A drama, also known as a play, is a form of literature written intentionally for theatrical

performance. Most of the parts in a drama are consisted of scripted dialogues, or only the acting
in some cases, between characters intended to be performed by actors and actresses to move the
story along. There are six main elements of drama which serve as the basis of producing a
successful play. These essential elements of drama include the plot of the story, the theme, the
genre in which the story belongs, the characters, the setting, and the audience. Altogether, they
provide a building block by which dramatic works can be analyzed and evaluated. By knowing
and using the elements of drama, the skills needed in creating a successful performance, as well
as the skills required to analyze a drama, could be developed. The main difference between a
novel and a drama is derived from the formatting of each piece. A novel is generally written in
basic prose while a drama is almost exclusively written in dialogue. Both types of work
have similar story elements such as characters, plot, settings, etc. In a society in which effective
communication is vital, the study of drama develops verbal and non- verbal, individual and
group communication skills which are skills for living. Drama enhances students' artistic
and creative abilities and gives them a better understanding of themselves and their world.
The followings are the elements of drama and their brief description:

Plot  
Plot, referring to the basic storyline of the play, is the structure of a play which tells what
happens as the story goes. The plot structure can be divided into six stages: exposition, inciting
incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement. 

o The exposition is simply an introductory part that provides the background information
needed to properly understand the story. 
o The inciting incident, or conflict, is the event that sets the action of the play in motion. It
is what gets the story going. 
o The rising action is a series of events, including complications and discoveries, which
follow the inciting incident and create the dramatic climax of a plot.
o The climax is the turning point, or the peak, of a plot which holds an utmost emotional
intensity of the play. 
o The falling action is a series of events following the climax that leads to the solution of
the conflicts.
o The denouement serves as the conclusion of the plot in which the conflicts are unraveled.
It is the ending scene of the drama. 

Character
Characters are the people, or sometimes animals, subjected in the drama, and are portrayed by
the actors and actresses in the play. They are one of the main components that move the action of
the play forward. Characters can be categorized into three types according to the roles they play.
The main character of the play is known as the protagonist. The antagonist is the character who
opposes the protagonist. The other characters that are neither the protagonist nor the antagonist
are called the secondary characters. They may have a major part or a minor involvement in the
drama.

Setting
The setting is the place, together with other conditions, such as time and the environment,
involved in which the events occur. The setting in the drama can be presented through the visual
element deals with the scenes, costumes and special effects used in it. The setting can as well be
enhanced by using viewable elements, sound effects, and music.

Theme
The theme refers to the message that is intended to be expressed through the story. In other
word, it is the main idea or the lesson to be learned from the play. 

Genre
Genre is the type of play. The examples of genre in which the play can be classified include
tragedy, comedy, romantic, mystery, and historical play.  

Audience
Audience is a group of people who watch the play. Audience can be said to be the most
important element of drama to be considered about, since it is the audience that determine
whether the play is successful or not. Also, many playwrights write the plot of the drama with a
great concern regarding to their groups of audience rather than their own interests. 

*Devices

anagnorisis

Classical Drama, recognition or discovery, as of a disguised character, one thought to be lost, or 
a critical fact.
antistrophe
(in ancient Greek choral odes) 1. the response made to a preceding strophe, while the chorus is m
oving from left to right.
2. the movement of the chorus. Cf. strophe. See also verse. — antistrophic, antistrophal, adj.
catastasis
the climax of a play or other dramatic representation; that part preceding the catastrophe, where t
he action is at its height.
catharsis
(in the Aristotelian concept of art, especially with reference to tragic drama) the purging of the e
motions, traditionally said to be those of pity and fear. See also psychology.
choreodrama
a drama expressed in dance or with dance as an integral part of its content and form.
constructivism
the theories, attitudes, and techniques of a group of Soviet writers of the 1920s who attempted to 
reconcile ideological beliefs with technical achievement, especially in stage design, where effect
s produced were geometrical and nonrepresentational. — constructivist, n., adj.
denouement
the final resolution of the plot, following the climax.
deus ex machina
the device of resolving dramatic action by the introduction of an unexpected, improbable, or forc
ed character or incident.
deuteragonist
Greek Drama, the role that is second in importance to that of the protagonist, or main character.
dramalogue
a dramatic monologue.
dramaturgy
the art of writing or producing plays. — dramaturge, dramaturgist, n.
duodrama
a play or drama for two characters or actors.
duologue
a dialogue for two people, especially as a complete dramatic performance or as part of one.
epilogue
1. the final section of a literary work, often added by way of explanation, comment, etc.
2. a closing speech in a play, often delivered after the completion of the main action. — epilogist
ic, adj.
epitasis
the main action of a drama, leading up to the catastrophe. Cf. protasis.
exode
1. Greek Drama, the catastrophe or conclusion of a play.
2. Roman Drama, a comical or satirical piece added at the end of a play.
histrionics, histrionism
the occupation of actors; playacting.
melodrama
1. a sensational drama with events and emotions extravagantly expressed.
2. an opera or a stage play with songs and music, often of a romantic nature. — melodramatic, a
dj.
monodrama
a drama written for one actor or character. — monodramatic, adj.
peripeteia, peripetia, peripety
Literature. a sudden change in the course of events, especially in dramatic works.
photodrama
a photoplay or dramatic narrative illustrated with or related through photographs.
protagonist
the principal character in the drama.
protasis
Classical Drama, the first part of a play, when the characters are introduced. Cf. epitasis. See als
o grammar; wisdom. — protatic, adj.
soliloquy
a speech in which a character reveals his thoughts to the audience but not to other characters in t
he play. — soliloquist, n.
stagecraft
the art or skill of producing or staging plays.
stichomythia
dialogue in single alternating lines, as found in ancient Greek drama. — stichomythic, adj.
strophe
that part of the ancient Greek choral odes sung by the chorus while moving from right to left. Cf. 
antistrophe. — strophic, adj.
tetralogy
Greek Drama, a series of four dramas, three of them tragedies and one a satyr-play; hence, any s
eries of four related works, literary, dramatic, operatic, etc.
theatrics
the art of the theater or of acting. — theatrical, n., adj.
theatromania
a mania for the theater.