CREATIVE

WRITING
Drama as a Genre its Elements, Techniques and
Literary Devices
 WHAT IS IT

Drama in literature refers to the performance of written dialogue and stage action.
It's a literary genre that allows actors to act out a writer's words directly to an
audience.

Drama film is a genre that relies on the emotional and relational development of
realistic characters. ... Whether heroes or heroines are facing a conflict from the
outside or a conflict within themselves,

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A. Elements of Drama

1. Act - One of the major divisions of a play or opera.

2. Scene - The place where some act or event occurs.
3. Exposition - Background information regarding the setting,
characters, plot.
4. Conflict – Struggle between opposing forces.
5. Complication - A series of difficulties forming the central action in a
narrative
6. Climax - That point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or
suspense in a narrative.
7. Denouement - refers to the outcome or result of a complex situation or
sequence of events.
8. Peripeteia - a sudden reversal of fortune from good to bad.
9. Characterization - The choices an author makes to reveal a
character’s personality, such as appearance,
actions, dialogue, and motivations.
10. Protagonist - The character the story revolves around.
11. Antagonist - A character or force that opposes the protagonist.
12. Main plot – The main action in a play or story.
13. Subplot - Secondary action that is interwoven with the main action in
a play or story.

B. Literary Devices in Drama

1. Imagery - The author’s attempt to create a mental picture in the mind

of the reader
2. Motif - Recurring theme in a literary work
3. Symbolism - when an object is meant to be representative of
something or an idea greater than the object itself.
4. Dramatic Irony – involves the reader (or audience) knowing something
about what's happening in the plot, about which the character(s) have
no knowledge

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5. Tragic Irony - A character's actions lead to consequences that
are both tragic, and contrary to the character's desire and
intentions.
6. Juxtaposition - The arrangement of two or more ideas, characters,
actions, settings, phrases, or words side-by-side or in similar
narrative moments for the purpose of comparison, contrast, rhetorical
effect, suspense, or character development.

C. Forms of Drama

1. Comedy - A literary work that is amusing and ends happily.

2. History - The past events relating to a particular thing.
3. Tragedy - A dramatic presentation of serious actions in which the chief
character has a disastrous fate.
4. Tragic-comedy - A drama in which aspects of both tragedy and comedy are
found.
5. Theatre of the Absurd - A form of drama that emphasizes the absurdity of
human existence by employing disjointed, repetitious, and meaningless
dialogue, purposeless and confusing situations, and plots that lack realistic
or logical development. This theatrical style originated in France in the late
1940's.
6. Satire - A kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the
weaknesses and wrongdoing of individuals, groups, institution, or
humanity in general
7. Farce - A type of comedy based on a farfetched humorous situation, often
with ridiculous or stereotyped characters
8. Modern Drama - Modern drama is the Western development of drama in
the late 19th century
9. Melodrama - A dramatic work which exaggerates plot and characters in
order to appeal to the emotions.

D. Features in Drama

1. Monologue- A form of dramatic entertainment, comedic solo, or the like by a

single speaker
2. Dialogue - Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative.
3. Soliloquy - A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character
talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without
addressing a listener
4. Aside - An actor’s speech, directed to the audience, that is not supposed to
be heard by other actors on stage
5. Set - The time, place, physical details, and circumstances in which a
situation occurs.
6. Stage direction - A playwright's descriptive or interpretive comments that
provide readers (and actors) with information about the dialogue,
setting, and action of a play.
7. Stage Conventions - Certain devices used within a performance that are
accepted as portraying an event or style without necessarily being
realistic. (eg costumes)
8. Chorus - A group of characters who comment on the action of a play without
participation in it.

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9. Dramatic Unites - the three unities of time, place and action observed in a
classical drama.
10. Disguise - To modify the manner or appearance of in order to prevent
Recognition

E. Techniques in drama

1. Vocal dynamics
Your lines are just words until you deliver them. In order to
accurately portray different characters and emotions, you need to
expand your vocal toolbox and learn about the ways that range, pitch,
and pronunciation affect your performance. Sometimes you need to
adopt an unfamiliar accent. Other times, you might change your
pitch to communicate building anger, excitement, or sadness.

2. Body language and mechanics

Actors bring their characters to life by moving, reacting, and even
standing in nuanced ways that are natural for their character. Very
subtle differences in posture, walking speed, or even the force with
which you pick up a prop can speak volumes about your character’s
intentions.

3. Use and awareness of space

It is important to be aware of not just your “marks” on stage, but also
of the actors who must interact with or move past you. Your position
on the stage or set affects everything from the lighting and sound to
camera angles and audience perspective.

4. Improvisational Techniques
You might associate improvisation with comedy clubs, and sketch
shows, but on-the-spot creativity is a skill that comes in handy for
actors of every discipline

Mastering these drama techniques will make it easier to shed

your own identity and become your character.

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 TASKS

TASK 5

Write your own drama following the guides below. Take into consideration
the elements, techniques, and literary devices previously presented.

The Drama
By: ________________________________________
(write your name as writer)

_____________________________________________________________________
(A plot or event which you think is very interesting either comedy, romance or a romantic comedy)

__________________________________________________________________________
(create characters who will give life to your drama)
__________________________________________________________________________
(Write the sub plots or events: at least3 scenes)
__________________________________________________________________________
(Write the dialogue for each character in each scene)

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You will be graded according to the following criteria

ASSESABL 5 4 3 2
E
ELEMENTS
Knowledge Comprehensive Thorough Satisfactory Valuable
and knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and
understanding of understanding of understanding of understanding of
understandi the purpose of the purpose of the purpose of the purpose of
ng written script to written script to written script to written script to
entertain/inform entertain/inform entertain/inform entertain/inform
an audience an audience an audience an audience
Constructin Comprehensive Thorough Sound Construction of
g text construction of construction of construction of script lacked some
script using all script using all script using all aspects of required
aspects of required aspects of required aspects of required genre:
genre: genre: genre: • Title
• Title • Title • Title • Characters
• Characters • Characters • Characters (names
(names (names (names speech,
speech, speech, speech, and
and and and actions
actions actions actions • Setting
• Setting • Setting • Setting change of
change of change of change of scenes
scenes scenes scenes • Defined
• Defined • Defined • Defined storyline
storyline storyline storyline plot
plot plot plot • Stage
• Stage • Stage • Stage directions
directions directions directions
Reflecting Perspective Informed reflection Relevant reflection Superficial
reflection of script of script of script reflection of script
construction using construction using construction using construction using
planning, drafting, planning, drafting, planning, drafting, planning, drafting,
revising, editing, revising, editing, revising, editing, revising, editing,
proofreading and proofreading and proofreading and proofreading and
publishing publishing publishing publishing
strategies strategies strategies strategies
Grammar , Precise use of: Capable use of: Sound use of: Limited use of:
and • Sentence • Sentence • Sentence • Sentence
Punctuatio formation formation formation formation
• Direct • Direct • Direct • Direct
n
speech speech speech speech
• Correct • Correct • Correct • Correct
tense tense tense tense
• Cohesion • Cohesion • Cohesion • Cohesion
• Capitals • Capitals • Capitals • Capitals
Vocabulary Proficient use of: Effective use of: Satisfactory use of: Restricted use of:
and spelling • Emotive • Emotive • Emotive • Emotive
language language language language
• Specia- • Specia- • Specia- • Specia-
lized-fairy lized-fairy lized-fairy lized-fairy
tale tale tale tale
• Similes • Similes • Similes • Similes
and and and and
metaphor metaphor metaphor metaphor

Some errors in
No errors in Few errors in spelling Many errors in
spelling spelling spelling

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