Lecture 1 Introduction to Drama.ppt

Lecture 1 Introduction to Drama 英美戏剧研究课程 The nature of drama Play/drama Dual nature: to be read on the page and to be performed on the stage Only one means of expression: dialogue Limited time scope and setting/limited digression/singleness of focus Lack of description and authorial presence Readers of drama: visualize the play in the context of theatre/more work to do on their own Both a limitation and an advantage/greater opportunity for the reader to exercise his judgment Other literary forms To be read Extensive use of description and discussion/various ways of presentation/from different point of view Relatively free expression/no time and setting limitation Free expression of authorial opinion and judgment Readers benefit from the author’s judgment at the same time easily influenced by the author The elements and structure of drama Plot Character Thought Diction Music Spectacle Aristotle in his Poetices, listed the above six elements of drama in order of importance. 1. Plot Plot, another word for structure, provides drama the basic framework of the action and it is about the ways in which incidents connect. The weakest type of plot: the episodic plot and the strongest type of plot: the involved plot Conflict The development of events: exposition (the exposing of facts)-foreshadowing (preparing the spectators for future developments)-points of attack-climax-denouement (ending, conclusion) 2. character The argument of priority of plot or character Dramatists have no means of commenting directly on character and the characters must be simplified, and their qualities must be made clear in a few telling scenes. Character is delineated by appearance. Character is revealed by speech. Character is established by action. Character may be revealed by what others say about and how they react to the person. Types of characters rounded characters/three dimensional characters v.s. flat characters/one-dimensional characters dynamic characters v.s. static characters