DRAMA

What is drama? A drama, also known as a play, consists of works of literature written to be performed by actors in front of an audience. **For example, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” on our benchmark that we took in October.

What are stage directions? Words in brackets [ ] and italics, that describe the setting and tell the actors how to move, look, or say their lines. Stage directions also help the reader understand how the actors should be moving, looking, or speaking.

Stage directions examples:

What is dialogue? A dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters. Dialogue can reveal a character’s: • age • personality and mood • ethnic background • educational level • geographical roots • relationships and their status • motivations and aspirations Lecture Notes Outline A dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters. Dialogue can reveal a character’s • age • personality and mood • ethnic background • educational level • geographical roots • relationships and their status • motivations and aspirations 7

Dialogue continued… Besides establishing characterization, dialogue can also hint at the theme and tone of a drama. Theme is the central idea or perception about life that is revealed through a literary work. Tone is the emotional attitude toward the reader or toward the subject implied by a literary work. Conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or movie. Tone is the emotional attitude toward the reader or toward the subject implied by a literary work. Lecture Notes Outline Besides establishing characterization, dialogue can also hint at the theme and tone of a drama. Theme is the central idea or perception about life that is revealed through a literary work. Tone is the emotional attitude toward the reader or toward the subject implied by a literary work. 8

Dialogue example: ABIGAIL: Give me a word, John. A soft word. Her concentrated desire destroys his smile. PROCTOR: No, no, Abby. That’s done with. ABIGAIL, tauntingly: You come five mile to see a silly girl fly? I know you better. PROCTOR, setting her firmly out of his path: I come to see what mischief your uncle’s brewin’ now. Put it out of mind, Abby. —from The Crucible, by Arthur Miller Lecture Notes Outline In this dialogue excerpt from Act 1 of The Crucible, the true nature of Abigail and John Proctor’s relationship is revealed. ABIGAIL: Give me a word, John. A soft word. Her concentrated desire destroys his smile. PROCTOR: No, no, Abby. That’s done with. ABIGAIL, tauntingly: You come five mile to see a silly girl fly? I know you better. PROCTOR, setting her firmly out of his path: I come to see what mischief your uncle’s brewin’ now. Put it out of mind, Abby. —from The Crucible, by Arthur Miller 9

What is monologue? A long speech made by one character. This type of speech is an expression of a character’s thoughts or feelings regarding another character or situation. A monologue typically can be heard by other characters on stage. Lecture Notes Outline Another type of dramatic speech is a monologue—a long speech made by one character. This type of speech is an expression of a character’s thoughts or feelings regarding another character or situation. A monologue typically can be heard by other characters on stage. 10

Monologue example: ABIGAIL: Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!... —from The Crucible, by Arthur Miller Lecture Notes Outline In her monologue in Act 1, Abigail commands Mary and Betty to keep their activities a secret. ABIGAIL: Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!... —from The Crucible, by Arthur Miller 11