Prof.(Dr.) Asghar Ali Ansari

School of Languages,Literature & Society

Jaipur National University, Jaipur, India

Meaning and Origin:

Do you know what a drama is? Drama is a story which is performed on the stage with the help of actors and actress. Drama, as a form of art, has always attracted the critics and scholars since the time of its origin. Although drama has seen many ups and downs, yet it has always been a popular form of art and so it has always been studied critically by the critics in every age and period. The popularity of drama is evident from the works of critics done on it.

In every period we find that drama is always a prominent form of art. In the 16th and 17th century drama saw its peak of popularity, especially during the Elizabethan period when Shakespeare wrote plays. During the Elizabethan period a number of dramatists wrote a lot of plays which became very popular during that time. During that time a number of well managed and well equipped theatres were established which attracted the playwrights, producers as well as audience.

The word drama has been taken from a Greek word, “Drao” which means to do or to act. In ancient Greece there were only two types of plays----- comedy and tragedy which were based on religious themes. Until Shakespeare’s time, there was no word like drama rather it was the word, play which was popularly used for drama and the writers of the drama were not called the dramatist but the play-maker and the place where the drama was performed live was known as a play house and not a theatre. It is only in the modern period that the word drama became popular and the term drama is used for such a play which is neither comedy nor tragedy.

Elements of Drama:

Since the drama is a composite form of art, it has many things in it which are called elements of drama. Followings are the elements of drama:

• Plot: Plot is a very essential element of drama. For any drama a story is needed. Without story there will be no drama because it is the story which attracts the audience towards the theatre.

• Setting: Setting is also very necessary because every story has a background against which the story of a drama or novel is written. This background of the story is called the setting of the drama.

• Action: Action is the most important element of a drama. Without action there will be no drama because the play is not static like novel but it is acted on the stage. With the action the plot of a drama develops on the stage.

• Dramatic Tension: The other important element of drama is the dramatic tension. Dramatic tension is the conflict among characters. It is a kind of problem which is solved in the end of the drama. This dramatic tension may be between protagonist and the villain of the story, may be between hero and heroin or may be between protagonist and the society in which he lives as we find in the modern drama.

• Symbolism: Every dramatist uses symbols in his works. Through symbolism, the dramatist expresses his thought easily. He does not open everything to the audience rather he leaves it to the audience to find out the meaning in the drama.

• Characters: Characters are other important element of drama. It is characters who perform on the stage. Characters, through their acting, make the plot move. The relationship among the characters creates dramatic tension in the drama.

• Dialogue: Dialogue is also very important for a drama because through the dialogue the characters express their thoughts. Dialogues among various characters set the mood of the play which describes the feelings and attitudes of the characters.

 

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