DRAMA (PLAY), IRONY AND LITERARY DEVICES:

Drama refers to the staging of events whether historical or imaginative. Most of the films and movies that appear on the television could be classified under drama. The main identification marks for drama are plot, dialogue and action. Therefore, while poetry is recited, and prose read, drama is essentially acted.

TYPES OF DRAMA

Meaning of Tragedy:

Tragedy is a play in which the flaw, weakness or hamartia of the hero/heroine leads to his/her tragic death. The atmosphere of a tragedy is usually serious and sorrowful. However, short moments of comic relief are usually introduced in tragedy to case the tension in the play. Examples of tragedies include; Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Julius Caesar Othello and Macbeth and Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan etc.

Meaning of Comedy:

This refers to a type of drama which usually ends on a happy note. Examples include; Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, William Shakespeares Much Ado about Nothing, Kobina Sekyi’s The Blinkards, Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer.

Meaning of Melodrama:

This cranks up the emotions, taking us on an exhilarating rollercoaster ride. Characters are often painted in broad strokes, with clear heroes and villains. Melodramas captivate our senses with intense, emotional situations, ensuring that our hearts race as we watch the story unfold.

ELEMENTS OF DRAMA AND THEIR MEANING

Meaning of Dialogue:

This is the conversation between characters. Plays progress through dialogue. When the drama is written down, the dialogue follows the name of each speaker. Quotation marks are not used to indicate dialogue in a novel.

Meaning of Plot:

This refers to the series of events that makeup the story. In drama the plot is usually created through conflict or a clash between opposing forces, factions or ideas.

Meaning of Characters:

These are the people or animals who act in a play. George Orwel’s Animal Farm is an example of a play with animal characters.

Acts and Scenes:

These are the major divisions in a play. Scenes are the divisions within the acts. The scenes change when the setting in the act changes.

Meaning of Stages Direction:

These are the necessary instructions given to the stage director or actors to be able to act the play successfully. Stage directions are part of the script, and they usually describe scenery, decorations, lighting etc

Meaning of Stage Prompter or Prompter:

This refers to a person who prompts or reminds of what they ought to say. This usually occurs when actor forgets what to say. The stage prompter often stands behind the stage with the script of the play in hand.

Meaning of Theme:

This refers to the central ideas that are revealed in the drama. Themes may be explicitly or implicitly stated.

Meaning of Dramatis Personae:

The list of the names of character stated at the beginning of the play.

Meaning of Cast:

This refers to the list of actors in a play.

Meaning of Style in Drama:

This refers to the playwright’s mode of presenting his work. The playwright may use irony, contrast, and symbolism as part of his /her style. The writer’s language or diction also enforces his style.

Meaning of Soliloquy:

This refers to the situation where a character speaks to himself alone on stage. Examples include; the soliloquies of Hamlet in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Othello in Othello and those by Mrs Brofosem in Kobina Sekyi’s The Blinkards.

Meaning of Aside:

This refers to the situation where a character speaks to the audience without the knowledge of other characters on stage.

Meaning of Auditioning:

This is an event where prospective actors are selected for a play or movie.

Meaning of Climax:

This refers to the peak or highest point of the conflict in play.

Meaning of Anti-climax/ Falling Action:

This refers to a sudden fall from a high point of success to a low point of failure in the play. This is the opposite of climax. Anti-climax is sometimes known as bathos.

Meaning of Antithesis:

This occurs when two different qualities are put side-by-side in order to throw more light on their differences E.g.1. To err is human, to forgive divine, Penny wise, pound foolish.

Meaning of Hero/Heroine:

This refers to the main character in the play. This character is also known as the protagonist of the play.

Meaning of Antagonist:

An antagonist is a character who opposes the hero or protagonist in a play. He/she is also called the protagonist’s arch-rival. It is possible to have more than one antagonist depending on the complexity of the plot.

Meaning of Deus ex machina:

This Latin phrase is translated to mean “the machine of the gods”. It refers to the situation where divine or supernatural intervention is employed to resolve the conflict in the play. This was common in ancient Greek plays where a harpy figure or messenger of the gods comes to resolve the conflict at the end of the play.

IRONY

It is when what’s said or expected doesn’t quite match up with what actually happens or what’s really meant. Sometimes, it can make you laugh or make you think deeper. Imagine saying one thing but meaning the opposite, like calling a rainy day “sunny” with a wink. That’s verbal irony. Or when things turn out differently from what we thought, like a firefighter’s house catching fire – that’s situational irony.

Then there’s dramatic irony, which is like having a special secret in a story. It’s when the audience knows something that the characters in the story don’t. In our everyday chats and stories, irony adds a touch of spice. It’s a reminder that life often throws surprises our way, and that’s what makes it interesting and sometimes funny.

Types of irony

Dramatic Irony:

This occurs when the audience know of the things happenings in a play more than the characters on stage.

Verbal Irony:

It is when a character says one thing but means something else.

Situational Irony:

It is a difference between the expected results and the actual results. In other words, it is the contrast between what happens and what was expected. Irony of situation often derives its humour from the situation where something was meant to be a witty prank backfire.

Literary Devices

Meaning of Burlesque:

This is a literary work which makes fun of people through comic imitation. This is similar to parody.

Meaning of Lampoon:

This refers to a sharp often abusive satire that is directed at an individual, government, institution and meant to ridicule them.

Meaning of Pathos:

This refers to the power of literature to evoke emotions of pity and compassion.

Meaning of Catharsis:

This is known as the purging of emotions among the audience in a play. It normally comes in the form of sighs and tears which relieve the audience of their emotions of fear or Sorrow.

Meaning of Classical literature:

In literature the classical period refers to the time in history when the Greek and Roman empires flourished. Therefore, classical literature simply refers to Greek and Roman literary works. Classical allusion then becomes a reference to Greek and Roman literature, mythology etc.

Meaning of Cliché:

Cliché refers to words and expressions which have lost their essence as a result of being over used. An example is when one uses the euphemism; “He has kicked the bucket” to refer to a person’s death.

Meaning of Comic Relief:

This refers to humorous events that are interjected into a tragedy to relieve the audience of the tension in the play. Comic relief is often introduced by a clown or clowns.

Meaning of Contrast:

This happens when two contradictory ideas or characters are put together in a poem, play or novel. A character whose actions highlight how different another character’s actions are is referred to as foil. In She Stoops to Conquer George Hastings acts as a foil to Marlow.

Meaning of Eponymous:

An eponymous literary work is the one in which the title is named after the main character in the play. E.g., Othello, Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet; all written by William Shakespeare.

Meaning of Tragic Flaw/Hamartia/Hubris:

This refers to a weakness or flaw in a tragic hero that brings about his downfall.

Meaning of Lampoon:

This is a play in which an insulting and satirical attack is poured on a person, institution or government regime.

Meaning of Melodrama:

This is a form of drama in which characters and events are exaggerated for sensational purposes.

Meaning of Prologue:

This is a kind of introduction which precedes the start of a play.

Meaning of Epilogue:

This refers to a kind of after-explanation or conclusion given by the writer to aid readers understanding of the play. This sometimes clarifies the reason for the actions of characters in the play and the consequences of the activities of characters. Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan is an example of a play with an epilogue.

Meaning of Poetic Justice:

This refers to a kind of moral justice in a play which ensures that evil-doers are punished while good people are rewarded at the end of the play Frank Ogodo Ogbeche’s Harvest of Corruption is a good example of a play in which poetic justice is employed.

Meaning of Innuendo:

This refers to an unpleasant or derogatory statement made in an indirect way. E.g., MPs tell the truth, Sure they do!

Meaning of Caricature:

This refers to a play or picture which exaggerates the weaknesses and imperfections in a person or thing, this is usually done to make fun of the person or thing.

Meaning of Mime/Pantomime:

This refers to a play or entertainment in which the actors express themselves by mute gestures often accompanied by music.