Class Fifteen

Class Fifteen

What is Drama?

Most of us are familiar with Drama as it comes to us via television, the movies, and the internet.
BUT THERE'S MUCH MORE TO IT THAN THAT!

How is Drama like Short Fiction?

In dramatic works, plays, we have:

Characters
Settings
Cultural References

A Plot
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action

Symbolism
Allegory
Motifs
Themes

How is it like Poetry?

Well, in Dramatic works, there are

Speakers
An Audience
A Situation

Imagery
Metaphor
Similes
Symbols
Allegory

However, it is also different from Poetry and Short Stories in that it is a Staged Art.

It has a THEATRICAL DIMENSION AND LITERARY DIMENSION.

We see it preformed, and our understanding of its performance, of its THEATRICAL dimension, is just as important as our understanding of its LITERARY dimensions.

In Dramatic works, you will find STAGE DIRECTIONS that will tell you how the play is to be performed.

Thus, our first step in approaches Dramatic Works should be to consider the physical and practice realities of the performance.

We need to remember that Drama is a COMPOSITE ART.

It is made up of many other arts, and we need to understand these relationships to understand the work.

Home Work:

Watch the first hour of FARGO. Identify the following:

Characters
Settings
Cultural References

Exposition
Rising Action
Climax

Symbolism
Allegory
Motifs
Themes


Speaker
Audience

Imagery
Metaphors
Similes
Symbols

Useful Fargo Criticism: