of their actions on themselves and on their audiences. Since
those acting dramas are also really performing actions, those who are performing actions
need to consider how their actions will impact upon the different views and values in
different audiences.
 PLAYER:
IDA (Student who diligent and smart)
RISKY (A diligent student but often troublesome friends)
YOGA (Student who are diligent but a little less of programming)

UAS
NARRATIVE
UAS , this event as an event that is very confusing for most students. The amount of task to
be done, a lot of lesson that must be mastered, even attendance problems often haunts college
students who are truant. It is also shared by the three students who happen to them getting a
group to work on structured programming for UAS. Because the UAS was only a matter of
days, then one day they are promised to do the work in the UAS on campus.

Setting: in one of the classroom on the campus. In the classroom there is Risky and Yoga are
waiting Ida came to do the task.
Risky : Hhmm, Ida has not arrived yet?
Yoga : Try to telephone her, who know her is forgotten.
Risky : OK, (Risky call Ida)
However, his call was not answered by Ida
Yoga : How?
Risky : No answer
Their face expressions were confused. Then a moment later Ida came.
Ida : hay guys, you have been a long time for waiting for me?
Risky : Yeah, we are confused thinking about the task.
Ida : Im sorry, there was still hours of class. By the way, you have what extend to do the
task?
Yoga : We dont get anything from before, because we are confused.
Ida : What? You havent worked at all? Though it is collect tomorrow?
Risky : So, we are waiting for you Ida, because we are confused the before.
Ida : Okay, we still have five hours before this campus is closed to completing this task. Let us
start form the division of task.
Yoga : Ida, I will make the report, you know that Im not good at programming.
Ida : Okay, no problem. And you Risky? What do you want?
Risky : Hhmm, I want to help Yoga.
Ida : Huft, did you know? We must have to finish the program firs, before doing on the report.
Yoga : Yeah we know, but we dont understand about the task.
Risky : So, we hope you Ida
Ida : You told me to do this task by myself?
Yoga : Well, what can make?
Ida : You should not be like that. So, what the point we are gathered here to do the task? We are a
team, you know that right?
Risky : We know, sorry Ida.
Yoga : But, we cannot help anything.
Ida : Who says? You certainly can, anyway we can learn together right?
Risky : A good idea, we are here not just to do the task, but also to learn together.
Ida : Okay, lets begin!
Yoga : Spirit!
(They are seriously finishing the task)

(Yoga is serious in front of the laptop, suddenly his frowned and asked Ida)
 Yoga : Ida, you know where whether it hurts?
Ida : Hhmm, I think I know, let me see.
Yoga : Well it turns out wrong.
Ida : So, to write syntax like this must start with a bunch of Private Sub and ends with
End Sub.
(One of the command in VB)
Yoga : Okay, thank you Ida.
Ida : You are welcome.

(Risky who had been busy working on the report, suddenly put an brilliant idea to make the
title of the program that they make)
Risky : Ida, Yoga, I have an idea about the title for our program. How if the title of our
program like this? (While showing the concept to Ida and Yoga)
Yoga : Hhmm, perhaps.
Ida : Okay, the concept has been completed.
Risky : What about the others?
Ida : Syntax that I made was 80 percent. How about Yoga?
Yoga : Hhmm, I was 30 percent.
Risky : Dont worry Yoga, let me help you.
Yoga : Okay, we act.
Ida : Eits, before resuming the task, let us drink first, certain you are thirsty right? This I take a
drink for you.
Risky : Yeah, we are thirsty.
Yoga : Thank you Ida.
Ida : Okay, after this we go again, there is still 2 hours. Spirit!
Risky n Yoga : Spirit!

(They were I the spirit of each one doing their job until an hour has gone)
Yoga : Yes, finally over.
Ida : Really? Youre done?
Risky : Yes, look at this.
Ida : Well, you are great. Our program has been completed.
Yoga : How about your program, Ida?
Ida : I also finished.
Risky : So? Our task is complete? Wow, really did not believe we can finish it.
Ida : Thats because we work together. A job if done together, certainly it would be lighter and
faster completion.
Yoga : Very true words.
Ida : Okay, now we can go home early.
Risky : Yes, thank you my friends to learn today.
Ida : Next time we can study together again, okay?
Yoga : Okay, it could be arranged.
Ida, Risky, n Yoga laugh together.
Ida : Okay, I will go home now. See you tomorrow.
Risky : Be careful on the road.
Ida : Okay, bye.
Risky n Yoga : Bye.
THE END
Sumber : (http://drb.lifestreamcenter.net/Lessons/Drama.htm)

: (http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/faculties/learndrama/what_drama.htm)

: (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_definition_of_drama)

: (http://litera1no4.tripod.com/elements.html)

:
(http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/creativearts/assets/drama/pdf/dr
amaelements.pdf)

: (http://yoga-nexad.blogspot.com/2012/02/english-drama-dialogue.html)