Activator: Acrostic INSTRUCTIONS: Write the name “Shakespeare” on your plate. Next, write information you learned during your Web Quest using the letters in Shakespeare. You have 5 minutes to complete this task.

Emphasis on Shakespearean Drama Introduction to Drama Emphasis on Shakespearean Drama

Part One Elements of drama

Drama The word drama comes from the Greek verb dran, which means “to do.” The earliest known plays. . . Were written around the fifth century B.C. Produced for festivals to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility.

Dramatic Structure Like the plot of a story, the plot of a play involves characters who face a problem or conflict. Climax: point of highest tension; action determines how the conflict will be resolved Rising action: tension builds Falling action: tension subsides Exposition: characters, setting and conflict are introduced Resolution conflict is resolved; play ends

Elements of Drama Playwright-the author of a play Actors-the people who perform Acts-the units of action Scenes-parts of the acts

Characters’ Speech The characters’ speech may take any of the following forms. Dialogue- conversations of characters on stage Monologue- long speech given by one character to the others Soliloquy- speech by a character alone onstage to himself, herself, or to the audience Asides- remarks made to the audience or to one character: the other characters onstage do not hear an aside

Stage Directions Found in brackets [ ] Describe scenery and how characters speak C, Center Stage L, Stage Left R, Stage Right U, Upstage or Rear D, Downstage or Front

Part Two Types of Plays

Two Types of Plays Tragedies Comedies

Tragedy A tragedy is a play that ends unhappily. It shows the downfall of the main character. Most classic Greek tragedies deal with serious, universal themes such as . . . Tragedies put human limitations against the larger forces of destiny. right and wrong justice and injustice life and death

Tragic Hero The protagonist of most classical tragedies is a tragic hero. The tragic hero is noble and in many ways likable. However, he has a tragic flaw, which is a personality flaw or a mistake he makes. pride rebelliousness jealousy

Comedy A comedy is a play that ends happily. The plot usually centers on a romantic conflict. boy meets girl boy loses girl boy wins girl

Comedy Comic complications always occur before the conflict is resolved. In most cases, the play ends with a wedding.

Part Three Devices in Drama

Dramatic Irony Dramatic Irony: the audience or the reader knows something that a character does not. Playwrights use dramatic irony when they allow the audience to know more than the characters do about a specific situation or incident.

Foil A foil is a character who provides a contrast to another character, usually the protagonist. The function of a foil is to highlight the protagonist’s qualities and personality. Therefore, a foil is a method of characterization for a playwright.

Language of Shakespeare’s Plays Part Four Language of Shakespeare’s Plays

Shakespeare’s Language Meter is a rhythm of accented and unaccented syllables which are organized into patterns, called feet. Using the same meter throughout a play helped actors memorize their lines. Shakespeare used iambic pentameter as his meter.

Iambic Pentameter Iambic foot = a pair of syllables containing short/long or unstressed/stressed syllables. Pentameter = five So Iambic pentameter is a line that contains five iambs (10 syllables in unstressed stressed pattern) Makes a sound like a heartbeat: deDUM deDUM deDUM deDUM deDUM

Iambic Pentameter Examples When I do count the clock that tells the time To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells