How To Analyse a Dramatic Text
Drama: is a literary composition involving conflict, action crisis and atmosphere designed to be acted by players on a stage before an audience. This definition may be applied to motion picture drama as well as to the traditional stage.
Apply these questions to a recent movie you have seen or a radio or television drama,
Conflict?What did the leading character want
What stood in his way? (People – environment- personality, etc,)
What was the high point of tension or the crisis? (This is where the leading character must make a crucial decision that will effect the outcome of the play.)
Character analysis
Are the characters true to life or are ?they types or caricatures
?How is the character revealed
What is the driving force of each leading character? a
If a character changes, are the causes convincing and true to life? a
Setting
?Are the sets appropriate
?Are they attractive
?Are they authentic
Critical standards useful for drama, novel, motion pictures:What is the chief emphasis (ideas, character, atmosphere)? aWhat was the purpose? (entertainment, humor, excitement)Is it realistic or romanticDoes it show life as it really is or distort life? aDoes it present any problem of human relationship? aDoes it glamorize life and present an artificial happy ending? a :Types of DramaTragedy — In general, tragedy involves the ruin of the leading characters. To the Greeks, it meant the destruction of some noble person through fate, To the Elizabethans, it meant in the first place death and in the second place the destruction of some noble person through a flaw in his character. Today it may not involve death so much as a dismal life, Modern tragedy often shows the tragedy not of the strong and noble but of the weak and mean,Comedy — is lighter drama in which the leading characters overcome the difficulties which temporarily beset themProblem Play — Drama of social criticism discusses social, economic, or political problems by means of a playFarce — When comedy involves ridiculous or hilarious complications without regard for human values, it becomes farceComedy of Manners — Comedy which wittily portrays fashionable life Fantasy — A play sometimes, but not always, in comic spirit in which the author gives free reign to his fantasy, allowing things to happen without regard to realityMelodrama — Like farce, melodrama pays almost no attention to human values, but its object is to give a thrill instead of a laugh. Often good entertainment, never any literary value :Types of Drama of Historical InterestMedieval mystery plays — dealt with Bible stories and allegorical mysteriesChronicle plays — dealt directly with historical scenes and characters Masques — were slight plays involving much singing and dancing and costuming. They were usually allegoricalDrama is the most dependent of art forms — director, actors, scene and costume designers must interpret before the audience does
.
The Place of the Actor
The player should respect his play, his part, his fellow players, and his audience
He should have imagination enough to create character for us instead of merely exploiting his own personality
He should have a technical equipment in his ‘voice, facial expression, bodily poise, gesture, and by-play that enables him to project the character as he conceives it
