Elements of Drama

a form of literature written for performance

• drama

• novel

• poetry

• tax forms

a story that ends happily, often involving common people and humorous situations even if the subject is serious

• tragedy

• epic poem

• bloopers

• comedy

a serious work of drama in which the hero suffers catastrophe or serious misfortune, usually because of his own actions

• horror

• comedy

• tragedy

• fairy tale

the character(s) around whom the story revolves; the main or most important character(s)

• antagonist

• foil

• sidekick

• protagonist

major character whose ideas, actions, and/or values conflict with those of the protagonist; NOT always the "bad guy"

• dynamic

• villain

• antagonist

• stock

the place in which the action occurs, including the time of day and time period; anything that creates the environment

• setting

• plot

• mood

• style

the actual story; the sequence of events

• conflict

• plot

• climax

• point of view

the main idea the author is trying to convey; the message of the story

• thesis

• outline

• theme

• plot

the point of tension that moves the story forward; a struggle between opposing forces

• fighting

• external

• internal

• conflict

a division of a play much like a chapter is a division within a novel

• scene

• act

• footnote

• unit