Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION 1V-A CALABARZON SCHOOLS
DIVISION OF BATANGAS PROVINCE
MALVAR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
POBLACION, MALVAR, BATANGAS

Quarter 2 – Module 1: Reading and Writing Drama

Prepared by:

Princess Dianne P. Cuasay

Teacher II

Address: San Joaquin Road, Poblacion, Malvar, Batangas

09171601390
[email protected]
www.shsinmalvar.org
 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you understand drama
– its elements, techniques and literary devices. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students.
The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read
them can be changed to correspond with the textbook (if any) you are now using.

After completing this module, you are expected to be able to identify the various elements,
techniques, and literary devices in drama and understand intertextuality as a technique of drama.

Reading and Writing Drama

What I Know (PRE-TEST)

BASIC DRAMA TERMS. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer on a separate sheet.
1. What is drama?
a. a story that is written to be performed or acted
b. the characters that perform in a play
c. the trouble caused by "friends"
d. the written words and directions for actors to follow
2. This refers to the person who tells the story and often spoken in third person.
a. actor b. dialogue c. narrator d. speaker
3. What do you call the people acting in play?
a. director b. cast of characters c. narrator d. protagonist
4. Speech between characters in a play is termed .
a. dialogue b. direction c. lines d. script
5. The person who writes the play is called .
a. author b. director c. playwright d. speaker
6. The play or drama is organized in .
a. acts and scenes b. chapters c. episodes d. pages and numbers
7. These are instructions that tell the actors what they are supposed to do while performing in the drama.
a. director b. scene c. stage directions d. teleprompter
8. A set is made of that are on-stage.
a. costumes b. dialogues c. lights d. props
9. Which of the following best describes "theater"?
a. a story that is written to be acted out c. the place where the play is performed
b. objects used in a play to bring it to life d. the words spoken by characters
10. What do you call the message or insight about life?
a. act b. set c. stage directions d. theme
 What’s New

DEFINITION OF DRAMA
Drama is a literary work that’s intended to be presented on a stage in front of an audience or a
group of audience. This usually involves a conflict between the main character who is the protagonist,
the antagonist, and the supporting characters. Drama comes in different types or genres, the popular
ones during the ancient times in Greece were comedy and tragedy. The person who writes drama for
stage directions is known as a ‘dramatist’ or ‘playwright’.
It is considered the type of literature that takes advantage of people’s visual and auditory senses.
It is not limited to what you read and imagine like in poetry and fiction, but it brings your imagination
to life. You see and hear everything right before your very eyes which is the reason it is entertaining to
most visual learners.
According to scholars, the first forms of drama originated in Greece at about 2500 years ago,
and it evolved from being simple choral readings in humble platforms to complete theatrical productions
that involve elaborate sets and dozens of fully made-up actors with fantastic costumes

Drama vs Theater
Drama is the actual written material or the script (derived from the Greek word draw which
means to do or to act)
On the other hand, theater is from the Greek word theasthai which means to behold. It is the
actual production and is the enactment and interpretation of the written material

A. ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
The elements of drama, by which dramatic works can be analyzed and evaluated, can be
categorized into three major areas:

1. LITERARY ELEMENTS
Literary Elements of Drama in the Modern Theater
a. PLOT – refers to the action, the basic storyline of the play. It serves as the skeleton of the story that
brings the actions into a cohesive and more organized form.

b. THEME – refers to the meaning of the play. It is the main idea or lesson to be learned from the play.
In some case, the theme of a play is obvious, other times it is quite subtle. It is called the soul of the
story and mostly involves conflict between individuals, man and society, man and a superior force, and
man and himself.

c. CHARACTERS – the people (sometimes

animals or ideas) portrayed by the actors in
the play. It is the characters who move the
action or plot. Characterization is the way an
author presents a character.

d. DIALOGUE – this refers to the words written by the playwright and spoken by the characters in the
play. The dialogue helps moves
the action of the play along.
e. CONVENTION – these are the techniques and methods used by the playwright and director to create
the desired stylistic effect

f. GENRE – refers to the type of play. Some examples

of different genres include comedy, tragedy, mystery
and historical play.

• Comedy – Comedies are lighter in tone than ordinary works, and provide a happy conclusion.
The intention of dramatists in comedies is to make their audience laugh. Hence, they use quaint
circumstances, unusual characters, and witty remarks. i.e. All’s Well that ends Well by William
Shakespeare
• Tragedy – Tragic dramas use darker themes, such as disaster, pain, and death. Protagonists
often have a tragic flaw — a characteristic that leads them to their downfall. i.e. Romeo and
Juliet by William Shakespeare
• Farce –It makes use of highly exaggerated and funny situations aimed at entertaining the
audience. It uses elements like physical humor, deliberate absurdity, bawdy jokes, and
drunkenness just to make people laugh. i.e. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
• Melodrama – Melodrama is an exaggerated drama, which is sensational and appeals directly
to the senses of the audience. Just like the farce, the characters are of a single dimension and
simple, or may be stereotyped. i.e. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Musical Drama – In musical dramas, dramatists not only tell their stories through acting and
dialogue, but through dance as well as music. Often the story may be comedic, though it may
also involve serious subjects. i.e. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

g. AUDIENCE – group of people who watch the play. Many playwrights and actors consider the
audience to be the most important element of drama, as all of the effort put in to writing and producing
a play is for the enjoyment of the audience.
Audience Etiquette
• No unnecessary movement or
noises
• No cell phones, loud talking,
standing, walking, etc.

Picture retrieved from https://www.tmsdrama.com/uploads/3/9/2/2/39228413/609766909.jpeg?427

2. TECHNICAL ELEMENTS

a. SCENERY (SET) – the theatrical equipment, such as curtains, flats, backdrops, or

platforms, used in a dramatic production to communicate environment.

Pictures retrieved from https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com

b. COSTUMES – clothing and accessories are worn by actors to portray character and period

Pictures retrieved from https://www.petersfieldyouththeatre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Wizard-of-Oz-3.jpg /

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/deep-realm-tvb-res.jpg

c. PROPERTIES (PROPS) – are any article, except costume or scenery, used as part of a dramatic
production; any moveable object that appears on stage during a performance, from a telephone to a train

Picture retrieved from https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/

d. LIGHTS – light elements mean that
every placement, intensity, and color of
lights have to be set as needed to help
communicate environment, mood or feeling

Picture retrieved from http://i.pinimg.com/originals

e. SOUND – the effects an audience hears during performance to communicate character, context, or
environment

f. MAKEUP – includes costumes, wigs, and body paint used to transform an actor into a character

Picture retrieved from https://itsallaboutthelight.weebly.com/ / https://worldoftheatreandart.com/

3. PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS
a. ACTING – the use of face, body, and voice to portray character
b. CHARACTER MOTIVATION – the reason or reasons for a character’s behavior. It is an
incentive or inducement for further action for a character in drama
c. CHARACTER ANALYSIS – in responding to dramatic art, the process of examining how
the elements of drama – literary, technical, and performance – are used
d. EMPATHY – the capacity to relate to the feeling of another
 Literary Devices and Techniques in Drama

LITERARY DEVICES IN DRAMA

In literature, any technique used to help the author achieve his or her purpose is called a literary
device. Typically, these devices are used for an aesthetic purpose – that is, they’re intended to make the
piece more beautiful. However, it’s a very broad term and isn’t strictly limited to this meaning. Literary
device is a literary or linguistic technique that produces a specific effect, esp. a figure of speech,
narrative style, or plot mechanism (Literary Terms, 2016).

1. Imagery: It is the use of figurative language to create visual representations of actions, objects
and ideas in our mind in such a way that they appeal to our physical senses. For example:
The river was roaring in the mountains. – The word “roaring” appeals to our sense of
hearing.
2. Simile and Metaphor: Both compare two distinct objects and draws similarity between them.
The difference is that Simile uses “as” or “like” and Metaphor does not. For example:
“My love is like a red red rose” (Simile)
He is an old fox very cunning. (Metaphor)
3. Hyperbole: It is deliberate exaggeration of actions and ideas for the sake of emphasis. For
example:
I have got a million issues to look after!
4. Personification: It gives a thing, an idea or an animal human qualities. For example:
The flowers are dancing beside the lake.
5. Alliteration: It refers to the same consonant sounds in words coming together. For example:
She sells seashells at seashore.
6. Allegory: It is a literary technique in which an abstract idea is given a form of characters,
actions or events. For example:
“Animal Farm”, written by George Orwell, is an example allegory using the actions
of animals on a farm to represent the overthrow of the last of the Russian Tsar Nicholas
II and the Communist Revolution of Russia before WW II. In addition, the actions of
the animals on the farm are used to expose the greed and corruption of the Revolution.
7. Irony: It is use of the words in such a way in which the intended meaning is completely
opposite to their literal meaning. For example:
The bread is soft as a stone.
8. Flashback- Is when an author reveals an event that took place in the past.
9. Symbolism - Symbolism refers to when a symbol, such as an object, color, person or place, is
used to represent an abstract idea or concept. A red rose for example, is not just a rose but a
symbol of love and beauty. A dove is not just a bird, but also a symbol of peace.
10. Dramatic irony- Occurs when a character’s words or acts carry a larger meaning that the
character does not perceive. The audience, however, is fully aware of the character’s situation.
ex. A character may ignorantly state, “I feel something evil in the air.” The audience will be
aware that the character is soon to be murdered.
11. Comic relief – in a tragedy, a break in the seriousness for a moment of comedy or silliness
12. Paradox - When a character says something that sounds contrary or absurd, but which holds
some truth to it. I.e. “Fair is foul.”
13. Foreshadowing – an author’s use of ‘hints’ which prepare the reader for future events or the
outcome
 14. Pathetic fallacy – is a device used by poets and writers whereby nature mirrors the political
condition of society, pathos a situation that elicits pity from the audience

STRUCTURE
Act is one of the main divisions of the play. Shakespeare favored the five act structure for his plays.
Scene, on the other hand, refers to a unit smaller than an act.

• Act I contains all introductory information and thus serves as exposition: The main characters
are introduced and, by presenting a conflict, the play prepares the audience for the action in
subsequent acts.
• Act II usually propels the plot by introducing further circumstances or problems related to the
main issue. The main conflict starts to develop and characters are presented in greater detail.
• In act III, the plot reaches its climax. A crisis occurs where the deed is committed that will lead
to the catastrophe, and this brings about a turn (peripety) in the plot.
• Act IV creates new tension in that it delays the final catastrophe by further events.
• Act V finally offers a solution to the conflict presented in the play. While tragedies end in a
catastrophe, usually the death of the protagonist, comedies are simply ‘resolved’ (traditionally
in a wedding or another type of festivity).

TYPES OF UTTERANCE IN DRAMA

Dramatic language is modelled on real-life conversations among people, and yet, when one
watches a play, one also has to consider the differences between real talk and drama talk. Dramatic
language is ultimately always constructed or ‘made up’ and it often serves several purposes.
In drama, in contrast to narrative, characters typically talk to one another and the entire plot is
carried by and conveyed through their verbal interactions. Language in drama can generally be
presented either as monologue or dialogue. Monologue means that only one character speaks while
dialogue always requires two or more participants. A special form of monologue, where no other person
is present on stage beside the speaker, is called soliloquy. Soliloquies are mainly used to present a
character in more detail and also on a more personal level. The playwright uses this device to inform
the audience of the character’s state of mind, his/her motives and intentions, or to advance the plot,
create suspense, foreshadow future events or give information about others that would otherwise remain
unvoiced.
 Intertextuality as a Technique of Drama

LITERARY TECHNIQUE: INTERTEXTUALITY

Intertextuality is when a text implicitly or explicitly refers to another text, by using distinctive,
common or recognizable elements of the referenced text. An implicit reference is when the composer
alludes to another text through ideas, symbols, genre or style. An explicit reference is when the
composer directly mentions quotes or references another text in their work. This helps shape meaning
because all texts portray particular perspectives on issues or messages. So, composers refer to specific
texts to enrich or extend of their message.
The definition of intertextuality was created by the French semiotician Julia Kristeva in the
1960s. She created the term from the Latin word intertexto, which means “to intermingle while
weaving.” Kristeva argued that all works of literature being produced contemporarily are intertextual
with the works that came before it. As she stated, “[A]ny text,” she argues, “is constructed of a mosaic
of quotations; any text is the absorption and transformation of another.”

Types of Intertextuality
1. Allusion – a subtle or indirect reference to another text, historical period or religious belief. For
example, T.S Eliot mentions a celestial rose in his poem Hollow Men, this rose comes from
Dante’s Paradiso. This is an allusion because Eliot did not mention the composer. Other
examples include:
• He was lying so obviously, you could almost see his nose growing. (Pinocchio)
• He’s asking her to the prom. It’s like a happy version of Romeo and Juliet.
2. Parody – an imitation of another text for satirical purpose, usually to mock. For example, in
Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell has Winston read the political tract, ‘The Theory and
Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism’, which is a parody of the communist revolutionist’s,
Leon Trotsky’s writing.
3. Quotation – a direct reference to another text with an acknowledgement of its composer. For
example, in Margaret Atwoods speech, Spotty Handed Villainesses, she quotes Dame Rebeca
West, saying, “Ladies of Great Britain… we have not enough evil in us.”
4. Pastiche/Appropriation – a reworking or re-imagination of a well-known text to change, or
extend its meaning. A common example is fan fiction or fan fic. Examples of fan fiction abound
for famous series such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight, The Lord of the Rings, and so on.
Fans enjoy imagining the characters they already love in new situations.
5. Adaptation – a film, TV drama, or stage play that is based on a written work. For example, JK
Rowling’s Harry Potter series has a film adaptation.

The function and effectiveness of intertextuality can often depend quite a bit on the reader’s
prior knowledge and understanding before reading the secondary text; parodies and allusions depend
on the reader knowing what is being parodied or alluded to.

Significance of Intertextuality in Literature

The concept of intertextuality does not only apply to books. It can be used in any form of media like
music, film, advertising, and so on in the way that everything produced now is influenced by what came
before. References to pop culture in advertising, films that are made from books, and discs tracks in rap
can all be considered intertextual, though they are not strictly texts. Some of these are:
 • Dance – performers like Justin Timberlake borrow dance moves from Michael Jackson. This is
intertextual as we can see the influence of MJ and how his moves have been adapted and
interwoven into Timberlake’s performances.
• Music – DJ’s are continuously using intertextuality in music. This is sometimes done using a
sample piece of music or through a remix. EXAMPLE – Glee Mash up!
• Film – films are influenced by one another. They will consciously make reference to other
clips/dialogue from film. EXAMPLE - Scary Movie borrows clips from different horror films
and puts them together
• Fashion – styles are influenced by media texts EXAMPLE - Alice in Wonderland style dresses

Assessment
This serves as your summative test. Answer the questions below following the instructions given in
each test.

I. IDENTIFICATION. Identify what is being asked in each number. Use a separate sheet for your
answers.
1. What is drama?
a. Trouble caused by "friends"
b. The written words and directions for actors to follow
c. The characters that perform in a play
d. A story that is written to be performed or acted out

2. The person who tells the story, often spoken in third person
a. Actor b. Narrator c. Speaker d. Dialogue

3. __________________ are the people acting in play.

a. Actor b. Narrator c. Speaker d. Dialogue

4. It is the speech between characters in a play.

a. Actor b. Narrator c. Speaker d. Dialogue

5. The person who writes the play is called .

a. Author b. Speaker c. Playwright d. Director

6. The play or drama is organized in .

a. Chapters b. Episodes c. Acts and scenes d. Pages and numbers

7. It is the setting of a play

a. Set b. Stage c. Setting d. Location

8. The is the main character in a drama

a. Protagonist b. Extra c. Antagonist d. Poor girl or hero

9. Which of the following best describes a script?

a. the written words that characters speak and directions in a play/drama
b. the problem or struggle in a story
c. the "chapters" of a play/drama
d. the place where a drama is performed
 10. Acts in a play or drama can be compared to…
a. a character's actions and performance c. the "chapters" in a book
b. attitudes in different characters d. the place where the drama begins

11. It is the problem between two characters or forces in the play

a. Conflict b. Set c. Character d. Dialogue
12. Which element is being described? "The beach was warm and breezy; perfect for flying kites."
a. Setting b. Character

13. What is the difference between dialogue and monologue?

a. Dialogue is conversation between two or more characters. In a monologue, one character
speaks alone.
b. Monologue is conversation between two characters. Dialogue is conversation between three
or more characters.
c. Dialogue is conversation between two or more characters. Monologues appear in only novels.
d. Dialogue is conversation between only two characters. In monologue, one character speaks
alone.

14. Props are…

a. praises b. objects needed in the play c. money

15. It is how the play ends

a. Scene b. Climax c. Resolution d. Situational irony

16. A playwright is adapting a favorite novel into a two-act play. Which of the following exercises
would best help the playwright begin distilling the text into a meaningful adaptation?
A. making a list of key moments in the novel and then brainstorming the most efficient
transitions from one moment to the next
B. working through the novel and crossing out everything except the dialogue
C. drafting a 15–20page synopsis of the novel from memory and then using the synopsis as the
basis for the first draft of the script
D. selecting five key characters from the novel and then outlining a short scene and monologue
for each character

17. When writing a play, a playwright uses primarily which of the following tools to reveal a
character?
a. plot structure b. setting c. stage directions d. dialogue

Use the excerpt below to answer questions 18-19 that follow.

18. In this excerpt, the exchange in Lines 11–16 is used primarily to establish:
a. Elma's jealousy of Grace's independence.
b. the sister-like relationship between the characters.
c. a sense of concern about Grace's personal safety.
d. the differences in the two characters' points of view.

19. To create the sound effect of wind for the scene in this excerpt, a sound designer suggests that
a Foley artist stand on stage and operate a mechanical wind machine. Which of the following
aspects of this idea primarily makes it an inappropriate design choice for the production?
a. Using a wind machine will prevent the audience from imagining what the storm sounds like.
b. A wind machine does not match the period in which the play is set.
c. Using a wind machine in this way will upstage the actors and detract from the play's realism.
d. Wind machines can be difficult to operate for an extended duration of time.

20. This excerpt is most characteristic of Inge's work in its depiction of:
a. small town life in America's heartland.
b. the social bonding rituals of women.
c. a nontraditional family structure.
d. the uneasy relationship between humans and nature.
 REFLECTION
Directions: In your notebook, journal or portfolio, write your personal insights.

I understand that…

I realized that…

I need help with…

REFERENCES
LiteraryDevices Editors. (2013). Metaphor. Retrieved from from http://literarydevices.net/metaphor/
LiteraryDevices Editors. (2013). Genre Types. Retrieved from http://literarydevices.net/metaphor/
Literary Terms. (2015). Retrieved from https://literaryterms.net/
Mardiatun, Nisa. (2016). Elements of Drama. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/mardiatunnisa1/elements-of- drama-67213746
Matrix Education. (2019). Literary Techniques: Intertextuality. Retrieved from
https://www.matrix.edu.au/literary-techniques- intertextuality/