Drama – SS1 Literature-in-English Lesson Note (First Term)

Drama is defined as a penetration of life through artificial means. It is an imitation of an action. It is a type of story that exists mainly in action and is performed on the stage by different characters. A play has action and is designed for the theatre, so it must have actors who can impersonate characters and perform the action. The origins of drama are likely to be found in early religious ceremonies and festivals. This aspect of literature entertains, teaches moral lessons and helps to bring into focus life in action outside our immediate environment. The people who play the characters in a play are called actors.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• define drama;
• explain the features of drama, such as local colour, dialogue, flashback, protagonist, antagonist, suspense, cast, audition and soliloquy;
• name and describe the three forms of drama;
• give examples of tragedy.

What are the features of drama?

1. Local colour: This is the feature of drama which emphasises the customs, norms, values and setting of the play.
2. Dialogue: This is the conversation between characters in a play. It reveals the minds of the characters.
3. Flashback: This is a device where a scene recalls an event in the past.
4. Protagonist: This is the main character of the play, through whom the playwright says his message. He or she is also called the hero or heroine of the play.
5. Antagonist: This term comes from Greek and means “rival”. In drama, the term refers to the main opponent of the play’s central character or hero, known as the protagonist, with whom their paths cross and re-cross in the course of the events. In other words, the antagonist is the character who opposes the protagonist.
6. Suspense: This is a device in plays and fiction by which the audience’s anxiety about unfolding events is raised and left unresolved until the end of the dramatic action, or denouement. The audience is curious and keeps guessing, so it stays glued to its seats until the end.
7. Cast: The cast is the complete list of all actors scheduled to appear in the performance of a play.
8. Audition: This refers to a theatre practice in which actors of a play are selected to play specific assigned roles in the performance.
9. Soliloquy: This is a speech in which a character speaks his or her thoughts aloud, usually when alone on the stage. A character who does this is said to be soliloquising.

What are the forms of drama?

1. Tragedy: In a tragedy, the most important character (the hero) has many good qualities which endear him or her to the people, but he or she also has some negative traits or weaknesses (the tragic flaw). These cause his or her failure and downfall, and bring serious troubles that make him or her lose his or her life or power. Examples: Macbeth by William Shakespeare and The Gods Are Not to Blame by Ola Rotimi.
2. Comedy: This is a play where the story and the characters are amusing and which ends happily.
3. Tragic-comedy: This is a mixture of tragedy and comedy. It is a drama where we are happy on one side and sad on the other.

Evaluation

1. Define drama.
2. Explain the difference between a protagonist and an antagonist.
3. What is a flashback?
4. Name the three forms of drama and describe each one.
5. Give two examples of tragedy.

Assignment

1. Explain any four features of drama.
2. With reference to the hero, explain what a tragic flaw is.