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Elements of Drama
Poetics by Aristotle is the earliest surviving work of dramatic theory. In this work, Aristotle identified the six elements of drama:
- Character,
- Thought,
- Plot,
- Diction,
- Sound and,
- Spectacle.
As you will see, these elements work together to tell the story!
A character is a person or being in a literary work.
Characters are necessary to communicate the thought, or subject matter or theme of a play that a playwright wants to tell.
This story is told through a plot, which is the sequence of events within a story.
The plot is revealed through diction, or the words and language used in a play.
Another important part of telling the story is seen in sound, which is the music or noise used in a play to help create the mood or tell the story, and the spectacle, or the visual element of the play.
All of these elements are woven together into a tightly knit rope!
Types of Characters
A little more detail is needed in order to truly grasp how a few of these elements are used in modern playwriting. Characters serve one of the most important parts in the telling of a story. Without a character to experience the plot, then why would the audience even care? But, characters can take many forms. A few of these are:
Dynamic character – a character who changes over time. This character usually changes because of the experiences had within the conflict of the plot.
Flat character – a character with one kind of personality trait. They are uncomplicated and do not change during the course of the work.
Round character – a character with a complex personality. This character is usually very conflicted.
In the Star Wars series, what type of character would a stormtrooper be?
Dramatis Personae
Once these characters are created, a playwright creates a dramatis personae, or a list of the characters in a play). A dramatis personae gives directors and actors important physical and mental characteristics about the character. More about how an actor uses the dramatis personae will come later!
Dialogue
The plot is usually revealed through dialogue, which is the spoken exchange between 2 or more characters. Dialogue fills a very important purpose in a play and must be mastered by a playwright.
Dialogue is delivered in such a way that an audience feels like they are peering into the lives of the people on the stage. This is accomplished through the concept called the fourth wall, which is a fictional barrier between the actors and the audience. At times, playwrights find it necessary to include the audience in the action of the play.
Have you ever seen the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off? On many occasions throughout the movie, Ferris Bueller, the main character, appears to be speaking directly to the audience. This is breaking the fourth wall because the character is acknowledge the audience!
A still from the cult classic movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off where main character Matthew Broderick breaks the fourth wall by talking to the audience.
Staging
The spectacle is often accomplished through the staging, or the process of putting a script on the stage, of the final play. A director does this through positions of actors on the stage, actors' gestures and movements, scenic backgrounds, props, and costumes. Playwrights will include these elements in a script, and then the director and designers will add the rest as needed.
This is a still from a production of Ragtime, a musical set in the early 20th century. Image used with permission of Theatre Tuscaloosa.
You now have an introduction to the basic concepts of playwriting and the elements of drama. Throughout the rest of this unit, you will be given the chance to put your understanding to work!
