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What is Drama and How is it Different from Other Literature?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Leon

Drama is a literary genre that shares many features of other forms of literature, but possesses a characteristic that makes it distinct. Like novels and short stories, dramatic works tell a story by employing the seven elements of fiction, which are a setting, characters, a problem, a plot, suspense, a point of view, and a theme. However, what sets drama apart from other literature is that it is performed by actors on a stage or in a film in front of an audience. The performers speak the dialogue, perform the actions of their characters and wear costumes to help portray their characters. To set the tone of the play or film, the stage is decorated to make the setting look like the setting of the story. In addition, lighting is used to draw attention to certain characters or parts of the stage and influence the mood of the dramatic work, and music is used to influence the mood as well. Conversely, most forms of literature, such as poetry, short stories, and novels, are read. Novels and short stories are often written in the form of books, which sometimes contain pictures to help illustrate the story. But, illustrations in books do not often portray the entire story, as in drama. On the other hand, like drama, poems can be performed on a stage in front of an audience. However, this is the only similarity between poetry and dramas because poets do not actually perform actions, do not wear costumes, there is no music, and there is less emphasis on lighting. Furthermore, unlike drama, poets who read their poems are on their own, whereas in drama, there is a cast of actors on stage. Drama can be a very entertaining form of literature. In contrast to reading literature, where you visualize the story in your mind, watching a drama unfold before your eyes is quite interesting

and is a different experience. If a play or film has a talented cast who portray their characters well, and has a well-designed set, in addition to lighting and music that fit the dramatic work well, it can be a spectacle to watch. However, in my opinion, one thing about drama that makes it less enjoyable than other literary genres is that it does not allow you to visualize the story with your imagination. When I read books, I am free to imagine the appearance of the setting, what characters look like, and the actions of characters. But, in drama, all of these things are determined for you and may not be as fascinating as you imagined. Essentially, drama is distinct from other literature because it is performed in front of an audience by actors to tell a story, along with the use of a set, lighting, music, and costumes.

Works Cited Przykuta. P Culture Violet. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 24 May 2012. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:P_culture_violet.png&gt;. Sen, Piu. A play performance at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 15 Aug. 2007. Web. 24 May 2012. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_play_performance_at_Prithvi_Theatre,_Mumbai.jp g&gt;.

The Elements of Fiction

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Leon 1 Fiction is a form of literature that comprises of novels and short stories which describe imaginary events. All good fiction should have certain elements. These elements are: a setting, characters, a problem, a plot, suspense, a point of view, and a theme. Setting The setting is when and where the story takes place. When determining the setting of a story, one should be mindful of the place, time, date, season, weather, and the characters state of mind. Characters There are a few different kinds of characters. The protagonist is the main character of the story and is usually the good guy. The character who opposes the protagonist is known as the antagonist and is usually the bad guy. There can be several antagonists in a story, but there is usually one major antagonist, while the others are minor antagonists. Dynamic characters are characters that change, especially their personalities, the way they think, or their status, during the course of the story. Usually, the protagonist is a dynamic character. On the other hand, static characters are characters that always remain the same. Minor characters in stories are often static characters. Round characters are characters that are fully developed. Readers will know information about round characters, such as their background and their motivation. Flat characters are characters that readers know very little about and are usually stereotypical representations (for example, a loving and caring mother). Problem The problem is an internal or external problem that the protagonist faces in the story. An internal problem is a problem that the character has with oneself. An external problem is a problem that the character has that is not internal. A few examples of different kinds of problems are: character vs. nature, character vs. society, character vs. self, and character vs. character. Plot The plot is what happens in the story. A plot is comprised of an introduction, rising action, a climax, falling action, and a conclusion. The introduction introduces the setting, most major characters, and the problem. Next, the rising action is when the protagonist tries to solve the problem or the problem grows. Following the rising action is the climax, which is the height of

action or intensity in the story. After that, the falling action is when the story is wrapping up and the problem is either solved or remains unsolved. Finally, the conclusion is when the story ends.

Suspense Suspense foments uncertainty about what happens next in a story. Things that generate suspense are cliffhangers, foreshadowing, flashbacks, flash-forwards, and red herrings. Cliffhangers are parts in the story that leave the reader hanging and dont immediately tell you what happens next. Foreshadowing makes the reader predict what is going to happen. A flashback returns the reader to a time earlier than the current point in the story. A flash-forward is similar to a flashback, except future events are seen instead of past events. A red herring is something that keeps the reader wondering, but actually doesnt mean anything. Point of View There are four different kinds of point of view that the narrator can have. The first-person point of view is a point of view from a person in the story and uses the word I to refer to his or herself. The second-person point of view has a narrator that never refers to his or herself and uses the word you to refer to the protagonist. The third-person omniscient point of view is a point of view from an all-knowing person who is not in the story. This narrator knows where characters are, what they are doing, how they are feeling and what they are thinking. The limited omniscient third-person point of view is similar to the third-person omniscient point of view, except the narrator doesnt know what characters are thinking or feeling. Only things that can be seen are known by the limited omniscient third-person narrator. Theme The theme of a fictional work is a central idea that often teaches a lesson or a moral that is drawn from the events in the story. Short stories and novels can have multiple themes

Drama is collaborative in nature where it requires actors, stage, audience, play write etc. more over drama is written in dialogue with act and scene. whereas other literature genre like poem and novel. poem is popularly written in stanza with rhyme scheme. but novels they are written in chapter. you may find little similarities between them i,e it is based on fiction or nonfiction. you should also keep in mind that they are not same.