E2H EV 4 - Drama

English 2 Honors

Drama

In the most general sense, “drama” is work designed to be represented on a stage by actors. More strictly, however, a drama is a serious play (though it may end either happily or unhappily) dealing with a problem of importance.

Dramatis Personae

The list of characters in a play so the audience knows who is who before the action begins. Provided at the beginning of the play’s script.

Act

A chunk of the play’s action. Shakespeare’s plays always have five acts that are noted with a large Roman numeral.

Scene

A division of action within an act. Shakespeare’s plays have a variety of numbers of scenes that are noted with a small Roman numeral.

Monologue

A long speech delivered by one person, often in a play, film, or television show—mostly addressed to others but sometimes alone.

Tragedy

A type of drama that focuses on human suffering. The main character, the tragic hero, suffers through the story, but in the end, learns something about himself and his place in the world, a lesson that makes the suffering worth his while.

Comedy

A genre of theatrical performance that aims to entertain and amuse the audience, primarily by using humor, wit, and satire to highlight human flaws and social absurdities

Tragic Hero

A tragic hero is a person of high estate who has the potential for greatness. The person is pre-eminently virtuous and just, but his/her misfortune is brought about, in part, by an error in judgment. The tragic hero has a flaw in his/her character, which contributes to his/her destruction.

Hamartia (tragic flaw)

The tragic figure suffers from a tragic flaw in character. As a result of this flaw s/he makes errors of judgment that are later directly responsible for the hero/ine’s tragic downfall, leading to the catastrophe of the play. At this point the protagonist still seems in control of his/her fate.

Crisis/Climax

This is the turning point in the fortunes of the tragic protagonist, the consequence(s) of “hamartia” serving to compound the tragic situation. After the crisis the tragic figure seems more controlled by events than in control of them, the situation as a direct result of his/her previous action(s).

Hubris

In traditional Greek tragedies, the tragic hero’s tragic flaw is often pride to excess, which is called hubris.

Catharsis

The terror and pity felt by the audience of a tragedy produce catharsis, a cleansing or purifying of emotion. The audience should feel empty and limp after watching, reading, or otherwise participating in a tragedy; that feeling of emptiness is catharsis.

Soliloquy

When a character speaks his/her true thoughts and feelings while alone on stage. Soliloquies reveal the character’s “real” thoughts on a subject.

Aside

When a character says something privately to another character while other characters are also on stage. The line(s) are meant for one character’s ears alone. Sometimes asides are addressed to the audience.

Comic Relief

A humorous scene, incident, or remark within an essentially serious or even tragic drama. Following scenes of intense emotion, comic relief evokes laughter as a release from the tension of the serious action. (Shakespearean only)