By the time of completion of this lesson, you should be able to:
1.identify the elements of drama;
2.explain the message of the drama, The World is an Apple; and 3.analyze a Filipino-written drama. What is a Drama?
The term drama came from the
Greek word dran which means to do or to act. Dramais a composition in prose or poetry that presents a story told entirely in dialogue and action. What is a Drama?
It is written with the intention of its
eventual performance before an audience. Drama has a two-fold nature: that ofliteratureandtheater. History of Drama
Greek drama began as a religious worship for the Greek
godDionysus. He is the Greek god of wine, revelry, and physical pleasure. He is handsome and vigorous-filled with the joy of life. He is the Father of the Greek Theater. When grapes were harvested, the Greeks would hold drama festivals to celebrate in his honor calledFeast of Dionysus. This went on every year and all people from all walks of life went to see dramatic performances of great Greek dramatists and playwrights. What are the types of Drama?
These are types of drama according to the
form of genre. Tragedy Comedy Melodrama Farce Social play Tragedy is a dramatic presentation where the series of heroic overtures of the protagonist involve misery, defeat or even death of the hero. These series of unfortunate events are normally brought about by the hero himself due to his weakness in character. This is calledhubris,a Greek word known astragic flawof the protagonists character. In the drama,The World is an Apple, the protagonist Marios flaw was not thinking twice before filching the red, big, delicious apple which rolled down from the crate. This single misstep led to series of unfortunate events causing more misery and trouble not only for him but for his entire family. Comedy
is a dramatic presentation where the opposite
of a tragedys outcome is presented. The protagonists victoriously overcome the odds and the drama ends happily unlike tragedys. Melodrama is also known as tragicomedy where elements of tragedy and comedy are combined. Like tragedy, it has all the workings of a protagonist involved in a monumental fight. However, it presents a protagonist who emerges victoriously in the end amidst all trials and struggles similar to a comedy. Farce
is an exaggerated comedy which
primary aim is to evoke laughter and presentation of lesson in life as secondary. Social play
involves depiction of social ills and
problems commonly seen in the larger community which aims to spread awareness among the entire population. ELEMENTS OF DRAMA What are the elements of Drama? Setting Characters Mood Conflict Theme Moral Setting identifies the time and place in which the events occur. It consists of the historical period, the moment, day and season when the incidents take place. In your drama analysis, you need to consider the following:
Setting oftimeis the particular
time of the day, day of the week, month of the year and so on, depending on what is revealed in the drama or play. In our drama analysis piece, The World is an Apple, the setting of time is one sunny Saturday afternoon. Setting ofplaceis the particular location within an area where the drama was performed, a particular locality, or a particular venue depending on your chosen drama for drama analysis. Weather conditionis the atmospheric outlook of the time and place where the drama took place. Sometimes, it adds a particular element to the events which transpire as the drama unfolds. However, in the drama The World is an Apple, the weather is sunny and particularly fine. Socialconditionis the socio- economic situation the characters are presented. The couple Mario and Gloria are embroiled in a very tragic situation as suggested by their shanty dwelling, fabricated and installed behind the walls of Intramuros. Characters are the most important elements of a drama. They are the actors who perform and deliver the lines which make the drama engagingly unfold. There are type of characters which we typically encounter in a drama presentation. Types of Characters Protagonistis the primary character typically identified as the hero. In our drama analysis, the protagonists are Mario and Gloria. Antagonistis the character who opposes the protagonist. In our drama springboard, the antagonists are Pablo and the company where Mario previously Foilis a character who is exactly the opposite of another character whether primary or secondary character. Mario and Gloria are foils to each other. Dynamic characterevolves as the drama unfolds like Mario. Static characterdoes not show any change at all like Mood refers to atmosphere exuded in the drama. This is the prevailing emotion and outlook felt by the characters in the entire drama. The observable mood in the drama The World is an Apple would be serious and sad as revealed in the setting and the lines delivered by the character themselves. Conflict refers to the struggle or opposing forces involving the characters in the drama. There types of conflicts evident in the drama, The World is an Apple. They are: Man vs. Maninvolves a conflict between two or more characters. In our drama analysis, we have Mario and Gloria as well as Gloria and Pablo. Man vs. Societyinvolves a conflict between a character and the society as shown with Mario against the warehouse company which kicked him out of work because he stole an apple. Man vs. Himselfis presented when a character is grossly involved with a dilemma of which he is normally forced to act against his will. Mario fights the urge to return to his bad ways of the past but is contemplating of uplifting his family situation. Man vs. Godis normally presented as a conflict where a character is fighting against the superior being (God or Fate) which normally the character is powerless and completely overwhelmed. Theme refers to what the drama is all about. This element is considered as the unifying element that defines the dramatized idea of the play. The theme is normally presented as a declarative sentence containing the entire gist of the drama. Normally, the theme is dependent on how the audience perceived and appreciate the entire drama. In our drama analysis of the play The World is an Apple, the theme may include:A mans folly brings misery to his family. Moral is the lesson the drama wants to convey. It is the gem of thought which one may use as a guide. Unlike the theme, the moral is presented as an obligatory (imperative) sentence such as:A man ought to think twice before doing something.This moral may be elicited from our drama analysis of the piece, The World is an Apple.