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Elements of Drama and The Renaissance Theater
Elements of Drama
Drama – literature in which plot and characters are developed through dialogue and action.
Historical drama – a play set in the past
Elements of Drama
Stage directions – usually done in italictype and separated from dialogue by parentheses
Provide background
Setting/scenery/props
Costumes, lighting, music, and sound effects
Directions to actors – how they should look/move/behave
Elements of Drama
Plot – the sequence of events which move the story along; in drama these are divided into:
Scenes – each scene has a different time or place
Acts – scenes are grouped into acts
Elements of Drama
Characters –
Protagonist (sympathetic character)
Antagonist (usually “the bad guy”)
Foil – a character who provides a sharp contrast to another character.
Madame Forestier is a foil for Madame Loisel
Major and minor characters
Elements of Drama
Dialogue – Conversation between characters; in drama dialogue is critical for conveying thoughts and feelings, and every twist and turn of the plot.
Dialect – regional speech used to emphasize a character’s roots.
The Renaissance Theater
Could not show “reality,” so the audience had to rely heavily on its imagination.
Actors wore elaborate costumes.
Limited props -- scenery was described through the play’s language.
Act and scene divisions were added by later editors to allow for scene changes.
Popular Renaissance Theaters
The Theater – 1st public theater in London
The Curtain – 2nd theater built
The Globe – most famous theater; owned by Shakespeare’s acting company
3 main parts of The Globe:
The building (16-sided polygon)
The stage
The tiring house (backstage)
Admission was 1 penny for general seating
Renaissance London