lecture on plot and character

Flashcards covering Chapter 1 through Chapter 7 of the lecture on theater origins, Aristotle's elements of drama, given circumstances, plot structures (climactic and episodic), Freitag's pyramid, and character types.

Who was Aristotle, and what was his primary contribution to theater criticism as discussed in the lecture?

Aristotle was the very first theater critic who defined the six elements of drama in his work titled The Poetics.

Which ancient philosophers criticized drama as raunchy and unable to teach virtuous behavior?

Plato and Socrates.

According to Aristotle's order of importance, what is the most important element of drama?

Plot.

How is plot defined in the context of dramatic structure?

Plot is the arrangement of the dramatic incidents in the show, serving as the skeleton or infrastructure of the play.

What term did Konstantin Stanislavski develop to describe the total set of environmental and situational conditions that influence a character or drama?

Given circumstances.

In dramatic conflict, how do the roles of the protagonist and antagonist differ?

The protagonist is the person propelling the plot line forward, whereas the antagonist is whatever or whoever stands in the protagonist's way.

Which two characters from Les Mis serve as an example of strongly opposed and evenly balanced forces?

Jean Valjean (protagonist) and Javert (antagonist).

According to the prologue in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, how long is the play specified to last on stage?

Two hours ("two hours traffic of our stage").

Who developed the dramatic arc pyramid in the mid-1800s to analyze ancient Greek and Elizabethan plays?

Gustav Freitag.

What is the "point of attack" on Freitag's pyramid?

The point where the playwright decides to begin dramatizing the events of the play through the first action.

What are the two potential outcomes of a denouement based on the condition of the protagonist?

A revelation (if the protagonist ends up better off than at the beginning) or a catastrophe (if the protagonist ends up worse off).

What is the difference between a linear plot and a nonlinear plot?

A linear plot follows events sequentially in order, while a nonlinear plot jumps forwards and backwards in time using techniques like flashbacks.

What are the key features of a climactic (or intensive) plot structure?

It starts after extensive exposition, builds very rapidly to a climax after the point of attack, and features a very short falling action and denouement.

What film is highlighted in the transcript as the best example of a climactic plot structure?

Die Hard.

What are the main characteristics of an episodic plot structure?

It is extensive, covering large periods of time, multiple locations, alternating scene lengths, and often includes parallel subplots.

What four groups form the subplots in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream?

The royals, the lovers running in the woods, the fairies, and the mechanicals putting on a play.

What is Aristotle's second most important element of drama?

Character.

What are extraordinary characters?

Larger-than-life figures that are universally recognized across culture, such as kings, queens, heroes, and villains.

What are representative or quintessential characters?

Contemporary characters that represent an entire group or class of people, such as the poor, the wealthy, or the thug.

What are stock or archetypal characters, and how are they illustrated using Star Wars?

They are two-dimensional, recognizable character patterns; in Star Wars, Han Solo is the rebel, Chewbacca is the sidekick, Darth Vader is the soldier, and the Emperor is the villain.