Grade 9 Unit 3 Literature Focus

Grade 9 Unit 3 Literature Focus

DRAMA

• NARRATIVE WRITTEN FOR PERFORMANCE

• CONTAINS CHARACTERS, OR PERSONALITIES WHO TAKE PART IN THE ACTION

• CONFLICT, A STRUGGLE OR PROBLEM THAT DRIVES THE PLOT

ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

• ACTS/SCENES - BASIC SECTIONS OF DRAMA; ONE OR MORE ACTS, CAN BE SUBDIVIDED INTO SCENES

• STAGE DIRECTIONS - INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW THE PLAY SHOULD BE PERFORMED

• SETS - DEFINE THE AREA OF THE ACTION

• PROPS - MOVEABLE OBJECTS USED ON STAGE

DRAMA

• PLAYWRIGHTS - AUTHOR OF THE PLAY

• SCRIPTS = TEXT OF THE STORY; CONTAINS DIALOGUE, CHARACTER LIST, STAGE DIRECTIONS

• THE ELEMENTS OF DRAMA COMBINE TO FORM THE "DRAMATIC EFFECT" - ALLOWS THE VIEWERS TO "SUSPEND DISBELIEF"

DRAMA

• SUSPENCION OF DISBELIEF IS IMPORTANT IF THE PLAYWRIGHT IS GOING TO COMMUNICATE THE THEME OF THE DRAMA - THE DEEPER INSIGHT INTO LIFE

FORMS OF DRAMA

• DRAMA WAS DEVELOPED BY THE ANCIENT GREEKS

• THEY CREATED TWO BASIC TYPES OF PLAYS - TRAGEDY AND COMEDY

FORMS OF DRAMA

• TRAGEDY - TRACES THE DOWNFALL OF THE "TRAGIC HERO".

• USUALLY A KING OR GENERAL

• IS DEFEATED BECAUSE OF A TRAGIC FLAW - A MISTAKE OR CHARACTER DEFECT

• ENDS WITH DEATH, DEFEAT, OR EXILE

FORMS OF DRAMA

• COMEDY - HAPPY ENDING

• THE ORDER OF THE WORLD IS DISRUPTED

• COMIC ENDING RESTORES BALANCE

• UNLIKE MODERN EXAMPLES, ANCIENT COMEDIES WERE OFTEN FUNNY, BUT NOT THEIR DEFINING TRAIT

• ENDS WITH WEDDING, BIRTH, REUNION, ETC

DRAMATIC STRUCTURE

• CLASSICAL DRAMAS (ANCIENT GREEKS, SHAKESPEARE) = 5 ACT PLAYS

• ACT 1 = EXPOSITION

• ACT 2 = RISING ACTION

• ACT 3 = CLIMAX

• ACT 4 = FALLING ACTION

• ACT 5 = RESOLUTION

DRAMATIC STRUCTURE

• SCREENPLAYS (SCRIPTS FOR FILM) = 3 ACTS

• ACT 1 = EXPOSITION

• ACT 2 = RISING ACTION (This is usually when a problem breaks up the group or makes it seem like the hero/heroic group will fail - won't get the girl, won't defeat the enemy, won't win the game, etc.)

• ACT 3 = CLIMAX --> RESOLUTION

DRAMATIC STRUCTURE

• ONE ACT PLAYS

• ALL THE ACTION IS CONTAINED IN ONE ACT

• MAY HAVE MULTIPLE SCENES

TYPES OF DRAMATIC SPEECHES

• DIALOGUE IS KEY!!!

• ANCIENT GREEKS USED THE CHORUS, A GROUP OF OBSERVERS WHO WERE PART OF THE PLAY BUT NOT PART OF THE STORY.

• MODERN DRAMAS SOMETIMES USE NARRATORS

TYPES OF DRAMATIC SPEECHES

• MONOLOGUE - A LONG, UNINTERRUPTED SPEECH GIVEN BY ONE CHARACTER TO ANOTHER.

• SOLILOQUY - A CHARACTER SPEAKS TO THEMSELF AND REVEALS PRIVATE THOUGHTS

• ASIDE - A BRIEF REMARK A CHARACTER MAKES TO THE AUDIENCE

TYPES OF DRAMATIC SPEECHES

• SOLILOQUY - A CHARACTER SPEAKS TO THEMSELF AND REVEALS PRIVATE THOUGHTS

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjuZq-8PUw0

CHARACTERS AND CONFLICT

• External - man vs man, man vs society, man vs nature

• Internal - man vs self

CHARACTERS AND CONFLICT

• PROTAGONIST - THE MAIN CHARACTER

• ANTAGONIST - THE CHARACTER WHO OPPOSES THE MAIN CHARACTER

COMPLEX CHARACTERS

• AUDIENCES NEED COMPELLING, COMPLEX CHARACTERS

• THEY NEED MULTIPLE MOTIVATIONS

• THEY SHOULD BE ROUND (MANY QUALITIES) AND DYNAMIC (CHANGING, GROWING).

• THEY SHOULD NOT BE FLAT (ONE QUALITY) OR STATIC (UNCHANGING)

CHARACTERS DEVELOPMENT

• WE LEARN ABOUT CHARACTERS THROUGH CHARACTERIZATION

• DIRECT --> A WRITER SIMPLY TELLS YOU WHAT THEY ARE LIKE

• INDIRECT --> YOU LEARN THROUGH WHAT OTHER CHARACTERS SAY, HOW THE CHARACTER ACTS, REACTS, AND SPEAKS.

CHARACTERS DEVELOPMENT

• MONOLOGUES AND SOLILOQUIES CAN EXPLAIN HOW A CHARACTER THINKS/FEELS.

• CHARACTERS CAN PROVIDE CLUES TO THE PLAYS THEME.

• LOOK AT THEIR WORDS, ACTIONS, REACTIONS.

• WHAT ARE THEY LEARNING!?!