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Meaning of word drama in Literature

Drama Explanation

By Waqar AliPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Meaning of word drama in Literature
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Drama is a story that uses written dialogue (prose or poetry) to portray fictional or non-fictional events. Dramas can be performed live on stage, on television, or the radio. Dramas are often called plays, and their creators, known as "dramatists" or "playwrights," are commonly known.

Since the time of Aristotle (c.335 BCE), "drama" has been performed. The term comes from the Greek word drama, an act, a play, and draw, which is to act and take action. Two of the ancient Greek Muses are represented by the iconic masks of drama, the laughing and crying faces.

What makes the drama so dramatic?

Playwrights aim to make their plays more dramatic by building tension and anticipation throughout the story. The audience is constantly wondering what will happen next and anticipating the outcome of the events. This creates dramatic tension. Dramatic tension is often present in a mystery to create excitement and anticipation that leads to a thrilling or unexpected climax.

Dramatic tension is about keeping the audience guessing. Oedipus, the ancient Greek tragedy, is Oedipus the king able to figure out why his father killed him and slept with his mother, causing the plague that decimated his city. If he does, what will he do? Will Prince Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet ever be able to avenge his father's death and rid himself of his ghost and visions from floating daggers?

Dramas rely heavily on spoken dialogue to inform the audience about characters' emotions, motivations, feelings, and plans. Playwrights can create tension in theaters by having their characters perform soliloquies or asides. Thus, the audience can see the characters living out their stories without explanations from the author.

Types of Drama

Dramatic performances can be divided into different categories based on the tone and mood of the story. Consequently, there are many types of drama:

  • Comedy Comedies have a lighter tone and are meant to make people laugh. They usually end with a happy ending. Comedy places offbeat characters into unusual situations, allowing them to say and do funny things. Humor can be funny and sarcastic, addressing tough subjects. There are many sub-genres to comedy. These include romantic comedy, sentimental comedy, and tragic comedy. This is where characters combine tragedy with humor to bring about happy endings.
  • TragedyTragedies, based on darker themes, portray severe topics like death, disaster, and human suffering in a dignified, thought-provoking manner. Tragedies, such as Shakespeare's, rarely have happy endings.HamletMany people are burdened with tragic character flaws that eventually lead to their death.
  • FarceFarce, an exaggerated form of comedy that uses absurd or excessive humor forms, is a nonsensical drama genre where characters deliberately overact and engage with slapstick. Farce includes the playwriting to GodotSamuel Beckett, the 1980 hit movie AirplaneJim Abrahams wrote the book titled "The Secret Life of Jim Abrahams."
  • MelodramaMelodramas are a dramatic form that exaggerates classic characters like heroes, heroines, and villains who deal with complex, romantic, and sometimes shocking situations. Melodramas are sometimes called "tearjerkers" and include the playThe Glass MenagerieTennessee Williams and the classic Civil War movie about love, Gone with the WindBased on Margaret Mitchell's novel,
  • OperaDrama is a multi-faceted genre that combines theatre, dialogue, music, and dance to create dramatic or humorous stories. Performers must be skilled singers and actors, as characters communicate their emotions and intentions via song. For example, the most tragic BohemeGiacomo Puccini and the absurd comedyFalstaffThe classic operas, such as Giuseppe Verdi, are great examples of opera.
  • DocudramaDocudramas, a relatively new genre, are dramatic portrayals or non-fictional historical events. Docudramas are more often shown on television and in movies than in live theatre. Famous examples include the movie apollo 13And12 Years as a SlaveBased on the Solomon Northup wrote an autobiography.

Best Countries for Dramas Production

  1. Icdrama (Watch Icdrama Drama online, HK Drama, TVB Drama, HK Movies, TVB Shows in Cantonese and Download free on icdrama.live)
  2. HK Drama
  3. Korean drama
  4. Chinese Drama
  5. HK Shows

Suppose you want to see these dramas for free and get entertained. In that case, these dramas are available free on icdrama.live, and I will highly recommend you to watch these dramas and enjoy fully with ad-free experience on this website which I already mentioned.

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About the Creator

Waqar Ali

Best Countries for Dramas Production

Icdrama (Watch Icdrama Drama online, HK Drama, TVB Drama, HK Movies, TVB Shows in Cantonese and Download free on icdrama.live)

HK Drama

Korean drama

Chinese Drama

HK Shows

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