Dramatic and Literary Dramatic and Literary ElementsElements

Tools for Reading and Tools for Reading and Understanding Understanding Shakespeare Shakespeare

Dramatic ElementsDramatic Elements

GenreGenre DramaDrama ConflictConflict ClimaxClimax TragedyTragedy Tragic Hero & Tragic Hero &

Tragic FlawTragic Flaw

FoilFoil ComedyComedy AsideAside DialogueDialogue MonologueMonologue SoliloquySoliloquy

GENREGENRE

Refers to different Refers to different forms of writing forms of writing such as short such as short stories, novels, stories, novels, biographies, biographies, dramas, and poems. dramas, and poems.

Dramatic genres Dramatic genres include tragedies, include tragedies, comedies, and comedies, and romances.romances.

DramaDrama

form of literature form of literature known as plays known as plays

Is a story acted Is a story acted out, live and out, live and onstageonstage

Consists entirely of Consists entirely of characters’ words characters’ words and actions.and actions.

Plot is based on or Plot is based on or driven by conflictdriven by conflict

Internal conflict: Internal conflict: problems occurring problems occurring within a character (ex: within a character (ex: important choices)important choices)

External conflict: External conflict: problems occurring problems occurring between character between character and outside force (ex: and outside force (ex: fight, man v. nature) fight, man v. nature)

Conflict

Point of drama Point of drama where tension where tension reaches its heightreaches its height

Usually followed by Usually followed by a resolution a resolution

Climax

TragedyTragedy

literary work in literary work in which hero is which hero is destroyed by some destroyed by some character flaw and character flaw and by forces beyond by forces beyond his/her controlhis/her control

Tragic hero = central Tragic hero = central character who has character who has personal failings that personal failings that leads to his or her leads to his or her downfall downfall

Tragic flaw = Tragic flaw = characteristic that characteristic that leads hero to leads hero to downfall (Ex: pride, downfall (Ex: pride, greed) greed)

Tragic Hero & the Tragic Flaw

FoilFoil

a character whose a character whose personality or personality or attitudes are in attitudes are in sharp contrast to sharp contrast to those of another those of another character in the character in the same worksame work

highlights other highlights other character’s traits or character’s traits or attitudeattitude

ComedyComedy

literature that literature that deals with life in a deals with life in a humorous or satiric humorous or satiric mannermanner

In comedy human In comedy human errors or problems errors or problems appear funny. appear funny. Comedies end on Comedies end on happy note. happy note.

AsideAside

character’s remark, character’s remark, either to the either to the audience or to audience or to another character, another character, that others on that others on stage are not stage are not supposed to hearsupposed to hear

reveals character’s reveals character’s private thoughtsprivate thoughts

DialogueDialogue

conversation conversation carried on by the carried on by the characters in a characters in a literary workliterary work

Usually between Usually between two people two people

Dramatic MonologueDramatic Monologue

literary work (or part literary work (or part of a literary work) in of a literary work) in which a character is which a character is speaking about speaking about him/herself as if him/herself as if another person were another person were present present

speaker’s words speaker’s words reveal something reveal something important about important about his/her characterhis/her character

SoliloquySoliloquy speech delivered speech delivered

by a character by a character when he or she is when he or she is alone on stagealone on stage

purpose is to let purpose is to let the audience know the audience know what the character what the character is thinkingis thinking