ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/drama-literary-definition-4171972. Dramas can be performed on stage, on film, or the radio. ThoughtCo. Different Types of Literary Drama. the art dealing with the writing and production of plays. In the very Shakespearian happy ending, old enemies become fast friends and the true lovers are united to live happily ever after. In that context, the word 'drama' is In the ancient Greek tragedy Oedipus the King, will Oedipus ever figure out that by killing his father and sleeping with his mother he had caused the plague that destroyed his city, and what will he do about it if he does? Maybe you've said, 'Oh, she's just a drama queen,' or, 'I'm sick of all this drama.' Define Dramatic Literature. Copyright © 2021 Literary Devices. Drama, literature that is written to be performed on the stage, is a form that goes back to the ancient Greeks and includes such writers as Shakespeare, Sophocles, and … It contains conflict of characters, particularly the ones who perform in front of audience on the stage. "What Is Drama? How to use drama in a sentence. These dramas may be composed in prose or verse and often center around a character that endures great, unexpected misfortune. But there’s more than one type of literary genre – and chances are, you’ve seen examples of them all. https://www.thoughtco.com/drama-literary-definition-4171972 (accessed January 22, 2021). Its tone is light and it mostly has a happy ending. In this play, a man uses two identities: one as a serious person, Jack (his actual name), which he uses for Cesily, his ward, and as a rogue named Ernest for his beloved woman, Gwendolyn. When a character himself says anything, we must carefully study the circumstances in which his speeches are made. Through the technique of switching moods between hope and despair, Shakespeare creates heartbreaking dramatic tension in Romeo and Juliet. Longley, Robert. With closet dramas, the playwright intends just the opposite. Drama is also a type of a play written for theater, television, radio, and film. In other words, we should always make allowances for the force of circumstances to influence human behaviou… In our Literature class today, we will be looking at the topic "Drama". When she learns of Romeo’s death, Juliet truly does kill herself. In literature, a drama is the portrayal of fictional or non-fictional events through the performance of written dialog (either prose or poetry). Dramatic exposition is a literary device used to introduce important information about a story's setting, the characters and the initial conflict of the plot. Longley, Robert. What Is a Soliloquy? Dramatic Literature synonyms, Dramatic Literature pronunciation, Dramatic Literature translation, English dictionary definition of Dramatic Literature. Drama definition is - a composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character or to tell a story usually involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue and typically designed for theatrical performance : play. How to use dramatic in a sentence. Since drama uses spoken words and dialogues, thus language of characters plays a vital role, as it may give clues to their feelings, personalities, backgrounds, and change in feelings. Literary Definition and Examples, The Best Shakespeare Plays for High School, Biography of Euripides, Third of the Great Tragedians. Drama is a mode of fictional representation through dialogue and performance. It shows the downfall of an extraordinary man of high rank, Oedipus. Fiction Drama synonyms, Fiction Drama pronunciation, Fiction Drama translation, English dictionary definition of Fiction Drama. Drama in literature refers to the performance of written dialogue and stage action. Drama, literature that is written to be performed on the stage, is a form that goes back to the ancient Greeks and includes such writers as Shakespeare, … Drama is the portrayal of fictional or non-fictional events through the performance of written dialogue. In dramas the characters live out a story without any comments of the author, providing the audience a direct presentation of characters’ life experiences. Tragedy, branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. The term comes from a Greek word meaning “action”, which is derived from the verb meaning “to do” or “to act”. Introduction. You've heard the word. Closet dramas are plays that have been written to be read, but not performed. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot. And every play—whether it is serious or humorous, ancient or modern—tells its story through characters in situations that imitate human life. Drama is also a type of a play written for theater, television, radio, and film. Drama as a literary genre The number of characters, which in the past were called Drámatis Personae, may vary but always includes: • a hero, the protagonist of the play who is not necessarily “heroic”, noble and brave; • a heroine, the play’s main female character; • an antagonist, who is the hero’s main opponent, usually the play’s villain. Each type of comedy has its own audience. The Greeks thought of history as one of the seven … “Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is … Their value is in the play itself, not in the performance of the play. Literary Definition and Examples." Dramas are typically called plays, and their creators are known as “playwrights” or “dramatists.” Aristotle has adjudged this play as one of the greatest examples of tragic drama in his book, Poetics, by giving the following reasons: Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is a very popular example of Victorian farce. In literature, a drama is the portrayal of fictional or non-fictional events through the performance of written dialog (either prose or poetry). This definition is still used sometimes (for example, in the phrase “drama class”), but it’s become much less common than the other. The play is romantically funny, in that love between Hero and Claudio is laughable, as they never even get a single chance to communicate on-stage until they get married. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, will Prince Hamlet ever avenge his father’s death and get rid of his pesky ghost and visions of floating daggers by murdering the play’s antagonist Claudius? The night before the star-crossed lovers are secretly married, Romeo kills Juliet's cousin in a duel, and Juliet fakes her own death to avoid being forced by her parents to marry a family friend. Dramas depend heavily on spoken dialogue to keep the audience informed about the characters’ feelings, personalities, motivations, and plans. Performed since the days of Aristotle (c. 335 BCE), the term “drama” comes from the Greek words δρᾶμα (an act, a play) and δράω (to act, to take action). Tragedy definition: A tragedy is a serious drama that typically ends in disaster. In his romantic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare explores one of his favorite themes—“love conquers all”—with a humorous twist. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is cited as an example of how playwrights utilize the ageless conflict between love and social convention as a source of humor. Young lovers live anything but happily ever after in Shakespeare’s unforgettable tragedy Romeo and Juliet. But there’s more than one type of literary genre – and chances are, you’ve seen examples of them all. The basis of the dramatic work is a conflict, its content is revealed through the play of actors. Drama definition is - a composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character or to tell a story usually involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue and typically designed for theatrical performance : play. Drama, a series of four dramas, three of them tragedies and one a satyr-play; hence, any series of four related works, literary, dramatic, operatic, etc. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/drama-literary-definition-4171972. Interestingly, such preferences may also depend on th… In what is still one of the most-performed plays in history, the love between Romeo and Juliet is doomed by the raging feud between their families, the Montagues and the Capulets. It’s a literary genre that allows actors to act out a writer’s words directly to an audience. What Types of Plays Did Shakespeare Write? It is when Jack and Earnest must come on-stage together for Cesily, then Algernon comes in to play Earnest’ role, and his ward immediately falls in love with the other “Ernest.” Thus, two young women think that they love the same man – an occurrence that amuses the audience.