What is a Play?

Chapter 2 After Chapter 2, you should be able to *Identify the characteristics of a play *Identify the two genres that have dominated dramatic criticism *Explain Aristotles definition of tragedy *Know the origins of comedy *Name and explain Aristotles six components of a play *Name and explain the structure or order of a play Characteristics of a play *Live action shaped by a conflict *A piece of life which has been given a frame or structure *A piece of literature *Live performance *It is playing: It is pretending and dressing up. *It can be entertainment *It can be a call to social change How long is a play? *Technically, it does not have a fixed duration. *Generally, a play is between 2-4 hours. *A one-act may be thirty minutes or 1 hour. *Some plays, however, have been known to last all day or longer! Genre: What kind of play is it? *The two dominant genres are tragedy and comedy. *Tragedy- a serious play with a topic of universal significance. *Comedy- Characters foolishly overreach themselves and get into interpersonal conflicts. Other blended genres include. . . *FarceFunny treatment of a trivial theme:mistaken identity,infatuations,overheard conversations. *History playdramatizes key events in the life of a king or head of state. *TragicomedyHas a serious theme but moves from seriousness to humorous. A tragedy that ends happily! *Dark comedy- Begins funny but ends seriously. *MusicalBegan in late 1800s; increasingly popular. *DocumentaryUses authentic evidence to portray real historical events.

Who was Aristotle?

*(384-322 B.C.E.) *Aristotle has influenced the entire civilized world with his philosophy of politics, art, religion, public speaking, and drama. *His Poetics (350 B.C.E.) set the standard for dramatic criticism. Aristotles definition of tragedy *A serious play with a universal topic *The protagonist is a person of high rank or status *The protagonist undergoes a decline in his fortunes resulting in suffering and death *The protagonist, however, has had a period of self-recognition, of his flaw. *His flaw, or hamartia, usually being pride or hubris. *The audience should experience both pity and fear for the protagonist ending in a catharais, or purging of those emotions. More on the tragedy *The antagonist, or opposer of the action, gives tragedy its conflict. *Antagonists generally are the gods, ghosts, fate, or the hardest of human realities. *The protagonists larger than life struggle with superhuman forces links him and us with the divine and human destiny. *A tragedy should ennoble, not sadden, us. *Seeing a tragedy helps us safely contemplate what action we would take in the protagonists place. Aristotles Components of a Tragedy *Plot *Character *Themes *Music *Spectacle *Diction Plot *The sequence of the characters comings and goings *The timetable of the plays events *Specific order of events *Must have inner and outer actions *Must use logic and suspense Character *The human figures; the impersonated presences on the stage. *The audience must care about or be able to identify with the characters Theme *The plays overall statement: its topic, message or central idea. *The theme must be meaningful or pertinent to the audience. *A play can have more than one theme! Music

*Plays were chanted or sung during Aristotles time. *Music still sometimes used to emphasize mood before or during a play. *Other sounds count as a form of music: footsteps, gunshots,heartbeats, telephones ringing. Spectacle *All the visual aspects of a production: scenery, costumes, lighting, make-up, props, etc. Diction *The pronunciation of spoken dialogue: its tone, its cadence; poetry or prose. *Play dialogue calls for carefully crafted lines. *A prime asset of the well-trained actor is a well-trained voice. Origins of Comedy *Began as improvised entertainment such as skits, bawdy jokes, erotic singing and dancing *Comedy is still, however, about serious human conflict. *The playwright, Aristophanes, was the master comedic playwright. *Aristophanes comedies included interpersonal conflicts, topical issues, witty dialogue, physical buffoonery, as well as verbal and sexual playfulness. What is a theatrical convention? *An aside or soliloquy where the audience accepts that only the audience hears them. *When the lights go down or the curtain closes, time or the locale may have changed. *When actors freeze on stage we know it is a dream sequence. Four Dramatic Elements that give a Play Structure a. Exposition b. Conflict c. Climax d. Denouement Exposition *Background information the audience must have in order to understand whats going on in the play Conflict *The conflict can be man against man, man against himself, man against society. *The inciting incident begins the first conflict of the play. Climax *Climax is the conflict taken to its most extreme; it is the moment of maximum tension. Denouement or Falling Action *The resolution, in which a final speech or action indicates that the climax has passed. It

is the final comment or scene of the play. Lets Review *Aristotle in his work The Poetics established the guidelines for what a tragedy should include. *A tragedy we have seen must include a tragic hero with a tragic flaw. *The hero must have a recognition of his flaw and a reversal of his or her fortunes. *The audience must feel pity and fear for the tragic hero but releases these emotions at the end of the play. *Aristotle said each play should have six parts or components: plot, theme, character, music, diction, and spectacle. *The four elements of every play include the exposition, the inciting incident, the climax and the falling action. References *Cohen, Robert. The Theatre. 6th edition. Mayfield Publishing: 2003. *www.google-images.com