Dramas have been written, read, and viewed for thousands ...



Dramas have been written, read, and viewed for thousands of years. Plays have graced stages and private events worldwide. But unlike most other genres, drama is not as popular in written form. Drama is understood and appreciated more when it can be viewed. The characters and plot become more tangible that way.

Based on the information available on dramatic literature and performances, they were initially used in religious festivals. Writers from various points in history, from the Greek to Medieval playwrights, used dramas to reach their audiences and entertain. Illiterate citizens, for example, could view dramas on stage and get the same experience as readers. In a similar way, dramas can be both watched and read today, thus providing more people with the opportunity to enjoy them.

A lot of different people read and view dramas. In terms of written dramas, readers cans be both young and old. Adult readers, however, are more commonly the consumers of complex dramas. But drama is usually intended for representation on stage with actors portraying characters. As a result, viewers of drama can represent different age and interest groups. The readers and viewers of drama, however, are usually determined by the content of a particular work.

Depending on the specific type of drama, they can be read for purposes such as pleasure, historical enrichment, and social awareness. For instance, Greek epics like The Iliad and The Odyssey are most often read to examine Greek history. Fans of William Shakespeare’s plays can also read to gain historical knowledge. Viewing Shakespeare’s plays, however, is usually the preferred method of experiencing Shakespeare for entertainment. Plays can provide great social commentary on important issues as in several of Shakespeare’s works; The Merchant of Venice deals with ethnic and religious tension.

Most readers of drama do so for academic purposes. Students are exposed to drama in schools as they read and act out stories. In terms of higher education, Shakespeare is one of the most prominent and popular playwrights used in high schools. His plays are even the basis for entire college courses. Other than for academia, dramas are less commonly read for fun. The genre is not nearly as popular among readers due to plays being more enjoyable when acted out.

Due to dramas being more appealing when they’re performed, they can be seen in various formats. Nearly every television show and/or movie is based on a written piece of dramatic literature. They all contain intriguing characters and conflicts originally written about in a script, screenplay, or novel. Additionally dramas are seen in theatrical productions ranging from elementary school plays to Broadway masterpieces.

The effect a dramatic piece of literature has on its audience varies depending on the intent of the author(s). If an author wishes to make a political statement, for instance, they’ll design their play to challenge the beliefs of the reader or viewer. In many cases, they’ll choose an emotional or personal approach to cause viewers to reconsider their own opinions. Oppositely, if a play is based off of a Dr. Seuss story, it will likely focus on humor to provide family-centered fun. Regardless of the intended affect, however, the majority of all dramas contain a message or story of some kind. That is one of the many commonalities that appears throughout the branches of the genre.

Similarly, the intended audience also relies on what the author or playwright wants to accomplish with their work. A drama about high school problems may be relevant to high schoolers and adults, but young children may struggle to connect with the story. Thus the intended audience and affect on said audience have to be tailored to the specific point being made. In other words, the desired outcome for a particular play has to take into consideration the target audience.

Much like the intended message and viewer or reader, dramas can be composed by a multitude of writers. Writers of this genre should start by simply exploring real life, particularly their own. The best stories don’t’ need exaggeration. Instead, genuine and relevant stories can capture audiences more often than not. Additionally, they need to research the genre by reading and viewing drama. Common themes and positive (and negative) qualities will begin to emerge with more exposure.

Although, it may be safe to say that writers of this particular genre most likely have a love for participating in drama themselves, or have a great appreciation for the genre itself. For instance, actors and avid theatergoers may enjoy producing their own dramas because they can translate their thoughts easily into the dramatic format. But in reality, anyone can write a drama so long as they enjoy setting up scenes and dramatic dialogue. In fact, a large number of fiction and/or non-fiction writers could adapt their works to create dramas. After all, the topics and themes most commonly found in other genres are also found in drama.

Like most stories within their respective genres, there are many common topics in dramas. Moreover, dramas are often categorized based on their topic. For example, Shakespeare and his numerous contemporaries most often wrote comedies, tragedies, and histories. Within each of these branches, plays have been written about mistaken identity, forbidden love, and fierce wars. Therefore common themes and images within the genre of drama reflect the aforementioned topics. Love, betrayal, friendship, etc., these are among the most popular themes across all forms of dramatic literature.

In regards to sentence structure, it varies among the types of plays and the intentions of the author. Back in the early years of dramatic literature, prose and verse were used deliberately. A character that spoke in prose usually held a different social status or level of intelligence than someone who spoke in verse. In that sense, there were two main sentence structures, and they served very distinct purposes. That being said, however, most dramas are comprised of shorter sentences, as the majority of the stories rely heavily on dialogue. The exception is the use of monologues. These include a single character talking to themselves or others and require that character to be extremely long-winded. Otherwise, writers of drama prefer to use more natural dialogue patterns.

Likewise, punctuation and grammar are manipulated in order to achieve a certain goal in drama. Correct punctuation and grammar often indicate intelligence and sophistication. Oppositely, poor grammar can signify an apparent inferiority. Either way, authors use punctuation and grammar very deliberately. For example, in the case of portraying a king versus an uneducated servant, the grammar and word choice for both characters will absolutely be related to their role or purpose in the play. Grammar and punctuation also reflect the times and culture in which the stories are based. A play set in the 1800s would definitely contain different grammar and diction than a play set in 2012, and rightly so. Each generation has unique qualities that are displayed in language, and literature can preserve those qualities. At the same time, many aspects of drama have proven to be consistent throughout the ages.

In many ways, dramas/plays have both changed and remained the same over the past several hundred years. They continue to tell real and fictional stories with memorable characters and powerful dialogue. And they continue to provide stage directions to aid readers and directors in imagining or setting up the plot. Furthermore, they still contain conflict and messages for consumers of drama. Not to mention, so many stories lines have been adapted throughout the years for new generations to learn from and experience. The themes present today existed centuries ago, and most, if not all, of the stories that have been passed down are still incredibly relevant.

Still, some aspects of drama have changed, though not drastically. One significant change is the accessibility to plays and other forms of drama now as opposed to several hundred years ago. The arts, especially drama, have gained more appreciation and respect since the early days of performance. As a result, the amount of venues dedicated to performance has multiplied exponentially; and these venues can provide so many more people the opportunity to experience drama.

Dramas can be easily identified their unique form; dramas are presented in broken up acts and scenes. Dramas are also typically shorter than traditional novels, though not always. If a person picked a piece of dramatic literature up off of the floor, they might notice the nearly continual dialogue with stage directions interspersed to describe physical actions by characters.

The overall purpose of drama is to put storytelling and conflict into a different, often more realistic form. Additionally, it allows events to be examined and displayed through recreations so that people may gain a new perspective. Still, the main purposes of drama are to entertain, enlighten, and intrigue.

“Drama | Define Drama at .” . Web. 15 Feb. 2012. .

“Genres.” Web. 16 Feb. 2012. .

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