Drama is fiction designed to be represented in performance. This lesson introduces drama’s defining features, its relationship to other literary modes, and the many forms it can take.
Drama is a mode of fiction represented through performance. It may appear as a play, opera, mime, or ballet and can be performed in a theatre or transmitted by radio or television. Drama is also considered a genre of poetry. In Aristotle’s Poetics, written around 335 BC, the dramatic mode is discussed in relation to the epic and lyrical modes.
All flashcards
What is drama?
A mode of fiction represented in performance, though some dramatic works are intended primarily to be read.
What is the origin of the word *drama*?
It comes from the Greek *drâma*, meaning “deed” or “act,” related to *dráō*, meaning “I do.”
What does the term *closet drama* describe?
A dramatic work intended primarily to be read rather than performed.
How does improvisation differ from scripted drama?
Performers devise dramatic material spontaneously during performance rather than relying on a fully pre-existing script.
Why is theatre a collaborative art?
It typically involves writers, performers, directors, designers, and others, and is received collectively by an audience.
Quiz questions
Which genres made up the principal theatrical forms of classical Athens?Answer: Tragedy, comedy, and the satyr play.
What change did Roman comedy make to the chorus and dialogue accompaniment?Answer: It removed the chorus’s role in dividing episodes and added music to dialogue.
What is a defining feature of a medieval morality play?Answer: Characters often personify abstract qualities or ethical ideas.
What kind of audience participation is traditional in British pantomime?Answer: Spectators may sing along or call out familiar phrases.
What did Richard Wagner seek to restore through his music dramas?Answer: A stronger balance between music and dramatic action.
Based on the Wikipedia article Drama, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.