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2 Drama

Drama is a genre of literature meant to be performed for an audience. The document discusses different types of drama including comedies, which aim to make audiences laugh; tragedies, which deal with dark subjects; farces, which use exaggerated situations; and musical dramas, which incorporate music. Examples of famous dramatic works are discussed, such as Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, and The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. The document concludes by outlining various functions of drama, such as being instructive, educative, informative, entertaining, and therapeutic.

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Jeremie Jane Carale
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76 views20 pages

2 Drama

Drama is a genre of literature meant to be performed for an audience. The document discusses different types of drama including comedies, which aim to make audiences laugh; tragedies, which deal with dark subjects; farces, which use exaggerated situations; and musical dramas, which incorporate music. Examples of famous dramatic works are discussed, such as Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, and The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. The document concludes by outlining various functions of drama, such as being instructive, educative, informative, entertaining, and therapeutic.

Uploaded by

Jeremie Jane Carale
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DRAMA

DRAMA
• In literature, the word drama
defines a genre, or style of writing.
Drama is a play that can be
performed for theatre, radio, or
even television. These plays are
usually written out as a script, or a
written version of a play that is read
by the actors but not the audience.
TYPES OF
DRAMA
COMEDIES
• Comedies are narratives with
the intent of making the
audience laugh. A Midsummer
Night’s Dream is a comedic
drama about a turbulent
marriage of Theseus and
Hippolyta and the hi-jinx that
ensues with them and 4 young
actors.
TRAGEDY
• Just like the name suggests,
tragedies were indeed tragic.
The subjects they dealt with
were dark, like war and
death, and protagonists were
always burdened with a
tragic flaw that kept them
from their happy ending.
FARCE
• This type of drama is similar to a
comedy but aims at entertaining
through highly exaggerated and
improbable situations. The
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey
Chaucer is made up of dozens of
characters with their own unique
and sometimes extravagant stories,
leaving the “plot” to be lost to
some readers and audiences.
MELODRAMA
• This type of drama is meant
to appeal to the audience’s
emotions. The story is
meant to be passionate and
sensational, with characters
portrayed using stereotypes
and one-dimensional
personalities.
MUSICAL DRAMA
• This is a form of drama
where music,
especially singing or
dancing, is used along
with dialogue and
acting to tell the story.
EXAMPLES OF
DRAMA IN
LITERATURE
Much Ado Nothing by William Shakespeare
• Much Ado About Nothing is a
comedy by William Shakespeare
thought to have been written in
1598 and 1599. The play was
included in the First Folio,
published in 1623. The play is set
in Messina and revolves around
two romantic pairings that
emerge when a group of soldiers
arrives in the town.
OEDIPUS REX BY SOPHOCLES (1967)
• Oedipus, in Greek mythology, the
king of Thebes who unwittingly killed
his father and married his mother.
Homer related that Oedipus's wife
and mother hanged herself when
the truth of their relationship
became known, though Oedipus
apparently continued to rule at
Thebes until his death.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
BY OSCAR WILDE
• The Importance of Being Earnest is
a play by Oscar Wilde, first
performed in 1895. The play tells
the story of two men, Jack
Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff,
who both assume the identity of a
fictional man named Ernest,
leading them both to fall in love
and find an assortment of
problems along the way.
THE HEIRESS BY HENRY JAMES (1947)
• The Heiress is a thriller about
the wealthiest woman in North
Carolina, her heir, and the
cutthroat battle for her estate.
Ruby McTavish, the richest
woman in North Carolina, died
10 years ago and left her estate
to her adopted son Camden
(Cam).
LES MESIRABLES
• The action begins in 1815 as
Jean Valjean, a man condemned
to 19 years of hard labor for
stealing a loaf of bread to feed
his family, finds only hatred and
suspicion when he is released
on parole. Meeting one man
who believes in him, Valjean
breaks his parole to begin a new
life.
FUNCTIONS OF DRAMA
Instructive Functions

• It enables us to learn about ourselves, our society and


about life in general.
• It teaches us to reflect on life’s actions and experiences
• It exposes life’s actions and experiences through
performances on stage.
• It encourages us to choose the good and discard the bad
aspects of life.
Educative Functions

• It teaches tolerance among people i.e. people learn to


accept each other.
• It teaches co-operation among people .
• It inculcates in people the ability to express themselves.
• It serves as a guide against future occurrence of bad
behavior in the society and thus encourages good
character.
Informative Functions

• It is a means of enlightening the people on the social and


moral value of the society.
• It gives important information about the society from the
past to the present.
• It highlights the consequences of social vices such as drug
abuse, cultism, examination malpractice, tribalism,
corruption (419), fighting, stealing, raping, kidnapping,
indecent dressing, impersonation, armed-robbery, bribery,
favoritism, child abuse, etc.
Entertainment Functions

• People derive pleasure and their feelings are aroused


when they watch drama.
• It helps in creating fun and relaxation.
Therapeutic Functions

• Drama is a source of relaxation for people. When people


watch drama, they tend to forget their past ugly
experiences for the moment. This will relax their nerves.
• It helps to build and develop confidence in people.
• It encourages self-realization.
• It heals broken emotions

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